Villa Soro San Sebastian

Enjoy your visit to San Sebastián while staying in one of the city’s historic Villas, considered Historical Heritage. Following its painstaking refurbishment, it has 25 carefully designed rooms, welcoming lounges with fireplace, a pretty terrace where you can enjoy a balmy evening, as well as gardens designed by Pierre Ducasse. Villa Soro is the perfect option for those who enjoy the little details.

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, a carved wooden staircase, a chapel and a stained glass window on the ceiling that represents the family lineage.

Villa Soro has 25 rooms, 15 in the main villa and 10 built following the refurbishment and fitting-out of the former stables. Like everywhere in the villa, the decoration of the rooms has been carefully and tastefully curated and irrespective of the room type they all follow the same classic, elegant and understated aesthetic lines.

Villa Soro is the only hotel in San Sebastián that offers the sensation of being in the middle of the countryside, despite being in the heart of the city. Experience the sensation of living in a beautiful period home, with excellent service and a carefully designed and refined atmosphere.

Thanks to its painstaking refurbishment, the essence of the original villa has been maintained. The high quality materials of its communal areas remain in place, such as the heart pine and marble flooring in the entrance and the imposing main staircase made of oak.

Villa Soro is a hotel located in the fashionable Barrio de Gros – one of the most dynamic districts in the city of San Sebastián, just a short walk from the beach, the shopping area, famous restaurants such as Arzak and Zelai txiki as well as typical pintxo bars.

San Sebastian is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, mainly due to its three city beaches that give the entire city its special atmosphere. La Concha, voted the best beach in Spain and the sixth in the world, Ondarreta, which is the quietest and most family-friendly and Zurriola the lively one for young people, as well as a favourite for practising all kinds of water sports.

HISTORY & TRADITION
Ever since Queen María Cristina fell in love with the Bay of La Concha and transferred the Court there in summer, many tourists have fallen for the charms of this beautiful city. Its lively Old Town, its incessant cultural life and the mark left on it by creatives such as Eduardo Chillida make Donostia-San Sebastián a place to return to.

The Londaiz family were merchants and they owned one of the largest textile companies in Spain during this period. Cesárea Garbuno married Ramón Londaiz in 1863. She came from a wealthy family from the Oyarzun Valley and owned many farms and hamlets and therefore her income came from the rent for these lands.

In 2000, it was purchased by a businessman from Guipuzcoa to convert it into a hotel. Thus, three years later, the works for adapting the Villa were completed and in 2003 Hotel Villa Soro was opened. Since its refurbishment, every effort has been made to maintain the essence of the original villa.

The high quality materials of its communal areas remain in place, such as the heart pine and marble flooring in the entrance, the imposing main staircase made of oak in the entrance and the wall panels and the bar in the bar area made from this same material.

PRIVILEGE ROOM
Spacious rooms with high ceilings, located on the main floor of the villa. Marble bathrooms and terrace overlooking the garden. These rooms were the original living quarters of the Londaiz family.

SUPERIOR FAMILY
This spacious room is located on the -1 floor of the main villa and has a cosy living room. It is arguably one of the cosiest and private rooms in Villa Soro due to its location and layout. Ideal for families of up to 3, business trips, couples or long stays.

NEST
Located on the top floor of the main villa, the Nest has a surface area of 21m² and a Queen-size bed. This is the only room in the hotel with a view of the mountain and the villas in the Ulía district.

EGUZKI SORO
In the “EGUZK SORO BAR” our customers will be able to enjoy regional products in an informal way or have a drink on our terrace while sitting in the sun.

EGUZKI BREAKFAST
We give breakfast special importance, giving it its rightful place as the most important meal of the day. From the healthiest option with fruit and natural juices to the most traditional with French pastries, toast, cooked meats, cereal and hot dishes, omelettes and eggs. Served in a traditional way just like at home.

DELICATESSEN
We invite you to enjoy our carefully selected local delicatessen products, such as Cantabrian anchovies, Cinco Jotas ham or Rioja Alavesa wine as well as typical dishes from Basque cuisine.

WELLBEING
Relax and be pampered in our elegant treatment cabins. Our Wellbeing space offers an extensive range of treatments and massages, designed to counteract the harmful effects of city life. You can also unwind and do your daily workout in our fitness room, equipped with the latest Technogym fitness technology.

