Villa Soro

Really beautiful and charming hotel! We stayed in the “back building” which was quiet, modern and cozy. Staff was friendly and very helpful with recommendations for transport and restaurants. Food and drinks were solid. The rooms are spacious and well-appointed, beds are comfortable. The bathrooms were lovely (though someone in our party had an allergic reaction to the soap/lotion—so if you have sensitive skin, be aware). ||Once you’re on the property and inside the gates, it feels very private and secluded, and though you are off of a somewhat busy road, once you’re in, it doesn’t feel like it. The area immediately around the hotel, the town of Gros is bustling, residential and not touristy. It’s a 10 min walk to a couple of great coffee/breakfast spots if you opt out of hotel breakfast.||The garden/terrace area which is available to all guests was really nice. Tips for those booking— we had considered a ground level room that have the “private” garden area with lounge chairs, but ended up choosing a room on an upper floor, and from just walking between the two buildings, those garden areas were right off of the main walking path between the two buildings and didn’t look very “private.” We were very happy with our upper floor room.||The only downside is location. It was a further walk than we thought from the main tourist areas, old town, etc., all of which are on the other side of the bridges. It was a longer walk/bigger deal than we anticipated, much more so than we expected based on other reviews. Yes, it’s about 20/25 min to the EDGE of the main area across the river, but that can easily turn into a 60+ min walk back if you’re venturing further into old town or going to the other beaches, funicular, food, shopping (and you will want to!).||As of this writing, the current TripAdvisor description says various attractions “and the old town are just a few steps away,” which really isn’t the case. We only did the full walk once, and we used the public buses after that (not difficult to figure out, you can just swipe your credit card). Not at all a dealbreaker, just something to be aware of.||Overall, it was a lovely stay, and we would definitely recommend, just manage expectations about location from attractions!

Villa Soro is a beautiful boutique hotel, we stayed there 2 nights late May. It's within a walking distance from Gros and Old Town San Sebastian. It's conveniently situated in a residential neighborhood, but easy access for taxis. Our room is located in the basement, with comfortable bed, marbled luxurious bathroom, plenty of storage space, sitting area and a desk. It's very quiet and we had a wonderful rest. The continental breakfast is not included with the room, however, we did enjoy it one morning. The staff is very friendly and helpful with our luggage and getting us the taxi, since there's no Uber. This is a great base to explore the amazing Donostia area.

Villa Soro is the definition of understated luxury and warm hospitality. From the moment we arrived, we felt like welcomed guests in a private estate rather than just hotel visitors. The villa itself is stunning—an immaculately restored 19th-century mansion set in a peaceful neighborhood, just a short walk or bike ride from the heart of San Sebastián.||Our room was spacious, beautifully decorated, and incredibly comfortable, with high ceilings, a cozy bed, and thoughtful touches throughout. The mix of classic architecture and modern comfort created a relaxing and refined atmosphere.||Breakfast was a daily highlight—fresh, high-quality options served in a lovely room or on the garden terrace. The staff were consistently gracious and helpful. ||We especially appreciated the free use of bicycles, which made exploring the city even more enjoyable. After busy days in town or on the beach, returning to the quiet of Villa Soro felt like coming home.||This hotel is perfect for travelers who appreciate elegance, tranquility, and excellent service. We wouldn’t hesitate to return.

Excellent hotel - beautiful surroundings and great staff. Bed was one of the most comfortable we have ever slept in, followed by a delicious breakfast. Highly recommended. It is about a 15 minute walk into the centre of town but really easy and convenient

One of the best experiences I have ever had. Super nice and helpful stuff. Stylish. Quite. Beautiful nature. Great energy and atmosphere. The kind of hotels you don’t want to leave even for a walk :) We took bicycles for the morning ride along the ocean. Breakfast is lovely, but if you’re staying for a week or so, I’d suggest to explore more places nearby for more options. In overall I’m totally in love, it is a very special place.

We viewed online the Villa Soro and saw many positive reviews, and we weren’t disappointed.|Staying for two nights and with our car we would highly recommend staying here if exploring San Sebastián.|Yes, a little walk into the centre of town but not a deal breaker.(15 minutes)|The hotel, a boutique type, clean, great decor, super friendly staff who are great at service and being there to help.|Breakfast, very good, a little high price wise but the layout and feel to each morning dining does have a uniqueness. |Evening, didn’t dine but had drinks from the bar, and again super staff and service.|Stayed in one of the garden rooms, lovely, felt very warm and comfortable.|The hotel, absolutely lovely, decor, layout and just a great place to stay.|For the car owners, very secure, parked outside in the grounds, secure remote gate that opens when entering the hotel.|There is a gym, and though not used looked really good, free weights etc. ||If we visited San Sebastián again, we would stay here again absolutely.||Many thanks to the hotel team.

This review is difficult for me to write because I don’t want the rest of the world to discover this piece of heaven! I feel so grateful to have booked Villa Soro for our anniversary trip as a part of our Spain travels. Our minds were blown by the exceptional taste, comforts and service from all employees. Juan Mari was simply a friend, a guide and the best bartender anyone could ask for abroad. He was genuinely knowledgeable, professional to the max and forthcoming about the history and culture of different parts of Spain. His warmth and unique signature drinks made our visit to San Sebastián extremely memorable and we look forward to returning.

