
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Pedro Subijana’s Akelarre restaurant, which has three Michelin stars, now has a five-star boutique hotel attached. Overlooking the Bay of Biscay just outside San Sebastián, with sensual design and superb service, this is the place that lovers of food, wine, art and architecture have been waiting for.
- Akelarre is tucked into the hillside on Monte Igueldo, 4.5km west of the centre of San Sebastián, about 15 minutes by taxi. The view is of the green hillside, dotted with traditional houses, with the Bay of Biscay beyond, is mesmeric at all times and in all weathers, but particularly spectacular at sunset.
- The 22 rooms sprawl across two floors, which are built into the hillside below the restaurant. With a glass wall fronting each room, all have spectacular sea views from both inside and from the slate terraces that run the length of each space. The 14 standard doubles have an area of 50m2, while those in the deluxe category are slightly more spacious. The two suites are twice the size and each has a plunge pool.
- Pedro Subijana has been the chef at Akelarre since 1975 and was one of the pioneers of new Basque cuisine and the emergence of San Sebastián as a world-class gastronomic hub. He was awarded his first Michelin star three years later and the second in 1982. In 2007 the restaurant won the coveted third star and people come from all over the world to eat here, at pristine tables in an octagonal dining room with views across the sea.
- The smart spa, with curved walls and a calm atmosphere, has three treatment rooms and treatments using Sisley products. There is a stone pool with hydromassage jets, a marble steam room and a sauna.
EXCLUSIVE LUXE VOYAGER VIP BENEFITS & BEST PRICE
We negotiate rates & benefits for our clients directly with the hotels’ senior management. Our rates match or in many cases are lower than the best online rate for the property. Our clients also enjoy a suite of extra VIP privileges and recognition while staying at a partner hotel.
- Complimentary room upgrade on arrival.
- Daily complimentary buffet breakfast for two.
- Up to $100 dining or spa credit per stay, and or in-house dining / spa discounts.
- Welcome amenities (wine/chocolates/fruit) and card from the GM.
- Complimentary private airport transfers.
- Complimentary roll-away bed if required.
- Early check-in and late check-out.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi.
- Enhanced recognition through VIP status at all touch points in the guest experience.
A complete or partial suite of VIP benefits will be offered, subject to the property T&C, including availability, category of room & length of stay.
ACTIVITIES:
Visit an authentic Basque cider house to discover the tastes of this traditionally Basque drink. Sitting among the barrels of freshly-brewed cider you’ll enjoy a family-style lunch, and learn how to create the perfect pour straight from the barrel.
Perched on the beautiful Basque coastline sits Getaria, a charming fishing village home to picturesque, colourful cobbled streets. Explore the town with your private guide before visiting a nearby txakoli bodega for a unique wine tasting.
Explore the famed Rioja wine region on a full-day tour of the area. Known for producing some of Europe’s best wines, here you’ll have the chance to visit boutique wineries and sample some of the local products.
A city renowned for its gastronomy, San Sebastian boasts 17 Michelin stars. This exclusive experience allows you to dine at one of the city’s top restaurants at one of the very best seats in the house.
Discover the flavours of the Basque Country as you explore San Sebastian on a pintxo tasting tour. Similar to tapas, pintxos are at the heart of San Sebastian’s culinary scene, and as you explore the city you’ll sample the best of these delicious snacks.
Once an industrial city, Bilbao has been transformed in recent years into a hub for art and architecture. Explore the best of the city, from the traditional architecture to the more contemporary, culminating in the iconic Guggenheim Museum.
Roll up your sleeves and enjoy a hands-on cooking class in San Sebastian. Choose from a range of classes suited to first-time chefs and culinary connoisseurs alike, and learn the secrets of local Basque cuisine, Spanish classics or avant-garde gastronomy.
A truly iconic monument, Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum has transformed the city. Tour this incredible art gallery with your private guide and admire the huge contemporary art collection inside, as well as the impressive building itself.

