Hotel Abando

Pros- great location Pros-room service was cheap and good. Had “mixed salad” and was an amazing tuna salad for only €12 Cons- Visiting in April meant the heating was on & stiflingly hot. The controls in the room were either on/off without ability to control the heat. Incredibly noisy and very little air movement. Location meant that if you opened your window it sounded like you were above a lorry losing park or bar 24/7. Constant noise from cars beeping and people shouting. It was a hellish few nights. Cons- breakfast like a noisy cafeteria Cons- minimal toiletries & supplies in room. We got 1 sachet of coffee and 1 sachet of decaf coffee in a double room! And 1 milk. When I asked for more I was given 1 additional sachet and 1 milk and still no teaspoon. Cons- room 516 was a “nice room” I was told. Turns out it’s next to the lifts, at the top of an open lobby to the stairs. You heard everyone and everything. Tip- bring own tea coffee toiletries supplies Tip- if you like sleeping w your window open don’t book this place

We were pleased with the location of our hotel in the Abando/Kalea district of central Bilbao, a stone's throw from the Gran Vía and an easy walk over the bridge to the Casco Viejo. The rooms are very compact, but well designed. We arrived to grey skies and rain, but the following day the sun came out, the temperature climbed and it was a glorious day. Unfortunately like most hotels the rooms do not allow you to individually control your heat/cool air con so my room was like a furnace as the hotel was on 'winter' settings. I opened the window, but it would not stay open beyond a crack. The bed was comfortable, and the black out curtains extremely efficient at excluding all light thus aiding much needed restful sleep for someone who was up at 2am to prepare for the outbound flight!! The bathrooms are again small but well designed. Not enough room on the vanity for toiletries and make up though, and the hairdryer is one of the wired-in ones where you have to hold the button to get it to work. An individual plug-in hairdryer with variable heat/speed settings would be better and more '4* hotel' worthy. Negatives: the advertised mini bar contained nothing more than two small bottles of mineral water. Also although there is a Nespresso machine and a kettle the hospitality tray is poor. There were four coffee pods (not labelled to say what they were), some sugar, UHT milk pods and a couple of tea bags, camomile and something else pretty forgettable. No cookies and strangely no spoons with which to stir your sugary brew if you are into sugary brews (I'm not). I had brought some herbal teabags from home so I was okay, but I will admit to hankering after a nice biscuit to go with my cuppa. The public areas are bright, modern and comfortable. We did not use the cafe facilities, nor the on site restaurant which is 'fine dining' and features in the Michelin Guide. Overall we found the location and value for money good, and with a few small tweaks to room facilities the hotel could have earned that extra green blob to take it to 5/5.

Having frequented on numerous occasions, I find myself in a position to offer a nuanced perspective on its accommodations. The room, as always, maintained a commendable standard of cleanliness and comfort that I have come to expect. The familiarity of the space provided a sense of ease and reliability. Disliked · However, it's hard to ignore the subtle signs that the hotel is aging. While the room's foundational elements remain strong, one can discern the wear and tear that comes with the passage of time. Some fixtures appear slightly dated, and the overall aesthetic, while still pleasant, hints at an era past.

The check-in was fast, front desk staff was friendly and helpful. The rooms on the street side are a bit noisy. The room is spacious, the bed is ok. Wi-Fi speed is good. Pity that the tv are not possible to connect to the internet, got only limited choices of tv programs. The price is a little high for this hotel standard, but still ok. Location is good, lots of restaurants and easy to walk around.

We stayed here for 3 nights and liked the downtown location and its proximity to many restaurants. The breakfast area was accessible up a short flight of stairs but they also had a more limited breakfast available off the lobby without having to use the stairs. The breakfast options were plentiful, and they had plenty of employees to clear plates and refresh the buffet. The front desk was nice to work with and they helped us with both of the items that we asked for assistance. The only small negatives were that the A/C temperature could not be changed (only the fan speed), a narrow shower, and thin walls between rooms (we heard the voices of our neighbors).