My girlfriend and I stayed at the Tryp Urdanibia Hotel for four nights and were generally quite pleased with the standard of accomodation.

However, the photos of the hotel that appear on some websites are misleading. If you have good maps, it is extremely easy to get to - in fact, hotels are well signposted in Irun. But this hotel, is on a central reservation between two main roads. And far from the country retreat that its facade suggests, this is a chain hotel - not too different from a high-quality Travelodge back home.

But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for - and I could not complain about the cost of 90 Euros per night (not including breakfast) - when hotels in the centre of the town were charging more than double that.

I take great exception to the reviever who says that Irun is a "dump." It isn't. The town itself (located less than a five minute drive) has its fair share of nice bars and restaurants - and as a tourist, I was made to feel very welcome by its inhabitants.

The great feature about this hotel is its location. From here, Biarritz, St. Jean de Luz, Hendaye, San Sebastian and the delightful old town of Hondarribia are just a few minutes away - all of which are well worth a visit.

But, be warned, after a hard day's sightseeing, the noise from the road is quite considerable - so sleeping may be a problem. The air-conditioning is not too powerful as well, so be warned.

My friend and his wife are living in the area. The next time I visit, I may look for another hotel (perhaps a pension in the town centre or in Hondarribia) - but if I had to book into the Tryp Urdanibia Hotel again, I wouldn't be too disappointed.