Straddling the coastal hills just outside San Sebastián, design hotel Akelarre is a perfect storm of head-turning interiors, dining worthy of three Michelin stars and a location overlooking the Bay of Biscay. Built alongside Pedro Subijana’s iconic restaurant of the same name, this hotel pushes all the right buttons to delight gourmands, wine lovers and design devotees alike. Envisioned by Madrid-based architects Mecanismo, the modernist design scheme is the perfect counterpart to Subijana’s cutting-edge cuisine; like his cooking, everything here begins with the best raw ingredients (such as black marble, pale oak and filitia stone), which have been prepared, combined and finished with the panache of a star chef at the top of his game.
The personality of Chef Pedro Subijana, always striving to do better and his constant quest for innovation have made him an ambassador for new Basque cuisine. He adds a “personal touch” to traditional recipes: hake and its “kokotxa”, oyster leaf and “mussel beans”. Enjoy the impressive panoramic views of the Cantabrian sea from Mount Igeldo while dining at this restaurant located just five minutes from the centre of Saint Sebastián.
Experience hospitality on a grand scale in the hotel’s 136 rooms and suites. Style, grace, modern technology and a range of services combine to make for a restful and memorable stay. Choose from Classic, Deluxe or Premium rooms with either garden or river views, or treat yourself to one of the magnificent suites, including four Royal Suites, some of which feature terraces offering stunning city views.

Garden View Room
A timeless, yet modern ambiance and tranquil views greet guests in Garden Rooms. Wrapped in elegant grey and eggshell hues, with aubergine details, these inspired rooms reveal the hotel’s rich history via classic crown molding and a sparkling glass chandelier at the same time modern artwork hints at state-of-the-art amenities.

Deluxe Room Garden View
Each room exemplifies the hotel’s enchanting synthesis of past and present thanks to their gracious atmosphere, with modern details. Natural light highlights this rare combination through large windows and French doors offering relaxing garden views in Deluxe Rooms.

Deluxe Guest room, 2 Twin/Single Bed(s), Garden view

Premium Room River View
Each room exemplifies the hotel’s enchanting synthesis of past and present thanks to their gracious atmosphere, with modern details. Natural light highlights this rare combination through large windows and French doors offering relaxing river views in Premium Deluxe Rooms.

Premium Guest room, 2 Twin/Single Bed(s), River view

Family Room
Each Family Room exemplifies the hotel’s enchanting synthesis of past and present, thanks to a gracious atmosphere with modern details. Natural light highlights this rare combination through large windows and French doors offering relaxing garden views.

Junior Suite
Overlooking the sparkling river and beyond, our Junior Suites enrapture guests from every angle. The spacious foyer embodies the suite’s grandeur with a plush sofa and credenza, and leads into the living room. Here, a harmonious grey, eggshell, and green palette provides a timeless backdrop for the suite’s enchanting blend of Belle Époque architecture and contemporary décor, including modern artwork.

Garden View Suite
Fit for a regal sojourn, each suite reflects the elevated expectations of distinguished guests who have long considered the palace their personal residence in San Sebastian. Natural light streaming in through French doors underscores this grandeur upon arrival while at the same time drawing guests toward the extraordinary views afforded by a Garden View Suite.

River View Suite
Fit for a regal sojourn, each suite reflects the elevated expectations of distinguished guests who have long considered the palace their personal residence in San Sebastian. Natural light streaming in through French doors underscores this grandeur upon arrival while at the same time drawing guests toward the extraordinary views afforded by a River View Suite.

River View Suite 1 Bedroom Suite, 2 Twin/Single Bed(s)

Terrace Suite
Matchless 180-degree views of San Sebastian and the picturesque Urumea River greet guests from the spacious private terraces of our Terrace Suites. Along with enviable vistas, the terraces also feature sun loungers and a table with chairs. In the living room, an equally enchanting scene unfolds, as an elegant grey and eggshell palette combines with original Belle Époque elements and modern décor, including black-and-white photographs.