EVENTS
The classical atmosphere of this aristocratic villa conveys elegance to events, making attending a work meeting or taking part in a corporate weekend a very pleasurable experience.

LONDAIZ ROOM
A unique space with a fireplace and large windows, which has capacity for meetings of 20 people seated in a horseshoe configuration, 22 guests seated in banquet style, 24 seated in classroom style and up to 40 in theatre style.

PHOTO SHOOTS
The different spaces of the main floor in the main villa, as well as its porch and gardens make Villa Soro the ideal location for a photo shoot or a professional film shoot. Charming spaces that take us back to the days of San Sebastián´s Belle Époque.

PAINTINGS
In the hotel rooms you can find old engravings or paintings by Chillida or the famed Jorge Oteiza, one of the main Basque artists in Spanish 20th century art, as well as one of the most influential.

ARCHITECTURE
Villa Soro is a hotel created through the painstaking refurbishment of a villa designed by prestigious architect Luis Elizalde in the late 19th century, declared Historical Heritage of the City of San Sebastián, which offers the perfect balance between the welcoming, family atmosphere of a century-old villa and the services and comfort of a luxury hotel.

SCULPTURE
The one thing that stands out in Manterola’s career is his constant and vital development. His experience at sea, together with the coastal fishermen, was what led him to transmit what he felt in the form of “drawings in space”, which is how he defines his sculptures.

SAN SEBASTIÁN
San Sebastián has a strategic location within the Bay of Biscay, situated on the southern part of the French coast and on the eastern part of the Cantabrian coast.

Thanks to its proximity, visits by car are a very comfortable option to discover, in just a few kilometres, the most beautiful French border towns: Bayonne, Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the extraordinarily beautiful Basque towns near the border, such as Fuenterrabía, Pasaia, Hendaya and Errentería or the villages on the Basque coast such as Zarautz, Getaria, Zumaia, Mutriku and Lekeitio. Beautiful landscapes and centuries of history to enjoy.

SANTA CLARA ISLAND
Santa Clara Island is an islet located in the centre of La Concha Bay, with a jetty and a small beach that is only visible at low tide. Connected during the summer season with the port of San Sebastián by a regular boat service every half hour, it offers showers and bar services.

The only construction on the islet is an uninhabited lighthouse that stands on the summit, where “Hondalea” by the sculptor Cristina Iglesias will soon be open to visitors.

PEINE DEL VIENTO (WIND COMB) XV
On one side of La Concha Bay, at the end of Ondarreta Beach, three large pieces of steel are battered by the force of the Cantabrian Sea. A magical place, where the sculptor from San Sebastián, Eduardo Chillida, created what is probably his best-known work and an icon of the city of San Sebastián.

The fusion between the ferocity of the sea and the strength of the iron structures has elevated its nature as a contemporary work of art to a place to meet and relax for visitors to the city.

EXPERIENCES LOCAL ROUTES
Between San Sebastián and Bilbao we will find 100km of coast where we will be able to enjoy incomparable landscapes and magical moments. On the Guipuzcoa side we will find beautiful beaches, such as Zarautz or Itzurun and fishing villages, such as Ondarroa or Getaria.

On the other hand, on the Vizcaya side, we will find wild beaches, such as Laida or Laga, located in the Urdaibai biosphere reserve, or coastal towns full of history, such as Lekeitio and Bermeo.

SANCTUARY OF ARANZAZU
Located in Oñati, this sanctuary was originally built over 500 years ago in honour of the Virgin Mary, who supposedly appeared to a local shepherd in the 14th century.

In the 1950s, an impressive new basilica was built on the cliff edge, and is one of the best examples of Basque avant-garde architecture. The entrance doors were designed by Eduardo Chillida, the sculptures of the apostles by Jorge Oteiza and the altar by Lucio Muñoz.

FRENCH BASQUE COAST
Former whaling ports, half-timbered houses, imposing cliffs and optimal waves for surfing – this is what we will find on this nearby stretch of coast, the most beautiful on the other side of the border.

