País
Vasco (Basque Country/Euskadi), Spain Travel & Accommodation Guide
Hotels
in Bilbao, País Vasco (Basque Country), Spain
Bilbao,
the largest city in the Pais Vasco and the capital of the province of Vizcaya
(Basque: Bizkaia). A major seaport and industrial centre, the city
is located on the river Nervión, and its suburbs extend to the Bay
of Biscay. The city has recently undergone major urban renewal, in order
to move away from the region’s industrial history and instead focus on
tourism and services. A bubbling city with a good selection of hotels
surrounded by beautiful countryside and high interest for visitors. As
well as the famous Guggenheim
Museum, the city acts as home for the Fine
Art Museum (recognised as one of Spain’s finest art museums and recently
refurbished) and the Maritime Museum on the Nervion’s banks, which recently
hosted the RMS Titanic exhibition which has been touring Europe. These
only represent a small portion of what the city has to offer.
Hotel
& Rural Hotel Accommodation - Choose your area:
Barceló
Avenida Hotel & Spa, Bilbao The Barceló Avenida
Hotel & Spa is a deluxe hotel located 10 kilometers from Bilbao International
Airport. The hotel is located in the upper part of the city, next to the
Begona Basilica and just 10 minutes by metro from the center of Bilbao
and the Guggenheim Museum. The onsite Sarasate Restaurant has a daily set
menu, a la carte restaurant and buffet. The hotel has 11 rooms for meetings,
conventions and receptions with capacity for up to 600 people. Coffee break
facilities and state of the art audio-visual equipment is available. Barceló
Avenida offers a wide range of facilities and features, such as: a Cyber
Corner, WiFi access, ample parking, SPA and Fitness Centre. The hotel features
143 spacious rooms. Each guest room has a full bathroom fitted with a thermostatic
bath and individual hairdryer, direct dial telephone, satellite TV with
pay per view and video games.
Barceló
Hotel Nervion, Bilbao The Barceló Hotel
Nervion in Bilbao is a nine-storey building located 200 metres from the
main railway station and the nearest metro station. The world-renowned
Guggenheim museum with innovative architecture from Frank Lloyd Wright
is located 300 metres from the hotel. The beach on the north coast of Spain
is 20 kilometres from the hotel. The hotel's restaurant, the Ibaizabal,
is open at all meal times and serves a mix of traditional and modern cuisine,
specializing in Basque and Italian food. At the Barceló Hotel Nervion,
Bilbao, meeting rooms are also available in the hotel for business meetings
or small private dinners. Audiovisual facilities are also available including
videoconferencing equipment. Wireless Internet access is available throughout
the hotel, for an extra fee. The hotel also has a gym and sauna, plus facilities
for guests to relax with massage treatments.
Hesperia
Bilbao The Hesperia Bilbao is a
seven-floor hotel featuring a striking, curved façade, and is set
in a central location directly opposite the Guggenheim museum, within 50
metres of the city's shops and restaurants. A shopping centre is
located adjacent to the hotel, and the world-renowned Guggenheim museum,
with innovative modern architecture from Frank Gehry and Japanese architect,
Isozaki, is 50 metres away. The hotel's main restaurant, La Ría,
serves traditional Basque fare such as Bacalao (salt cod), lamb stew and
chorizo. After dinner, guests are invited to relax in the Orilla Bar and
enjoy drinks and cocktails. The hotel houses a number of conference and
meeting rooms of varying sizes, all of which are equipped with modern audio-visual
facilities for presentations. ireless Internet access is available free
of charge in all public areas of the hotel. Multilingual staff at the 24-hour
front desk are on hand to store valuables in the safety-deposit box, exchange
currency and recommend places to visit in the city.
