Pension Lorea

The location worked very well for me, and I thought the price was fair, since good, affordable places in San Sebastián are hard to find. It’s an older property, but well kept and clean. The bathroom is small and could be awkward for a larger person. Nights were quiet once other guests had gone to bed, though sounds from the corridor carry through. I forgot to take a photo, so used one from nearby.

The location is about as central as you can get, with the beach to the right, Old Town behind, and Gros to the left. This is a lovely old house turned into a pension, and the staff were warm and welcoming. They received flowers I’d sent ahead for my wife and me, and upgraded our room because it was our anniversary. The balcony opens straight onto Boulevard.

The old elevator is a charming touch, even though its mechanism is modern. Pension Lorea is kept in beautiful condition. Conchi and Paqui made us feel at home, shared useful information, and were happy to help with what we needed. The location is exceptional.

On the second morning at Pension Lorena, I was in the ensuite shower while my partner had gone downstairs to get coffee. The landlady, who had checked us in the night before, suddenly pulled back the shower curtain and shouted at me while I was naked. She reached past me to turn off the water and kept yelling. I don’t speak Spanish, and told her to leave the bathroom, which she did. A few minutes later she came back with a Google Translate printout saying she thought we’d left the water running, and that we were responsible for keeping the room door locked whenever we were inside. There’s only one set of keys, needed for the other locked doors in the building, and my partner had taken them when he stepped out. I was badly shaken. When he returned, we left straight away and checked into somewhere else. The owners’ behavior was appalling, and I got the impression this wasn’t the first time she’d pulled something like this. This was by far my worst Booking.com experience.