Residencia Universitaria San Mamés

The location worked perfectly for me, and I enjoyed my stay. The property is right above Bilbao Intermodal Bus Station, where the airport bus drops you. The staff were friendly, and my room had cooking facilities, which I didn't use but saw as a plus. Metro, tram, commuter trains, and a supermarket are just minutes away. For getting around, you can buy a Barik Card at a machine or staffed booth and start with about €10. The booth is by the airport bus door in Arrivals, at the far end of the terminal. It covers the other travel options too, including the funicular and trains, for example to Guernica.

The staff were friendly and really helpful, and breakfast was only €5. We spent four nights with friends in a triple room. The Bus Intermodal station is right where the accommodation is, and we took one direct bus there from the airport. It also made our day trip to San Sebastian hassle-free. Metro, tram, and bus stops are nearby, along with lots of shops, cafes, and fast food places. They clean rooms only every three nights, but that wasn't an issue for us. A great experience overall!

The location is a big plus: it's part of the same building as the Intermodal bus station, and the airport bus ends downstairs. Metro, buses, trains, and the tram are all nearby. It took a little effort to find reception because the sign outside didn't match the name on Google Maps or Booking. I stayed three nights in this hotel connected to the university. The modern studio had plenty of space for one person, a great bathroom and shower, and super-fast WiFi. There's a small kitchenette, and guests can use the student cafeteria for meals at a good discount.

I loved the room: spacious and clean, with a double bed, private bathroom, kitchenette, and some cutlery. The Bilbao intermodal, where you can catch buses like alsa, is right below, making airport and intercity connections excellent. The tram stop is a two-minute walk away. It's a university hostel as well as a tourist hotel, so there are plenty of young people and it has a college feel. Most things were fabulous, and the other staff were really good to us, so I'd still recommend it. My concern was that they said rooms were cleaned every three days, but didn't clean ours before we left on the fifth day. When we asked for fresh towels, the Asian guy at the desk seemed annoyed and tried to shoo us away. There was nowhere to dry towels, and ours were dirty from the kids. We kept asking and got fresh ones, then dropped the room-cleaning request. It felt rude, since we were only asking for what the description said and what we were told at check-in. That was my only issue.