San Sebastián is a small city in the Basque Country with a reputation as a global gastronomic destination. It still seems remarkable that a town with no more than 190,000 inhabitants should harbor no less than 19 Michelin stars among its innumerable restaurants and bars. In the matter of characterful hotels, however, it hasn’t cut the mustard in quite the same way—which is all the more surprising given San Sebastián’s long history as a watering place for the Spanish bourgeoisie.
True, there was always the glorious María Cristina, a timeless classic and still one of Spain’s very finest grand hotels. But in a city once defined by characterless four-stars and cheap-and-cheerful pensiones, a glut of fine hotels has come along at once, building on the 2017 arrival of Akelarre, the high-design addendum to Pedro Subijana’s restaurant on Igeldo hill. Chief among them is the revival of Villa Soro. Following its purchase and reopening by the Soldevila Ferrers, the family behind the Sant Francesc and Can Ferrereta in Mallorca, the old building has a fresher edge. The makeover, in the careful hands of Núria Ferrer, maintains original elements such as the carved wooden staircase, the creaky parquet flooring, and the stained-glass roof of the central hall, complemented with smart new furnishings, judiciously chosen modern art, and bathrooms that nail the crisp Art Deco look. With more on the way, the city can finally match its starry cuisine with a clutch of great places to stay. Here, we profile the best of them.
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All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