A really, really high quality hotel. It is designed beautifully, everything from the scents used, the mini bar selection (which is reasonably priced), little service touches from free apples in the gym to flavoured almonds each day, elevate this place to something special. We walked each day to the town and beach, and its local area has some of the best bars with a great surfing beach also walking distance. All in all was far better than even its great reviews suggest.

Beautiful privately gated boutique hotel that gives the feeling of being in the country side while in the heart of San Sebastián. It was about a 20 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride to the center of town. The building, British in style, was built as a family home in the 19th century and forms part of the Historical Heritage of the City of San Sebastián. The hotel keeps the spirit of the period intact, with its large lounges, high ceilings, fireplaces, and a carved wooden staircase. The 25 room villa really felt more like a home than a hotel. We stayed in room 24 which had a charming window with a beautiful garden view. The room was spacious, laden with dark wood which added to the sense of being in a luxurious country side home. Our room on the 2nd floor opened to a beautiful foyer with a huge overhead skylight that allowed natural lighting to flow in. There was an elevator but we only used it twice to bring luggage up and down. Otherwise we chose to use the beautiful carved wooden staircase to immerse ourselves in the essence of the hotel. The restaurant/bar, Eguzki Soro, had the appearance of a country side British bar. Breakfast came with the room and was served there. There was a small menu for lunch and dinner. Outside dining also available. Wonderful staff who helped us with directions and recommendations for places to eat. Big shout out to JM in the bar and Virginia and John at the front desk for going out of their way to give us directions and some gems that we wouldn't have discovered on our own. We would love to stay there again on our next visit. Happy Travels!!

I'm going to start with the downside, because I missed that before booking and it's important. This lovely boutique hotel is pretty far from Old Town. They say it's a 20 minute walk. I didn't time it, but I definitely think it was farther--at least 30 and I'm a very fast walker. And not super fun in the rain. (And it does rain here--a lot). It's not in a very convenient location. That said, they do have complimentary bikes, and it took about 10 minutes to ride to Old Town (ride on the sidewalk until you can pick up the bike path). We took the bikes all over, really, which was really helpful in exploring some of the spots farther away. (Though be warned--these are beach cruisers--no gears!) They also provide locks, and you can keep the bikes out all day. You can also take a bus for around 2 Euros into town, though bus service at night is infrequent. For example, when we left dinner one night at 10:30pm and walked 10 min to the bus stop, it said that the next number 14 bus would come at 11:21pm. Maybe we could have taken a different bus, but it was hard to figure out. So we wound up walking back--maybe about a mile and a half in total? Here's the upside. The lobby and sitting room off the lobby is lovely. We sat and had a glass of wine and olives and had great conversation with some of the other guests. The beds are comfortable, and the bathrooms beautiful, stocked with Molton Brown bath products. Since the water in San Sebastián isn't safe for Americans to drink, they give a few complimentary bottles of bottled water. The service is wonderful--the staff really goes out of their way to make you feel at home. Breakfast is very complete and very good. And served in a beautiful room. If I return to San Sebastián, the only way I would stay here again is if they offered complimentary rides for guests to and from Old Town. That's all that's missing to make this a 5-star experience. Otherwise I would choose a place in Old Town to make it easy to get to all the restaurants, shopping, beach, museum, etc... Oh, and if you do decide to book, request a room in the main house. Apparently they're more charming.

We enjoyed our short time at this hotel. The room was very clean and had everything we needed. The staff was very good and made sure our time there was very comfortable. The location of the hotel is a short distance from the center of town. It could be considered a long walk but we knew this prior to booking. We took a cab to the main area and then slowly walked back to the hotel over many hours. There was plenty to see and do we had a great time. I would recommend this hotel and would also book again if we make it back to the area.

Superb small hotel a 15-minute walk outside of the main part of San Sebastian. Very comfortable, bright rooms and huge sparkling bathrooms paved in white marble and festooned with all the goodies including a hand-held shower, a bidet and excellent bath products. Breakfast was quite good and was served in a pleasant garden room. A very nice stay.

Excellent value for this boutique hotel. The hotel is small, charming and hits all of the right features I prefer in a hotel. The room was clean and had the correct amenities. The staff was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We enjoyed breakfast each morning and found that the food was well prepared with a large enough variety to meet most needs but also not excessive. It was a quality continental breakfast with eggs and such as required. Overall I would have given this a five star rating had the location been closer to town. While not too far out it still was an 18 Euro round trip cab ride. I think the hotel offers excellent relative value and would highly recommend staying there. If we were to return to San Sebastián I know I will stay here again.

Absolutely exquisite in every way. This is a wonderful luxury, boutique property that offers the service and amenities of a large, world class resort. It is a beautiful villa with full food, bar and spa services, and free on site parking. The building is in perfect, modern condition and the entire staff is attentive to every guest. The property is slightly removed (about 1 km) from the central district, but it's worth it to stay in such a nice place.