Hotel La Bilbaina

I used to stop by the bar at La Bilbaina Hotel in Vitoria-Gasteiz almost every day. One time I ordered a café con leche, and a waitress gave it to me with lots of foam. I later learned she was the manager and that she wasn’t usually there. I politely asked for less foam. Instead of making another coffee, she spooned the foam off and added more milk. I like my coffee with more coffee than milk, so I told her I’d asked her to fix it and that replacing it would have been easy. Some people serving customers seem to assume we have to accept whatever they do, however poorly or reluctantly, as if they’re doing us a favor. It’s the customer paying for the service.

The bed was comfortable, and there were extra blankets in the room, which I needed. The price was good, and the location worked well, with a bus stop right outside. There’s also a restaurant downstairs with cheap tapas and pintxos, handy for a late bite. The walls are thin, so earplugs help.

The rooms are good, and it’s a good location if you’re there to party. Service could be better.

Great location, though the food could be better.