Hotels
No surprise that the gourmet-focussed Nobu chain of hotels should find a spot in San Sebastian and a particularly glamorous one at that, slap bang on the promenade of La Concha Bay. The palatial style of the hotel’s 1912 origins is merged with Japanese simplicity in the interiors. Head to the rooftop for an infinity pool with fabulous sea views and to the restaurant for signature Nobu dishes plus a selection specially created to showcase local produce. Similarly foodie is Villa Favorita, where 23 rooms – many of them sea facing – occupy a charming 19th century townhouse also on La Concha’s ‘prom’. On the hotel’s lower ground floor is the two-Michelin starred Amelia, overseen by Argentine chef Paulo Airaudo. Zinema7, found in the old Astoria cinema, reflects the city’s passion for film, with every suite and room paying homage to the rollcall of stars who have attended San Sebastian’s famous annual film festival in blow-up black-and-white photographs. The vibe is altogether younger and more laid back, and the location – in the quieter residential area of Amara – is still convenient to all the city’s best bits.
Villa Soro is also a walk – 20-minutes or so – from the city centre but this boutique hotel has an exceptional sense of elegance in its 25 rooms. Built in the city’s late-19th-century heyday and with more than a passing nod to the high-Victorian style of architecture, the villa pairs grand features – a vast oak staircase, stained-glass ceiling panels, a tiny chapel – with same sense of sophistication as its sister properties in Mallorca (Sant Francesc Hotel Singular in Palma and Can Ferrereta in Santanyi).
Don’t miss
No mention of San Sebastian would be complete without reference to its beaches – all three of them. La Concha is the biggest and most central – a broad, sandy sweep backed by a glorious esplanade and the venerable Hotel de Londres and overlooking Santa Clara island. Surfers catch perfect waves at Zurriola and locals, particularly from the Antigua region of the city, go to sheltered Ondarreta.