If you want to feel like royalty this is the place to stay...in fave it was even built by Queen…read moreMaria Cristina. We had the most lovely stay here in my new favorite place, San Sebastián. The hotel itself couldn't be more beautiful and we truly felt like we were living in a palace. The staff couldn't have been more friendly. And it's in the most perfect location - just minutes away from the best pintxo spots in town. I didn't get to check out any other hotels in San Sebastián, but find it hard to believe we would find anything better than the Maria Cristina.

A part of San Sebastian History…read more Hotel Maria Cristina first open its doors on July 9, 1912. The first celebrity to visit was the Regent Queen Maria Cristina after whom the Hotel was named. The building was and is a magnificent piece of architecture designed by French architect Charles Mewes, who is also credited for designing the Ritz hotels in Paris and Madrid. During the Spanish Civil War that started in 1936 the hotel was temporarily occupied by troops sympathetic to the revolution, but after a few days they surrendered to the local militia men. Fortunately the building was not damaged much in the process, but if you carefully look, you may still see a couple of the bullet holes on the walls outside. The hotel is an exclusive five-star hotel with a price tag that is too rich for my blood, but one can walk in and sit at one of the available tables in the lobby, order a coffee or drink and admire their surroundings.

Best for last! This…read morereview will be the last of my reviews from our recent trip to Spain. The reason I left it for last was because I wanted to give the place the attention it really deserves. Jesuskoa is a family owned and operated hotel/Bed & Breakfast. It is located in the small town of Zumaia, about 20 minutes drive from San Sebastian and 45 minutes from Bilbao. The main stone building on the property was built in 18th century by Jesuit priests and has been owned by the Oliden family for about 5 generations. The rooms are charming country-style and have TVs, free Wi-Fi and most importantly very comfortable beds. The apartments also have full kitchens. The restaurant is run by chef Ramón Oliden who uses mostly local ingredients, usually from his own garden. A breakfast buffet is offered for an additional charge, and served in the restaurant which also offers Basque cuisine. If one wishes to a charming and comfortable hideaway in a gorgeous corner of the Basque Country close to beautiful beaches of Zumaia, or the driving distance of beautiful coast of the Bay of Biscay in San Sebastian, Casa Rural Jesuskoa is the place to stay.

Came by as I was walking towards the beach. Had a glass of moscato along with the lobster empanada…read morewhich was so delicious, it was hot and flavourful. Perfect for a hot summer day. Over looking the beach, this was a perfect snack! Definitely recommend :)

Best hotel in San Sebastián. Attention to detail, great location, food and drink delicious. The…read morescramble eggs were so good. Had the terrace room and did not need to leave much. The technology is new and again too service. Definitely staying here again.

Stay here and pay for a room with a water view. A friend and I stayed in a Junior Suite with one of…read moreus on the sofa bed and the other in the bedroom. It was a perfect set up! We both had closets and we could shut the door between the two areas when we needed privacy. We stayed in Room 111 which had a balcony with chairs and a fantastic view of the water and the promenade. The windows were also fantastic. When they were open, we could hear the lively noise of the promenade but when they were closed we couldn't hear a thing. The bathroom was also very nice with a bidet attachment to the toilet. The toilet even had a motion-activated night light. The shower was a little difficult to use without flooding the bathroom. The breakfast buffet was outstanding with lots of pinxtos, fruit, hot food, cold food, and pastries. My friend is a vegetarian and she found plenty to eat. One night we ordered room service and the food arrived within 20 minutes and was very good. The front desk people were also very helpful answering questions we had. The only negative was that we couldn't get the coffee maker in our room to work.

Awful. Rooms on non-seaside, street side noisy with construction going on across the street. If…read moreyou wish to use pools or workout room they charge extra. Avoid.

The paradores in Spain are quite something ... most of them have the WOW factor and this one is…read moremost certainly one of them. A castle dating from the 10th century, beautifully transformed into a hotel. Lots of charm and luxury. Situated in the middle of the medieval part of town with its winding narrow little streets. The rates are quite steep but definitive worth it! Beautiful rooms with a splendid view, as the castle sits on-top of a hill overlooking the see inlet and harbor.