Hesperia
Zubialde Hotel, Bilbao Housed in a 20th century
schoolhouse, Hesperia Zubialde hotel enjoys a riverside location in Bilbao,
Spain. The hotel sits across from San Mames soccer stadium and Euskalduna
Conference Centre. Guggenheim Museum, the famous Frank O. Gehry-designed
center for modern art, is located one kilometer from the hotel, and the
beach and Bilbao Airport are ten kilometers away. Hesperia Zubialde hotel's
El Botxo restaurant presents a morning breakfast buffet and specializes
in traditional Basque entrees for lunch and dinner. An array of wines are
offered from the restaurant's exclusive wine cellar. Off the lobby, the
Cafeteria eatery serves Spanish tapas and drinks. Moreover, the hotel's
terrace features panoramic river views. Hesperia Zubialde hosts business
and social events in its meeting and banquet facilities. Complimentary
wireless Internet service is provided throughout the hotel.
Hotel
Carlton, Bilbao The Hotel Carlton in Bilbao,
a beautiful, mansion hotel designed with chandeliers and marble flooring
in its interior, located in the city center, 400 meters from the Guggenheim.
Bilbao old town is within 500 meters of the hotel. The Hotel Carlton
houses Artagan Restaurant, which serves traditional Basque cuisine and
seafood; open for lunch and dinner. Guests can relax in the hotel fitness
center which includes a well-equipped gym, steam room, sauna and a massage
room. At the Hotel Carlton, Bilbao, other amenities include a multilingual
concierge who can assist with sightseeing needs; valet parking, round the
clock room service, and babysitting services. Events, wedding and
banquet services are available on request. In the evening, guests
can relax in the magnificent lounge bar decorated with domed ceilings,
chandeliers, richly patterned rugs and marble floors; serves tapas and
specialty cocktails from a house menu and is famed for its celebrity clientele.
Hotel
Ercilla, Bilbao The Hotel Ercilla in Bilbao
is located 12 kilometres from Loiu International Airport. Located in the
heart of the business and commercial centre of the city, the hotel is close
to Guggenheim Museum, the Euskalduna Congress Centre and the International
Exhibition Centre. Its wide range of meeting rooms with the latest audio-visual
equipment make it the ideal city-centre hotel for business. Your stay will
be pleasant and comfortable, thanks to the richly appointed guest rooms.
A complete buffet breakfast with a variety of salads, cured hams and sausage
and a wide range of hot dishes surprise guests daily. The onsite Bermeo
restaurant serves the best of traditional Basque cuisine. Elegant and impeccable
service has made the Hotel Ercilla an ideal place for your business meals.
Hotel
Ercilla Lopez De Haro, Bilbao The Hotel Ercilla Lopez
de Haro is a luxury property located 11 kilometers from the Bilboa International
Airport. Opened in 1990, the Hotel Ercilla Lopez de Haro is in the center
of Bilbao and exudes great luxury and elegance. This hotel is only 100
meters from Guggenheim Museum and 500 meters from the Music Congress Palace.
Providing easy access by highway, the hotel is near the train station and
well connected to Sondica Airport. Experience the best of Basque
cuisine in the onsite restaurant. The Club Nautico Restaurant, with its
first-class china, cutlery and glassware, adds distinction and delight
to the service elevating the Basque cuisine to new heights. Informal dining
is also available at the Ambigu. The Hotel Ercilla Lopez de Haro
is minutes to popular shopping and entertainment venues. The elegant and
personalized décor in all the rooms and suites appeals to even the
most discerning traveler.
Hotel
Spa Husa Jardines de Alba, Bilbao The Husa Jardines de Albia
Hotel in Bilbao is set in the centre of this cosmopolitan city. It is a
modern building with a grand marble and glass entrance set only 300 metres
from the striking Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum. The Husa Jardines de
Albia has a spa tub and fully-equipped fitness centre. Business facilities
include conference rooms, accommodating up to 100 people, and complimentary
wireless Internet access throughout the hotel. Complimentary newspapers
are available at the front desk, as are safe-deposit boxes to store valuables
throughout your stay in Bilbao. Husa Jardines de Albia Hotel, Bilbao, offers
The Zuria Restaurant and its menu of Basque dishes, served in a contemporary
dining room. The cafeteria serves a breakfast buffet and room service.
Melia
Bilbao Hotel, Bilbao The modern Melia Hotel is
situated in the centre of Bilbao on the banks of the Nervion River, next
door to the Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim and Museum of Fine Arts are
just 500 metres from the hotel and Bilbao old town and Santiago Cathedral
are three kilometres away. Ereaga Beach is 12 kilometres from the hotel.
