We stayed on the hotel's third floor where most of the movie stars, producers and directors were staying. during the film festival. Most of the fans were outside the front door, and so to exit the hotel easily, you should use the back door.

This is a Westin luxury hotel,and no more needs to be said about the first class room and service. The reviews describing the hotel are accurate. I was somewhat disappointed that the hotel did not have a true concierge like most oft luxury hotels of Westin, and the front desk gave us the wrong information about the trains which leave for Bayoonne.

I feel that this is the best hotel in San Sebastian, and I would stay here again even outside the dates of the film festival

excellent location and the desk clerks and concierge were always very friendly and extremely helpful , stayed at one of the suites (beethoven) and it was great. Best Hotel to stay in San Sebastian specially if you're going to the Movie Festival.

Checking in to the Maria C, my wife and I were greeted by a friendly staff and a beautiful property. The hotel is getting to the point where it needs a refresh, but the wear in this case kind of added to the old girl's ambience. We were surprised to find upon our return one morning, that the King and Queen of Spain had been staying in the hotel. We watched the Queen leave to her car and than zipped downstairs to sit in the lobby with a glass of wine. Sure enough the King and another chap came walking by. The King nodded to us as he passed. What fun!

OK. I will start with the downside. This hotel was at the end of its reservation cycle when we stayed. I do not mean to suggest that the hotel was down-at-heel at all. It was immaculately maintained and couldn’t have been cleaner. But some of the carpets, light-switches, and such were due to be replaced. My understanding is that it is now closed for a full renovation, so my only (slight) reservation about the Maria Cristina is in the process of being eliminated.

Service is beyond amazing. There was a loud buzzing coming from our air conditioner which I noticed at about 9:00 p.m. I told the front desk, and a technician was in our room within minutes explaining that it was a problem with a pump. It was fixed by the time we got back from our pintxos crawl. The concierge was great, confirming all of our restaurant reservations, asking for good tables for us, and recommending wonderful places to shop. From the Basque cider our bellhop poured to welcome us to the room until the moment we checked out, we were taken care of at every step.

Location is phenomenal. Close to everything. The building itself is lovely, and beautifully reflects the feel of the city.

One odd note, we met some other guests of the hotel who mentioned that their bath products were not the best quality. It turns out that they were receiving completely different items than we were. I’m not sure if that was because we were in a suite, or because the hotel was starting to put out better products because it was just a few days before the film festival began. In any event, a hotel as expensive as this one should have top-quality bathroom products for all guests.

The place is expensive, but when I reserved I noticed that some of the better rooms were going for not-too-much more than standard rooms. I ended up with a Jr. Suite with two balconies overlooking the river, the sea, and a charming plaza – for just a bit more than a normal room would have cost us.

Also, internet access is way overpriced. But again, these are minor quibbles. Overall I couldn't have been happier and I would stay again in a heartbeat.