This old "palace" (as they call it) is a beautiful stone building far up on a hill in a small…read morevillage south of San Sebastián. It takes around 35 minutes to drive from the hotel to central San Sebastián. We asked the hotel reception for a map and they recommended us where to park close to San Sebastián Old Town which was very useful. They didn't have that much information about which pintxos bar to visit however. It's good to know that some bars are open for lunch and close during the afternoon and open again for dinner. And other bars only open at night. Don't miss these: Bar Nestor (lunch or dinner) http://www.yelp.se/biz/bar-nestor-donostia-san-sebastian-2 Txepetxa (simple pintxos) http://www.yelp.se/biz/txepetxa-donostia-san-sebastián Zeruko (extreme pintxos) http://www.yelp.se/biz/zeruko-san-sebastián Also: Koh Tao (great coffee) http://www.yelp.se/biz/koh-tao-donostia-san-sebastián Arzak - one of the best restaurants in the world - (book FAR in advance) http://www.yelp.se/biz/arzak-san-sebasti%C3%A1n-2 We had room 103 and it was just what we'd hoped. Classic and beautiful but not too much. The bathroom was newly renovated and the sheets were clean. Only thing we didn't like was the home scent they had sprayed in the room prior to our arrival. If you get hungry there's both the Bailara restaurant (by Enrique Fleischmann) and a snack menu in the bar, in the Iriarte Jauregia Hotel buildning. Tip to guests: Book far in advance to get a better rate. Tip to Iriarte Jauregia: You should definately do something about the big electricity pylon in front of the hotel that destroys the view.

Beautiful modern hotel inside an ancient castle: A+ Would stay again and again. Superb locally…read moregrown and raised cuisine on site, and nearby farms to visit and partake in endless hospitality that is the essence of the region and its people.

Gayle and I loved our recent experience at the Parador de Hondarriba. We got upgraded to a Junior…read moreSuite, with loads of room and a stunning view of the Spanish and French waterfront. There's also the very nice Plaza Armas at the entrance, and lots of walking opportunities within the Old Town and beyond. The only challenge was finding the Parador parking lot before we checked in. But as a helpful citizen advised from our lost position - Arriba - Abajo - Derecha! Parador Hondarribia is a 10th century castle built by the King of Navarre in the early days of the Christian re-conquest. The castle was remodeled in the 16th century by Emperor Charles the Fifth. Napoleon stayed here for some time during the wars between Spain and France and many other notable figures in the history of Spain and Europe have stayed here as well. Beneath the castle, there are apparently various tunnels and passageways. One legend is that "many have entered, never to be seen again." A Spanish version of the Hotel California? And to support that point, the walls apparently creak at night, although Gayle and didn't hear anything or experience any haunted sensations. The Parador de Hondarribia Parador is every bit the castle people imagine and Gayle certainly felt like a princess during our stay. We also admired the monolithic stone walls (still pockmarked by cannon-fire from old wars), and interior decorations of medieval armor, weaponry and tapestries. The Parador also contains many charming nooks and common areas for quiet reflection or soft conversation. That included the outdoor room used for breakfast and a river-view deck for guests only. It was a great Parador stay and one of our favorites. There's only a basic café here, but there's great dining right out the door. Staff were helpful and professional and the other clientele were an interesting bunch. Did we already say that our room was fantastic?

This was a super fun experience for us. It was our first stay in a Parador and I'm glad our friends…read morerecommended it. The rooms were ok, very noisy with paper thin walls but the view was so cool that you didn't care. The staff was very nice and we really enjoyed having drinks in the salon and envisioning what this must of been like when it was first built. I would highly recommend this if visiting the area.

Everything was perfect. If you want complete tranquility, this is the place. Cute Basque artwork…read morethought hotel and restaurant. Comfortable room!

This the MOST picturesque mountain setting possible . The paella is awesome and the deserts…read moreoffered are to die for.

Hotel Central has nice rooms overlooking the beautiful river. The rooms are comfortable and very…read moreclean. Their service and attention is very good. They have a large out door seating area that's perfect to meet your friends at for a drink.

Impeccably clean rooms and overall establishment. Exceptional customer service!…read more The rooms are spacious with beautiful views over looking the town or the raging river. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly. We will definitely be returning and no questions asked, will chose to stay here for all our upcoming adventures. Merci beaucoup to Christine and her gracious staff! A bientot!