San Sebastian, Spain Hotel Rooms at the Independent

We wanted self catering in San Sebastian, but found all too expensive. We decided to try Zarautz, only 20 minutes by train from San Sebastian. Talaimendi is on the outskirts of the town but there is a nearby train station and bus stop.The quality of food in the Basque country is excellent, reminding me of how I felt in rural France 30 years ago. San Sebastian has more Michelin stars per capita of population than any other city in the world. Talaimendi Apartments are great value for money and the reception was extremely friendly.The suite we had was huge with an enormous balcony..

Enjoyed the hotel- staff were great. The beach was less than a 5 min walk away.

This is a beautiful quiet family run small private hotel run by a lovely and very helpful host - who went out of her way to communicate with us even though we could only speak English. Peaceful and quiet area, five minutes walk into Orio township which is very nice, minutes walk to rail station with connections to San Sebastian, other seaside towns and thru to Henday in the north for connections into France. Could not fault the accommodation at all.

This was a fantastic experience, much better than in one of these hotel chains I stay often. Instead, it was a perfect service, excellent room with a personal touch, and located in a nice and quite area. But the hotel is still very close to the bus station so you can be in downtown in 10-15 minutes. If I go again to San Sebastian, I will go again in Donosti hotel if I can.

Beautifully maintained property, comfortable room, good breakfasts and excellent, friendly service. Highly recommended.

This is a very modern and clean hotel. It is a little far from the beach, but it is a short 8-10 Euro taxi ride into the main city center and beach. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Hotel Avendia is away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Donostia-San Sebastian but it is conveniently close. It's an easy downhill walk to the incredible beaches and not a bad walk back. Taxi one way is less than 6 Euros and buses run every half hour. The hotel itself does not have a view of the beach but it does have a sweeping panorama of the city. The staff is multi-lingual English-Spanish & Basque, happy to be there, and there's someone on the desk 24-7. We stayed there 10 nights. Wake-up calls perfect.For a couple the rooms are just right. Be careful of the showers -- the water is powerful and hot. It's easy to control though. Room Service: great and they don't expect tips. They have an excellent breakfast buffet, eggs, bacon, sausages,bagels, croissants, cold meats & cheeses, Danish, muffins, corn flakes, yogurt etc plus various coffees for about 9 Euros each. One point that attracted us: they have free parking which a lot of downtown hotels do not. We plan to return either this fall or next spring for at least a couple of weeks. Incidentally the staff love it when one uses Euskadi (Basque): try Eskerrik asko! Hope this helps.

My husband and I stayed there for one night and found the room very comfortable, and the staff great. The 2 individuals we dealt with at the front desk were very professional, courteous and knowledgeable. It made a great impression. The lady at the cafe was wonderful. I wish I remembered her name. We had coffee in the afternoon upon our arrival and went back there for dinner and had breakfast the next day. There was a major storm and we were hotel-bound but did not mind it. Very good food, great friendly service.

The sea view is worth every penny of the up charge. Higher floors are preferable. Comfortable bar and lounge area downstairs. The hotel is a blend of old world elegance and modern convenience. If it's in your price range, it's an easy choice.

The hotel is new, clean and well located. The reception staff was most helpful to English speaking guests.