Hotel Naval Sestao

The reception staff were lovely and helpful, and there’s free parking with a metro link nearby. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Breakfast was good value at €8.50 per person. The industrial area and views aren’t much to look at, but I was pleased with the hotel.

We stayed before taking the ferry back to Portsmouth, and the hotel was easy to find with SATNAV, with good motorway access. It’s in a developing area, so the night was peaceful and the morning fairly quiet. Bilbao would be easy to visit from here as a base, and we’d stay again next time we’re in the city. Our room was spacious and nicely decorated, with a fabulous bed, free WiFi, a free-to-use safe and a television. The large bathroom had excellent facilities. The whole place felt bright and welcoming, and was spotless. The hotel is clean, light and airy. Dinner was €13.50 for a three-course set menu, including wine, water and soft drinks. It was delicious and plentiful, and the staff were attentive. Breakfast was €6.50 each for an all-you-can-eat buffet with hot and cold food, pastries and cereal. The staff were friendly and attentive again. Everyone at the hotel was helpful, and their English was excellent.

Parking around the hotel was easy, and the prices were low. The beds were comfortable and the air conditioning worked well enough, and the rooms were clean, though very small and without balconies. The building itself was in good condition, perhaps three stars at most. The concierge spoke English, but the other employees did not. The location is beside Bilbao’s shipyards and far from other places, so you need a car to get around. When we visited, demolition was happening right next door. The constant work noise and all the debris and rubble made the area look like a junkyard. The basement restaurant was a disaster. It looked dated, and the waiter spoke no English. Since we ate late, the only choices were spaghetti with a sauce whose ingredients he couldn’t explain, or a steak. We made the mistake of ordering the steak. It was like a plank of wood that smelled like food, impossible to chew or swallow. We left quickly and went downtown for pizza.

Without the very friendly woman at check-in, Maria maybe, we would have left. It’s a very basic hotel, set between an unused service yard and industrial businesses. See the photos from the room.