A route that starts in Hendaya and take us to Bayonne via the Basque Corniche just 12km from San Sebastián, where we will find wonderful towns such as Hendaye or Biarritz, where you can eat oysters accompanied by French champagne or follow the “Route du fromage”, starting in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to taste the typical cheeses of the region.

MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS
The high quality of the gastronomy of the Basque Country reaches its pinnacle in San Sebastián, where you will find a constellation of 18 Michelin stars in a 25 km radius around the city: Arzak, Akelarre and Martín Berasategui (3 stars), Mugaritz (2 stars) and Kokotxa, Mirador de Ulía, Zuberoa, Amelia, eMe Be Garrote, Alameda and Elkano (1 star). We recommend booking plenty of time in advance because availability is very limited. In any case, our team will always be delighted to assist you with your booking.

PINTXOS ROUTE
A getaway to San Sebastián is inconceivable without making several stops in its marvellous “pintxos“ bars. “Going to have pintxos” or to “have a few drinks” is a Basque custom that consists of going from bar to bar, having a small glass of beer or wine, accompanied by a pintxo.

Originally, a pintxo was a small piece of bread on which a portion of food was placed and held down with a toothpick, which led to the name “pintxo”. Today, you will find the “classics”, on a piece of bread, or the “contemporaries”, where miniature cooking is the order of the day and invites you to try bites of different flavours and textures.

GET TO KNOW OUR CIDER HOUSES
Just a few minutes from San Sebastián, you will find a wide variety of Cider houses. These are restaurants typical of the region where traditions are still in place such as eating standing up or at long tables together with other diners and drinking the season’s cider around the “txotx” (barrel).

The main attraction of these places is, in addition to trying some typical Basque dishes (codfish omelette, veal chops, etc.), the fellow feeling that develops around the “txotx”, from which customers serve themselves directly and that lead to quality times both with our guests and with the local people.

PRODUCT RESTAURANTS
Our gastronomy is not only inspired by innovative restaurants. We also have the privilege of having raw materials of exceptional quality, both from the Cantabrian Sea and from the pastures in our mountains.

Discover the best grill houses in our region, such as Asador Gertaria, located in a small coastal town in Gipuzkoa or Asador Etxebarri, awarded third place on the prestigious list of “The world´s 50 best restaurants”.

RIOJA ALAVESA
Made up of 18 municipalities that give it an incomparable beauty through all kinds of enotourism resources present in the natural environment, they manage to blend with outstanding innovative architecture in a wide variety of buildings and traditional bodegas.

Taste and submerge yourself in a region that has one of the best known denominations of origin in the world, Rioja. In Eguzki Soro Bar, taste some of the best known references from this denomination together with a selection of our regional delicatessen products.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN OUR CUISINE
Whenever we fall in love with a cuisine, many of us want to be able to reproduce it for our family and friends when we go home or even include it in our daily diet.

At Villa Soro, if you wish, we will help you to find cookery classes to suit your tastes, whether in modern or traditional cookery or focusing on the famous “pintxos” . Near the hotel you will find several options for taking a memory home with you and learning something that will capture the interest of your future guests.

CHILLIDALEKU
An open-air sculpture park with 11 hectares of land throughout which almost 40 original sculptures can be admired from the artist Eduardo Chillida, a reference in Basque sculpture who achieved success during his lifetime and who currently serves as an inspiration for much of the international sculpture scene.

GUGGENHEIM BILBAO
The Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry, represents a magnificent example of the most cutting-edge architecture of the 20th century. An architectural milestone due to its bold layout and innovative design, forming an attractive backdrop for the contemporary art on show there.

Both a visit to the museum and a visit to the city are considered compulsory. Bilbao, which is both traditional and cosmopolitan, has been able to safeguard the identity of its more than 700 years without turning its back on innovation, with its imposing buildings from world-renowned architects, as well as its old town and La Ribera Market, which will transport you back to life as it was half a century ago.

BALENCIAGA MUSEUM
Designer and couturier Cristobal Balenciaga, considered one of the most important creators of haute couture, was born in 1895 in the fishing town of Getaria, 29 km from San Sebastián. The town contains the museum that pays tribute to his life, career and style, and it has a permanent collection of over 3000 items of clothing designed by him.