Terrace Suite 1 Bedroom Suite, 2 Twin/Single Bed(s), River view, Top floor

Royal Suite
The epitome of regal refinement, each Royal Suite surpasses the expectations of our most discerning guests. A step-out balcony affords majestic views of the river and San Sebastian. Indoors, every Royal Suite’s backdrop is equally exquisite, as an entryway—lined with timeless crown molding and contemporary photographs—opens to the magnificent oval-shaped living room. Framed by an elegant grey-and-eggshell palette and a smooth parquet floor topped with lavish rugs, it combines original Belle Époque elements and modern décor, including a curved sofa, plush velvet armchairs, and an elliptical marble coffee table.

Royal Suite 1 Bedroom Suite, 2 Twin/Single Bed(s), River view, Corner room

Bette Davis Suite
Eyes. Attitude. Talent. The “Benevolent Volcano” with the ever-present cigarette. These are the lingering images we carry of the incomparable and truly legendary Bette Davis. Dedicated to the First Lady of Film, the Bette Davis Suite honors the iconic actress who spent some of her last days in San Sebastian. In 1989, Davis was invited to receive the Donostia Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Despite her delicate health at the age of 81, she undertook a journey from Los Angeles and stayed for five days in this suite. Here, she and her personal assistant planned every detail of her public appearances at the awards ceremony, press conference, and multiple interviews in which she enjoyed recalling her career.

Royal Terrace Suite
The epitome of regal refinement, each Royal Suite surpasses the expectations of our most discerning guests. A step-out balcony affords majestic views of the river and San Sebastian. Meanwhile, the rooftop Royal Terrace Suite boasts similarly outstanding perspectives from two expansive terraces furnished with sun loungers and a table and chairs.
As is fitting for its location in San Sebastián, the Hotel María Cristina shines when it’s time to gather round the table, starting with its on-trend, generous breakfast buffet (think whole honeycomb or artisan bread for toasting) and ending with pre or post-dinner drinks mixed at the hotel’s Dry Bar. Spanish cocktail king, Javier de las Muellas, combines vintage and modern cocktail techniques into a refreshing menu that attracts as many locals as guests. For lunch and dinner, choose from Asian-themed Café Saigon or Mimo San Sebastián, the latter of which offers events that double as a meal, from cooking demonstrations to food tours. For several seasons now, the hotel has been attracting a Michelin-starred chef to run an elaborate pop-up restaurant in one of its vaulted-ceiling galleries, so be sure to check what’s on when booking.

Café Saigon
Café Saigon is a unique space, with spectacular views over the historic Victoria Eugenia Theatre, offering a famed Asian menu, with specialties from Indochina, Japan or Vietnam amongst others.

DRY San Sebastián
Dry Bar is a sophisticated space where you can enjoy afternoon tea, classic and signature cocktails, and a wide variety of traditional Spanish tapas or main courses.

Ezcaray by Francis Paniego
Experience the Michelin stared dishes Rioja Cuisine Ambassador, Francis Paniego, in our Summer Pop Up Restaurant in San Sebastian, opening on next July 1st in Hotel Maria Cristina.
The service at the Hotel María Cristina is the stuff five-star dreams are made of. A concierge service works overtime booking restaurants and taking care of guests’ whims. Of course the hotel checks off necessary facilities, such as a gym and parking access. But there are also bikes that are free for use (requiring only a reservation), and a library stacked high with design, art and food books. The hotel has traded in the standard souvenir shop for Mimo San Sebastián, a gourmet shop stocking a carefully curated selection of food and wine, from local Idiazabal cheese to fizzy txakoli wine. Mimo also gives daily classes on everything from local small bites (pintxos) to Michelin techniques in a below-ground cookery school.

Pool

Gym
Available 24 hours a day, the hotel’s state-of-the-art Fitness Center spans approximately 170 square meters. The latest Technogym equipment includes running machines, stationary bicycles, elliptical machines, and strength-training machines.
Area & Location
Area, Country
San Sebastián, Spain
Nearest Airport
Bilbao International Airport, Malaga
Local Currency
Euro
Time Change
GMT +2:00
Language
Spanish
Best time to go
Best visited between March to October
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