Total disaster ,a real joke.Booked through Venere but nobody indicated the hotel was UNDER DEEP REFURBISHMENT.
The receptionist told our room was finished some hours before,so there was a deep smell of fresh paint,varnish and solvent,dangerous not only for us but also for our 4 months old baby.We only could handle to be inside for one hour.They changed the room and the new one had a strong smell of fecal pipes.

In adition and after all this,at 08.45am the morning after,started strong noises of hummers,hydraulic hummers and drills.

We informed about all this when checking out and the only answer we received was "We are sorry,hope to see you again"

We really enjoyed this hotel. We were there in November. Miraculously, the weather was mild and dry. We were lucky that way. Our room was way up on the fifth floor, overlooking the beach and the sea. We had a small stone terrace for ourselves and we could see the entire conch shaped length of the beach to the Combs of the Sea on our left and to the Old Part of town on our right.

But what about the hotel itself? I found the place charming. One can see it has been around a long time and it retains some of that elegance of a former time. One can almost imagine Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot sneaking around in the hallways. There at least two modern elevators but there is also an old fashioned birdcage elevator which still has the brass handle which an elevator operator manually handled at one time. Today, of course, it is lose and not attached to anything. The clerks at the desk strike the perfect note. They are neither obsequious or cold. Very professional and attentive. Facing the beach there is a ground floor lounge area, striking that old fashioned style. The bar area was often crowded in the evening and everyone appeared to be having a good time. I didn't try room service, but it's there, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They offer a buffet breakfast for sixteen or seventeen euros. We went outside, however, to sit at a nearby agreeable outdoor cafe which was much cheeper. The hotel sheets were promptly changed and relatively luxurious. The beds were comfortable and we slept well. The room was a bit tight but facing the glass doors leading out to the terrace there was a nice space with two comfortable easy charis and a small table. The TV offered channels in French, Spanish, and English: including BBC, CNN, and CNBC.The Old Town is only a short walk away. In the opposite direction there is a wonderful promenade along the beech leading to the so-called Combs of the Sea, a place well worth visiting.

When we return to San Sebastian we will try to get the same room.

The Hotel is located in a privileged area of the city, right in the center and with a magnificent view to the "Bahia de la Concha". They definetely are aware of this competitive advantage and do not pay too much attention to the rest. We were there last summer and had booked suite rooms with view to the sea. Needless to say that you pay the price. A rather complicate process to accept the reservation by phone (they insisted in receiving the credit card number by e-mail, against all safety concerns for this practice) followed by a rather cold welcome at the reception desk, did not leave for us a very good souvenir in terms of the attention to the clients. The impression they give us is, if you are not interested we have a long waiting list for the room.
They were late with preparing the rooms, and we received one of the suites without bed cover, directly with the white bedclothes, like in a cheap student residence.
The suites where we were, would certainly benefit from some renovation, painting, cleaning air conditioning access, and changing the fitted carpet were the most urgent.
A kitchen smell in the lobby - fish- was the cherry on the cake.

The view from a sea view room is absolutely spectacular. Also, the location for quick access to old town and other walking excursions was perfect. I disagree with the reviewers who think that the hotel was not worth the price. I was surprised, given the fact that this is the only hotel on the entire beach, that the price was not more expensive! We only utilized the restaurant for drinks one afternoon to take in the view and people watch, and the service was fine. If you have your own car, do not listen to the front desk's advice to take a taxi to Arzak and Akelarre due to parking issues or difficult directions. We drove to both and managed the drives easily.