Recommended hotel in Bilbao:
We recommend staying in the city centre. Hostels and B&B's in Bilbao tend to be old and cost about 50-60?. It's just not worth it when you can easily find hotels that are well situated and much more comfortable for 60-80?.
Smart Choice: Hotel Abando.- Smart Link: on their webpage the prices tend to be the same as in the search engines, but sometimes Hotels.com has good prepaid offers.
- Price: 69-100? double room, breakfast not included (approx. £59-85).
- Address: Colon de Larreategui 9, 48001 Bilbao, Spain (see map). Tel: (+34) 944 23 62 00.
- How to get there: it's a 20-minute walk for the bus station to the hotel. Since you'll have luggage, it's best to walk over to the San Mamés metro stop (5 minutes from the station), take any line towards Bolueta-Etxebarri, and get off at the Abando stop (10 minutes, 1.40?). The hotel is a 2-minute walk from there. You can also take a taxi straight to the hotel (10minutes, 5?).
- Description: Traditional, respectable hotel with an unbeatable location, just a few metres from one of the most popular and liveliest squares in the city (Jardines de Albia). It's also just a 10-minute walk to the Guggenheim and the Old City.
Other recommended hotels:
Premium choice:
- Hotel Gran Domine Bilbao: 100-140? double room, breakfast included. If you want to treat yourselves to an "affordable" luxury, this 5-star hotel is a good alternative. Situated right in front of the Guggenheim Museum, it is distinguished by its avant-garde facade (designed by Javier Mariscal) and the exceptional service. Less expensive rooms look out onto an interior courtyard, but for just slightly more there are rooms with views of the street or the Guggenheim. Normally the best offers are found on their webpage, but check Hotels.com to see if they have any prepaid offers.
- Hotel Nervión: 50-70? double room, breakfast not included. Very respectable Barceló chain hotel, on the banks of the river and just a 3-minute walk to the Ayuntamiento (City Hall) and a ten-minute walk to the Guggenheim and the Old City. Make a reservation at their web page.
- Hotel Ibis Bilbao Centro: 49-75? double room, breakfast not included. While more isolated than the previously mentioned ones (20 minutes on foot from the museum and 15 minutes from the Old City), their rates fluctuate less throughout the year. The best offers are on their webpage.
Recommended search engine for Bilbao: Hoteles.com.
