Hotel Catalonia Donosti

A stylish, modern hotel in a prime location overlooking San Sebastian’s old town. The ‘Parte Vieja’ with its many pintxo bars is just a 15-minute walk away. The spacious lobby and elegant lounge are inviting—ideal for reading or an evening of games. Breakfast is excellent, with a wide variety of fresh items and local specialties. A rooftop pool and bar add a special touch, offering fantastic views over the city.||Unfortunately, the service does not live up to the standard one would expect at this price level. We booked two double rooms at nearly €340 per night, but were given one proper double and one much smaller single room—despite the reception staff insisting it was a double (the room only had one set of towels so it was surely a single) Only after persistent complaints were we offered free breakfast to make up for it, and even that was at our suggestion.||Check-in was also frustrating: our rooms were not ready until almost two hours after the official check-in time, and despite promises, no one called us when they became available—we had to ask twice.||Service by the pool was equally disappointing. The attendant seemed distracted with his phone and did not manage the sun loungers properly. Guests had “reserved” loungers with towels, yet many remained unused. When we asked, we were told to wait an hour, even though loungers were clearly free.||The bathroom in one of the rooms also had a hygiene issue. There was mold in the shower (see pictures), and in the other bathroom, the bathtub was leaking, so water ran out when you wanted to take a bath, meaning you had to keep the water running constantly.||In short: while the hotel itself is beautiful, there are also some unpleasant downsides that currently do not really justify the room rates. Also the staff training and guest service fall short of what a hotel in this price range should deliver.

We visited Catalonia Donostia during our honeymoon, coming off an incredible trip in Greece where hotel staff greeted us warmly, celebrated our occasion with a handwritten note, wine, and specialty treats, and made us feel truly welcome. Unfortunately, our experience here was starkly different.||Upon arrival, the front desk had two staff members. One ignored us entirely, focused on his computer despite no other guests waiting. The other—a woman with shoulder-length wavy hair—finished assisting another group, gestured us over, and avoided eye contact. We were excited and said in Spanish, “It’s our honeymoon!”—no reaction. Thinking she hadn’t heard, we repeated it in English and Spanish. She finally looked up, made eye contact, and simply said, “OK.” That was it. We almost laughed because it felt so dismissive.||The hotel itself is attractive, clean in most areas, and the rooftop pool offers a beautiful view. Breakfast service staff were warm and attentive. However, our shower had black mold, which was disappointing for a four-star property.||This hotel may be a good fit for families—most guests seemed to have children—but it didn’t feel welcoming or celebratory for a couple on a special trip. By checkout, we noticed another couple visibly upset with the front desk, which made us feel less alone in our frustration. That said, the younger receptionist with darker hair and skin was lovely and helpful whenever we interacted with her.||San Sebastián itself was absolutely wonderful, and we’re glad we visited, but based on principle, we wouldn’t choose this hotel again. My only regret is not voicing our concerns during the stay—it bothered me the entire time.

You can tell the hotel is new and modern. They have a lift directly into the one of the Main Street and very walkable to the beach. The rooftop is amazing. Nonetheless we had a bit of weird experiences: A) our small dog was not allowed on the breakfast; B) I got dripped upon my arrival from the AC unit on the reception and the reaction was to dismiss it because one of their colleagues wanted some air coming in because there have to wear a suit. C) The check in process took a while I got asked for my address and upon giving my details it took some back and forth. I think the person just wanted to follow whatever process someone created and it felt quite dated.

This was a lovely hotel that felt well worth the price. The room wasn’t overly spacious, but it was large enough to comfortably open our suitcases, and the service throughout our stay was excellent. While the location is a bit removed from the town center, that also means you can enjoy a peaceful escape from the crowds. Perched on a hilltop, the hotel offers stunning views. The main street sits down below a cliff, but there’s a private lift for hotel guests, so getting around is no trouble at all. We included breakfast in our stay, and it was delicious—we never got tired of it during our three-night stay. The fitness room had only the basics: three treadmills (or possibly two—I might be misremembering), a set of dumbbells, and a cable machine. There was just one elliptical, which felt a bit lacking, but honestly, we barely saw anyone else using the gym. The only real downside was spotting a cockroach in our room, which was unfortunate.

This is a very nice hotel at an excellent location. Very good breakfast, large room and bathroom. The only problem is that some rooms are facing a public area where young people gather at nights and can be noisy. |It is not the hotel’s responsibility, but at least a notice could be placed to warn people that someone may need to sleep. Closing the window improves things, but it is a pity to isolate yourself due to this problem, especially when the hotel is located at a very quiet location.

The hotel is located in a lovely quiet area. The decor throughout is to a very high standard. Our standard room was very large and beautifully decorated but the view from the window was just of waste ground which was disappointing but you could see the sea in distance. The bathroom was large and the shower was amazing. Beautiful comfortable bed and lovely furnishing. ||We were celebrating a big anniversary during our 3 night stay which the hotel were aware of when we made the booking months in advance but nothing was offered for same, not that we expected it but even a small box of chocolates or something as a token would of been nice. But they did very kindly give us an early check in of 13.30 which was greatly appreciated||When you join the Catalonia rewards scheme you can avail of a 10 per cent discount for food and drinks at the hotel||The view from the rooftop bar/pool was just amazing and we did enjoy our anniversary afternoon up there with a nice bottle of bubbly||The lift that brings you to street level is just great you will be provided with a code for same upon check in||We didnt avail of breakfast as lot of places nearby for a light breakfast ||Would highly recommend for its quiet central location

We had a very comfortable room and excellent breakfast, and it was a shame we had only one night to spend here in San Sebastian. They upgraded us to a lovely suite because we had joined the Catalonia club and had stayed at another Catalonia hotel previously. This hotel's staff was remarkably helpful, even when we were emailing them with questions before (and after) making our reservation. The spa pool was warm and the staff helpful there, as well.

Beautiful hotel in a great location! Didn’t disappoint in any way! Great rooftop pool and bar! Staff friendly and attentive! Loved our balcony room with views over San Sebastián and the sea! The mystery lift is quite an experience! Breakfast well worth it!