Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra

The Hotel

Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra opened on 15 July 1865 as San Sebastián's first proper grand hotel — built by French entrepreneurs Madame Marin and Madame Gravier on Calle Zubieta directly facing La Concha beach, at a moment when San Sebastián was emerging as Spain's principal Belle-Époque royal-summer destination. The hotel served as the principal lodging for Queen Isabella II and the early Spanish royal-summer court through the 1870s and 1880s, before the María Cristina opened in 1912 and absorbed the principal royal trade. The hotel has operated continuously since 1865 — across the Carlist Wars, the Spanish-American War, both world wars, and the Civil War — under the same family ownership lineage to the present. The principal architectural restoration was completed in 2007 and preserved the original 1865 facade, the marble staircase, the original ballroom (now the property's principal events space), and the original Cuban-mahogany dining room (now Restaurante Olabide).

The 148 rooms — including 18 suites — are arranged across the building's five floors. Standard categories begin at 22 sqm (the original 1865 footprint constraints); the principal architectural decision is the orientation: 65% of rooms face La Concha directly, with the booking premium for the Concha View categories. The Olabide Suite at 75 sqm is the milestone unit, on the top-floor corner with a private balcony directly above the seafront promenade. Bathrooms are travertine; bath products are local Basque-made.

Restaurante Olabide operates in the original 1865 dining room with the restored Cuban-mahogany panelling and a contemporary Basque register. La Brasserie Mari Galant operates on the seafront terrace with the all-day brasserie programme and direct Concha views. The Bar 1865 — the original 1865 hotel bar with the preserved Belle-Époque mirror-and-counter — runs the cocktail-and-aperitivo programme. There is no spa or pool; the fitness centre is on the lower-ground level. The four-star classification reflects the absence of these amenities, not service or room quality, which is at the upper end of the San Sebastián heritage tier.

The Concha-front address is the unambiguous booking proposition. From the front door it is 20 metres to the Paseo de la Concha promenade, four minutes on foot to the Old Town and the principal pintxos-bar axis, six minutes to the Kursaal Convention Centre, and twelve minutes by car to San Sebastián Airport (EAS). For travellers wanting the beach-front-and-promenade booking — particularly for couples and families wanting morning beach access from the front door — Hotel de Londres is unambiguous. María Cristina is the river-and-Old Town alternative; Londres is the beach-front answer.

Best Occasion Fit

Practical Information

Also Great in San Sebastián