Spain Guide
Euskal Herria: the País Vasco & Navarra
Accommodation
1 Hotel Bilbao Jardines c/Jardines 9, Casco Viejo 
944 794 210 
www.hotelbilbaojardines.com A rare mid-range option in the heart of the Casco Viejo. Rooms are smart and functional, finished in pine and bright colours, with TV, modern bathrooms and free internet. Price: €71-100
2 Hotel Iturrienea Ostatua c/Santa María 14, Casco Viejo 944 161 500 www.iturrieneaostatua.com Clean, informal two-star hotel, tucked away in the Casco Viejo, with restored antique furniture throughout and walls hung with original Basque paintings and moody photographs of the city's industrial past. Many rooms have plants trailing over balconies, and double-glazing to ensure guests are not disturbed by noise from the nearby bars. Price: €71-100
3 Pensión Ladero c/Lotería 1, 4°, Casco Viejo 944 150 932 www.pensionladero.es Friendly management and clean, good-value rooms with modern furnishings and spotless, shared bathrooms. No lift. There is also a fifth-floor annexe reached by a narrow spiral staircase. Price: €36-50
4 Pensión Mardones c/Jardines 4, 2° & 4°, Casco Viejo 944 153 105 www.hostalmardones.com Smart, clean rooms, with or without bath, and finished in dark wood; the fourth floor is preferable to the second-floor annexe. Entrance next to Amboto restaurant. Price: €36-50
5 Pensión Mendez I & II c/Santa María 13, 1°, Casco Viejo 944 160 364 www.pensionmendez.com Comfortable and clean rooms, simply but adequately furnished. Those in Mendez II are slightly better, with en-suite bathrooms, and somewhat more expensive. Price: €36-50
6 Petit Palace Arana c/Bidebarrieta 2, Casco Viejo 944 156 411 www.hthotels.com Friendly, popular and conveniently located business hotel with smart, modern bathrooms, high-speed internet access and cable TV. Price: €51-70
7 Hostal Begoña c/Amistad 2, 1° 944 230 134, www.hostalbegona.com Solid mid-range option very near the FEVE station and an easy walk from the Casco Viejo, with reasonable though view-less en-suite rooms and wi-fi. Price: €36-50
8 Pensión Buenos Aires Plaza Venezuela 1, 3° 944 458 800 
p.buenos.aires@hotmail.com Comfortable and well-run hostal with a pleasant lounge and small bar. Price: €36-50
9 Pensión Zubia c/Amistad 5, 1° 944 248 566 Basic but clean pensión, handy for the station.Price: €36-50
10 
Gran Hotel Domine Alameda de Mazarredo 61 944 253 300 www.granhoteldominebilbao.com The work of designer Javier Mariscal, this is a wonderfully inspiring five-star hotel, appropriately close to the Guggenheim and sporting one of the most creative lobbies you'll ever see. Each floor has a unique design, while the luxurious rooms have bathrooms with transparent glass, and tubs designed by Philippe Starck. Price: €101-150
11 Hotel Carlton Plaza Moyúa 2 944 162 200 www.hotelcarlton.es The grand dame of Bilbao's hotels, built in 1919 and still an atmospheric place to stay, though it's been superseded by the newer hotels in terms of comfort and facilities. The rooms are tastefully finished with stripey upholstery and fresh blues and pale yellows. Price: €71-100
12 Hotel López de Haro Obispo Orueta 2–4 944 235 500 www.hotellopezdeharo.com Luxury five-star hotel built in 1890, with comfortable, modern rooms and bathrooms, but retaining nineteenth-century touches. Great location, and extremely tranquil. Price: €101-150
13 Hotel Miro Alameda Mazarredo 77 946 611 880 www.mirohotelbilbao.com Attractive boutique hotel, with minimalist decor, bathrooms finished in black marble (separated from the chic, white-coloured rooms by a curtain), flat-screen TVs and a decent spa. Price: €71-100
14 Sheraton Bilbao c/Lehendakari Leizaola 29 944 280 000 www.sheraton-bilbao.com One of Bilbao's most distinctive buildings, a bold, creative design inspired by Eduardo Chillida, utilizing Iranian pink marble and rusty garnet tones for the exterior, and green and white marble in the bathrooms. The stylish rooms are luxuriously comfortable, with huge, incredibly comfy beds and 25˝ TVs. Pool, free internet or wi-fi available. Price: €101-150
15 Hesperia Bilbao Campo Volantín 28 944 051 100 www.hesperia-bilbao.com Smart boutique hotel, in a funky, contemporary building lined with multicoloured glass windows and overlooking the river. Rooms come with sleek, minimalist furnishings and plasma-screen TVs. Bike rental, free wi-fi and parking. Price: €71-100
16 Hostal-Residencia Ría de Bilbao Ribera de Deusto 32 944 765 060 www.riabilbao.com A quiet place overlooking the river, a 10-min walk from the Euskalduna. Garden and cooking facilities. Highly recommended. Price: €51-70
17 Hotel Barcelo Nervión Campo Volantín 11 944 454 700 www.bchoteles.com Plush chain hotel overlooking the Puente Zubizuri, with swish, designer rooms equipped with satellite TV and wi-fi, an open-plan bar in the lobby and a classy restaurant. Bike rental and weekend reductions. Price: €51-70