Barceló Costa Vasca — Hotel in San Sebastián

My husband & I spent 9 nights in this hotel. We got checked in by a very nice Courteous Man who made a good first impression But for the remainder of our time we found the Reception & Dining Room staff to have “A Couldn’t Care Less Attitude “ towards us - Not once in our time there did we ever experience an interest to inquire if breakfast was ok or even any eye contact ! 1st example; When we inquired from a lady at the reception if we could speak with the concierge about recommending restaurants in the area for dinner we were bluntly told they didn’t have one & to go on the web & book ourselves, 2nd example; We then asked her if she could tell us if there were any tours of the city & we got the same answer , go online & book . 3rd example; I asked if I could get an extra pillow & was told she would let housekeeping know ; I was then told to go . Needless to say the pillow never arrived & we never felt comfortable to go back to the reception after that rudeness!! The breakfast at €42 per morning was not good value; you had to pay this amount even if you only had Coffee & Croissant; we usually wouldn’t mind the price but honestly the cooked breakfast was so badly cooked with burnt bacon; poor quality burnt sausages & eggs ! I politely asked for a poached egg & again I received a Rude No! The location of the hotel is quite convenient but there is a very very lengthy steep hill to & fro to the beach & city so not suitable for any person with Mobility problems! The hotel itself has the potential to be really good with the location etc but seriously lacking Professional training for the staff on guest relations . Overall the atmosphere put a big damper on our holidays & hence I’ve written this review for others to be aware & not to be disappointed like us as it’s quite an expensive hotel & holidays for most are few & precious times ! I expect On reading this review I may get an apology but it’s of no...

Lots of problems with this hotel.

We have chosen to stay in this hotel with the family before corona hit. Upon arrival and check-in we have been confronted with daily high parking fees that needed to be payed extra, which is never a good start! Certainly when it’s not communicated during the booking process. We asked the receptionists if there were any alternatives as we came with two cars, but no effort was made to help us out, questionmark faces is all we got.. So we took matter into our own hands and asked some locals. Turns out, actually you can park at a very decent price in the street just in front of the hotel.

Furthermore after we checked in our rooms (clean rooms and comfortable beds), we decided to explore the city. At the check-in we asked for some brochures/city maps but were shocked to hear that they didn’t have any.. A true shame for a hotel, located at the centre of the beautiful region of San Sébastian.

The next day at breakfast we were relieved to see a nice variety of foods and drinks, but for the small ones no nutella or chocolate spread were available, which is a bit ridiculous for a buffet. On top of that the coffee machine broke down several times and the staff were extremely derogatory to guests.

At the end of our stay we decided to have a quick chat with one of the managers and explained our concerns. Eventually a “yes, we are not prepared enough” is all we got.

Although: One staff member was exeptionally profesional and polite. His name was Jorge and he was the lifeguard at the pool. Children at the pool were save with him as he did his job with full pride and honour. A true value for every hotel to have!

Normally i was going to rate this hotel at 1/5 but because of Jorge you’re lucky...

The initial impression of the public areas is very good, although maybe a trifle corporate in style, and there is excellent underground parking available at additional cost. We booked a superior room for the extra space, and were allocated a pleasant balcony room on the second floor. However, we initially failed to notice the hotel's Plant-room immediately below us, which ran throughout the night. Our request the next morning for a room change was quickly and efficiently handled but the new room on the sixth floor was not of the same standard. Small and scruffy, and certainly not up to a "Superior" classification.  En-suite facilities comprised a separate WC, with the washbasin open to the room and a rather dated single shower with a tendency to flood. Tea & coffee making facilities are provided, but no milk, despite the presence of a minibar fridge with the ubiquitous Toblerone! The breakfast buffet is one of the best I have experienced and covers almost every conceivable taste. The only downside is a canteen-like ambience, which can quickly become noisy and crowded. The hotel is a pleasant enough walk of around 30 mins to the town centre, or there is a service bus-stop immediately outside. The hotel appears to share its pool facilities etc. with a Health Club in the basement and these seemed modern and high quality, but we did not use them personally.

We stayed here a few years ago and were happy to book a return visit but ended up being disappointed overall. It has the feel of a corporate asset, being worked by robotic rather than caring staff, to maximise profits, which missed being a friendly place to spend a holiday. Regretfully, I doubt that we will be making a...