The Cheapest Hotels to Book in Bilbao

Hotel Bed4U Bilbao blends affordability with chic modern design | Courtesy of Hotel Bed4U Bilbao / Expedia

12 October 2021

Bilbao, the capital of northern Spain’s Basque Country, has much to offer. From the one-in-a-million Guggenheim Museum – a vision in twisted titanium cladding – to streets that hum with energy as locals and weekenders mill about eating and drinking until late into the night. You’ll need somewhere comfy to rest your head here – so book one of these beautiful bases through Culture Trip.

Aliciazzz

Bed and Breakfast

3.9/5 (62 Reviews)

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Now from $58 per night

If you love Alice in Wonderland, you’ll adore this eclectic old-town B&B, a five-minute walk from Bilbao Cathedral and 2km (1.2mi) from the wild contours of the Guggenheim Museum. Six rooms present “Alice in the Basque Country” in colourful murals throughout. Start the day with iced pastries, then head out to see the sights before a wander around the bar-lined, arched Plaza Nueva, home to some of the best spots for pintxos (tapas), including wafer-thin jamon.

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Casual Gurea

Budget Hotel

4.2/5 (299 Reviews)

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Now from $51 per night

In Bilbao’s Casco Viejo (old town), this townhouse keeps things simple with whitewashed rooms (singles to family-size); pretty blue local city scenes are brushed across walls. Superiors have French windows revealing colourfully shuttered buildings and cobbled streets below. Make sure you walk the 20 minutes to the Guggenheim Museum for a closer look at the area. Breakfast isn’t served here, just make your own in the communal kitchen from fresh bread and local cheeses; better still, steps from the B&B are bars and restaurants fragrant with expert-cooked classics including potato-laden tortilla.

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Petit Palace Arana

Chain Hotel

3.9/5 (795 Reviews)

Courtesy of Petit Palace Arana / Hotels.com

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Now from $73 per night

The setting’s photogenic, in a soft terracotta-coloured 19th-century building opposite the ornate stone facade of the Teatro Arriaga – an easy stroll from the Ensanche, or newer district. Rooms have contemporary good looks – light walls, polished wooden floors, aubergine ceilings; family rooms have bunk beds and toys for young ones. Breakfast is super-healthy: a good mix of fresh fruit juices, yoghurts fruit and, of course, a few crispy croissants and crusty bread rolls. This close to the river, you get fine views over the old town to forested green Basque expanses.

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Basque Boutique

Hotel

4.2/5 (136 Reviews)

©Basque Boutique

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Now from $52 per night

In rooms and communal spaces, the look here is a mix: red-brick walls and gnarly beamed ceilings contrasting with modern four-poster beds and industrial piping. The eight bedrooms, named after local folklore, are whimsical and comfy. The lobby bucks boring trends in favour of whole logs for tables and chairs; there’s also a patio you to idle in post-sightseeing, sipping a local beer. Breakfast isn’t served, but that’s not a problem given the location – you’re a two-minute walk from the river Nervión where you’ll find La Ribera, Europe’s largest covered market, along with the Michelin-starred restaurant Mina.

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Hotel Zenit Bilbao

Hotel

4.2/5 (300 Reviews)

Courtesy of Hotel Zenit Bilbao / Expedia

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Now from $67 per night

Football fans pick this modern hotel – it’s less than 15 minutes on foot from Estadio San Mamés football stadium, home to Athletic Bilbao. Uncluttered rooms come with Regency striped wallpaper and cherry-red chairs. There’s an outside patio – covered in case of the habitual Basque downpours – for morning coffee and glasses of wine. Nicely central, this place puts you opposite the restaurant-lined Plaza de la Casilla, where you’ll get to devour some of the best pintxos in town.

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Hotel Bed4U Bilbao

Hotel

Courtesy of Hotel Bed4U Bilbao / Expedia

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The simple name belies the charms of this well-thought-out hotel, a three-minute walk from the Bullfighting Museum. From a single room (with a nice double bed) to a suite with a living room and bijou desk, the minimal spaces are white, bright and airy with sweeping scenes of the city visible through boxy windows. Sustainable measures include electric scooter hire, while the buffet breakfast strives for healthy eco-kudos, featuring freshly squeezed orange juice, nuts and eggs. It’s served in a fab industrial-cool multi-use space filled with concrete pillars, softly falling foliage and mid-century-modern style chairs.

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Hotel Ilunion San Mamés

Hotel

4.7/5 (3 Reviews)

Courtesy of Hotel Ilunion San Mamés / Expedia

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You don’t have to be a football fan to love this contemporary hunk of a hotel, 500m (1,640ft) from San Mamés Stadium. Starkly minimal rooms are softened by chunky wooden bedside tables, floaty sheer white curtains and caramel leather easy chairs. Public spaces are dreamlike with illuminated nature-themed walls. Sip a chilled local cider in the bar after a football match; after a day exploring the Guggenheim, stick around at the museum’s gallery café, a favourite with locals and visitors for its Basque cuisine with a modern edge.

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Hotel Conde Duque

Hotel

4.2/5 (405 Reviews)

Courtesy of Hotel Conde Duque / Expedia

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What a setting and a view: overlooking the white steel arch of the Calatrava bridge that crosses the Nervion River. You’re also sandwiched nicely between the old town and the glittering Guggenheim, a pleasant 10-minute stroll away. The hotel rooms are lively, in rich shades of orange and soothing greens – ask for one with a balcony over the curve of the river below. This is a food lover’s hotel, with places to eat and drink including a Spanish speciality restaurant and a cafe/cocktail bar with a decked sun terrace. Expanding waistlines can be reined in at the gym and the sauna – ideal for sweating out any late-night excess.

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These recommendations were updated on October 12, 2021 to keep your travel plans fresh. This article is an updated version of a story created by Jo Fernandez-Corugedo

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The Cheapest Hotels to Book in Bilbao

Aliciazzz

Casual Gurea

Petit Palace Arana

Basque Boutique

Hotel Zenit Bilbao

Why Book With Culture Trip?

Hotel Bed4U Bilbao

Hotel Ilunion San Mamés

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