For a city that’s famous around the world for its Michelin stars and incredible food culture, San Sebastián has surprisingly few decent hotels to choose from
But no more – as the team behind two of Mallorca’s best hotels, San Francesc and Can Ferretta, have arrived in San Sebastián, opening a stylish 25 room boutique hotel called Villa Soro in the summer of 2022.
As the name alludes to, Villa Soro is located in an old family mansion which dates back to 1898, now completely restored and refurbished into a swish hotel. It’s no crumbling Spanish castillo however – the stone and timber-beamed exterior was actually designed to be British in style and there is certainly something of the English country home about the villa and its surrounding manicured gardens. Inside, there’s a grand central staircase, large comfy lounges with open fireplaces and high ceilings, an impeccable selection of modern art books, and a stained glass window on the ceiling that represents the historical family lineage.
Up against these original historical features, there’s sleek modern design and furniture that has given the property the requisite contemporary edge. There’s also an impressive collection of modern Spanish art, showcasing artists like Iñigo Manterola, Jose Cháfer and Eduardo Chillida.
The main villa houses 15 guest bedrooms, with 10 more to be found in an adjacent building that used to be the villa’s stables. We were keen to be in the main building so found ourselves in a corner ‘Privilege’ room complete with a lovely outdoor terrace. There’s a nice balance of old school charm and modern flourishes in the design, with antique wooden furniture and heavy patterned curtains contrasting with modern light fittings, contemporary artworks, and the marble-clad bathroom complete with Dyptique products. It’s a supremely comfy and cosy space, the perfect place to rest and recover between pintxos tours – and the addition of that sun soaked terrace is a hugely welcome touch too.
Villa Soro is located in the Gros neighbourhood, the other side of river to the pintxos-packed Old Town – which might seem like a disadvantage at first but, actually, being away from the crowds is a big plus when you want some peace and quiet. It really is a small city anyway and even the Old Town is an easy walk or an even easier cycle on one of Villa Soro’s free-to-use hotel bikes. We love a hotel that has free bikes! Closer to home, there’s lots of great places in Gros too, including Bar Desy, Geralds Bar and the hipster food / wine shop Bouiboui.
Villa Soro itself has a lovely bar and restaurant called Eguzki, complete with outdoor garden terrace for snacks, small plates and cold glasses of Txakoli throughout the day. It’s also where breakfast is served, with fresh orange juice and fruits, excellent Spanish omelettes, and local cheese and hams. All of which sets you up nicely for another day of eating around town of course.
Villa Soro has bought something much needed to San Sebastian’s hotel scene, and it’s got to be the clear choice for anyone looking for a design-led boutique hotel. We’ll be booking in again on our next trip for sure.
Ategorrieta Hiribidea, 61, 20013 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
hotelvillasoro.com