Casual Bilbao Gurea

Patricia was lovely and informative when she welcomed us, and she took time to help since we had our dog with us. Checkout was very different. Sara at reception was abrupt and unpleasant, greeted us with a frown and negative body language, then told us there was an extra 10 euros for the dog. We had already told the hotel we were bringing a dog, but nobody mentioned the added charge then. We were only staying one night before heading to the Bilbao ferry terminal. The checkout left a sour taste, and we wouldn’t return.

The staff really made my introduction to Bilbao better. They were incredibly helpful, especially as I was traveling solo. Eskerrik asko! The hotel is perfectly placed for exploring the old town, and the rooms are comfortable and clean. There’s no coffee machine in the room, but coffee is available in the social room, with plenty of cafes and restaurants right outside. Nights can be noisy in the old town, so bring earplugs.

The location was great, in the old part of town near the cathedral. But it felt more like a hostel than a hotel. The rooms were very hot with no air conditioning, and noisy too. You could hear everything from nearby rooms.

Everything was perfect. The location makes it easy to explore the city on foot, and you can even see the cathedral from the balcony.