The hotel's wood-panelled restaurant serves Basque dishes in a contemporary
setting while the café, with it avant-garde decor, serves both international
and Basque snacks. Guests can have a drink in the bar, read the free papers
in the lobby and, in the summer months, relax on the terrace overlooking
Doña Casilda Park. The sixth floor wellness centre has a heated
outdoor swimming pool, gym and sauna as well as views of the river below.
Families with children can make use of the hotel's babysitting service
and for guests with business needs there are conference rooms and secretarial
services. Multilingual staff are on hand at the 24-hour front desk and
can advise on local sightseeing hotspots.
Silken
Indautxu Hotel, Bilbao Hotel Silken Indautxu rises
from the financial district in Bilbao, Spain. Local attractions include
the Fine Art Museum, Arriaga Theatre, and Guggenheim Museum, the famous
Frank O. Gehry-designed center for modern art. Hotel Silken Indautxu features
several dining and refreshment options. Restaurante Etxaniz creates specialty
Basque entrees with fresh local ingredients. The restaurant's dining space
features hard wood flooring, linen-covered tables and a chandelier that
extends from an expansive ceiling. Meanwhile, Cafeteria Indautxu offers
expedient dining service, serving snacks and light lunches in a contemporary
setting. Additionally, El Muelle Piano Bar presents live music and
special weekend entertainment. The bar's overstuffed club chairs, arranged
on hardwood flooring, invite relaxed conversations. Moreover, Hotel Silken
Indautxu presents a morning breakfast buffet. Beyond its dining amenities,
Hotel Silken Indautxu offers an on-site car rental and laundry center.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao,
in Spain, was built in 1997 by Frank Gehry, a Pritzker Prize winning Canadian/American
Architect. Mr. Gehry is well known for his modern architecture, much of
which seems to defy logic with its curves and bends. Unlike many architects,
he completed construction of the museum on time and within the original
budget.
The curvatures of the museum
were created using a combination of titanium, limestone and glass. The
artwork protected from heat damage by the glass curtain walls that were
built throughout the structure. The entire museum took three years to complete;
it was started in October of 1994, and was first open to the public on
October 19, 1997.
Built beside the Nevion
River, water reflects beautifully off the glass walls of the building that
looks more like the sculptures it houses, rather than a functional museum.
Even the entrance makes one commend the architect's vision in making the
building an extension of the modern art inside.
Design of the Guggenheim
was created using computers due to the mathematical complexity of each
curve. The resemblance of the museum to a ship was deliberate, due to the
port status the town holds. If you look closely at the glass walls, you
will note that they look like scales of a fish, and this fish design, which
can be found in much of Gehry's work, is carried throughout the structure.
Though the magnificence of
the museum itself will leave you spellbound, do not forget the brilliance
of the artwork within and on the grounds of the building. Many of the exhibits
change periodically, giving visitors incentive to come often, though there
are permanent exhibits as well. The museum is easy to navigate, which many
be surprising considering the complexity of the exterior.
Gehry's creativity can be
seen inside the structure, as visitors enter the atrium. Gazing up, your
eyes will be drawn to the skylight, which resembles a metal flower, allowing
natural light to bathe the room. A canopy covered terrace, glass elevators,
a sculptural tower, curving walkways, and stair turrets are also featured
in the interior design. The hours spent exploring this modern museum will
be well worth the visit.
Not far from this impressive
structure, still along the banks of the river, lies the Melia
Bilbao Hotel. The hotel offers a variety of ways to relax, with an
outdoor heated pool, sauna and fitness centre for your pleasure. The Café
Chillida and Aizian Restaurant both serve Basque cuisine, designed to delight
even the most discerning palette. Each room is equipped with modern conveniences,
allowing you to enjoy your experience to the fullest. The Melia Bilbao
Hotel is within easy access to Dona Casilda Park, where the Museum of Fine
Arts resides, as well as the Euskalduna Conference and Concert Hall, making
this the perfect choice to stay during your visit to Bilbao, Spain.
