Akelarre - Relais & Châteaux

Beautiful hotel, amazing breakfast

Modern and stylish hotel with exceptionally friendly staff. Everyone we encountered was helpful, accommodating, and truly went the extra mile. The rooms are spacious, all offering ocean views, and the spa treatment was both relaxing and enjoyable. That said, two aspects could be improved. First, the cocktail program falls short of what you would expect from a hotel associated with a 3-star dining experience. Second, the room design and descriptions are misleading. The "Panoramic Deluxe" category is advertised as offering a wide, panoramic ocean view, and all photos on ******* show that specific layout. However, not all "Panoramic Deluxe" rooms match this description. Some are simply a slightly larger version of the lower-tier "Double Horizon" category, without the true panoramic layout. When we raised this concern, the response was that room configurations vary and no alternative "Panoramic Deluxe" room was available. This was especially disappointing given the +20% price difference. In reality, we received what could be described as a "Premium Double Horizon," offering only about 10m² more space than the regular version. This feels misleading and is not acceptable for a hotel of this caliber. The property should update its room categories with clearer sub-types and transparent descriptions to avoid future guest frustration.

Great stay at Hotel Akelarre…spectacular view , rooms are sleek & super comfortable and the staff made everything easy.A perfect way to relax enjiy tge scenery and treat yourself. Tge highlight of our stay was dining at Akelarre Restaurant - food is amzing!!! Highly recommend…

This is one of the best hotels I have stayed at, and I have been to world best hotels. The staff is very helpful and polite. Room is spacious and with breathtaking views . Everything is good about this hotel and location. Will definitely revisit once in San Sebastián. Highly recommend. Want to mention Javier from Oteiza, who served as at breakfast and lunch- professional ,polite, goes above and beyond. Highly recommend.

I left the hotel after one night due to serious safety issues: a spa fixture detached inside the water, exposing metal components, and I suffered a hand burn from a boiling-hot steam tap with no signage or warning. The minibar in the room didn’t work, and staff offered no assistance, apology, or concern. Management responded coldly and defensively, showing no willingness to address the situation. What’s presented as a luxury experience is, in truth, a dangerously flawed and unaccountable operation. Be cautious.

We might have liked staying at a hotel in town for convenience, but the Akelarre was amazing! Service was great all around. Great breakfast. It’s one of those places where it’s so nice that you may forget that there is great stuff to see, eat, and drink in town! The only drawbacks: Having to call the concierge and wait 15-20 minutes anytime we needed taxis to go somewhere off-property. Fitness center was too small. No outdoor pool. Very expensive. The 3-star Akelarre Restaurant was a special experience, but I wouldn't do it again because we have a few picky eaters, and it lasted over 4 hours. My mistake was having that dinner the night before we had to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to the airport. That made our first day in the next city exhausting after getting only 5 hours of sleep.