BEACHES
San Sebastian is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, with its three city beaches that give it a special atmosphere. Enjoy La Concha, voted the best beach in Spain and the sixth in the world, Ondarreta, which is the quietest and most family-friendly and Zurriola the lively one for young people, as well as a favourite for practising all kinds of water sports).

In the area surrounding San Sebastián you can find idyllic beaches with all kinds of attractions, such as Playa de Zarautz, where the clear waters and golden sand are a contrast to the greenery of the mountains that surround it, Playa de Itzurun, where the rocky limestone formations known as flysch, and the vertical cliffs will make us feel the wild side of the coast of Guipuzcoa, or Playa de Hondarribia, located in the Bay of Txingudi, near the estuary of the River Bidasoa

MOUNTAINS
The Basque Country is a territory of singular natural beauty in which the main protagonists are the mountains, valleys and, of course, the coast. Hiking and mountaineering have very strong roots in the culture of its inhabitants.

You will discover a unique environment in which you will find natural parks, gorges, cliffs and waterfalls. We will be happy to recommend locations where you can practise these activities.

BASQUE COAST GEOPARK
The Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark covers the tidal strip between Deva and Zumaya, on the coastal strip of the Cantabrian Sea, up to the foothills of the mountains. Geology is the true protagonist of a landscape that holds some of the most impressive episodes in the recent history of the earth.

The 13 kilometres of cliffs of the Geopark contain a spectacular formation of rock layers called “flysch” which, like a giant encyclopaedia, show us more than 60 million years of the earth’s history.

SURFING
Surfing is one of the great protagonists of San Sebastián. Thousands of surfers from all over the world flock to the San Sebastián Zurriola beach in order to conquer its waves.

Throughout the year, especially between spring and autumn, we can see dozens of local and international championships that evoke any surf city in Australia or California. In the Barrio de Gros, right next to the hotel, you will discover a combination of surf-themed bars, pubs, restaurants and shops.

RUNNING
From Villa Soro to the Peine de los vientos you will find a paradise for those who love running. With a path along the city’s three beaches designed for practising this sport and completely flat, you will be able to run routes for all levels, from 3 to 20 km beside the sea.

The city has always been characterised by its promotion of sports culture with many popular races throughout the year, such as the classic Behobia-Donostia, with over 30,000 participants, which is held during the second weekend of November.

MOUNT ULÍA
The route begins directly from Villa Soro, across Mount Ulía and ends in Pasaia. A beautiful route along the coast in which the views are the main protagonists and where the reward is, on the one hand, the Faro de la Plata and, on the other, the picturesque town of Pasaia.

After a day of hiking, we can go by boat to the wonderful enclave of the historic centre of Pasajes San Juan, a town with a marine flavour where it will seem that time has stood still.

BIKE TRAILS
Villa Soro has bikes (as a free service) so that its guests can enjoy the extensive network of cycle lanes offered by San Sebastián (up to 65km). If you love cycling, the Basque Country is also a spectacular setting, with epic Tour de France passes just a few minutes away, as well as routes along the coast for all levels. Our team will be delighted to recommend some passes and routes to suit your requirements.

GREAT WEEK
This event takes place during the week around 15 August, the feast of the Assumption. For a week the entire city dresses up and hundreds of activities are carried out for everyone to enjoy.

Among them, the traditional fireworks contest, in which every night pyrotechnics of international stature give a performance from the Alderdi Eder gardens, next to the San Sebastian Town Hall, or the theatre on offer with first-rate plays, as well as entertaining street theatre performances.

SANTO TOMÁS
It is celebrated every year on 21 December. It all began in the 19th century, when the people from the hamlets travelled to San Sebastián on the day of Santo Tomás to pay the rent to the landowners for the farms they cultivated.

They used to go with the rent money but also with products from the hamlet that could not be found in the city. This action became what is now known as the traditional Santo Tomas Fair.

TAMBORRADA
On 20 January each year, the streets of San Sebastián are filled with figures dressed in uniforms from the Napoleonic era, water sellers and sappers. Armed with drums, the participants walk the streets to the sound of the “zortziko” march (typical rhythm of the traditional Basque-Navarrese popular dance) by maestro Santesteban. A unique moment that lasts 24 hours and that turns the city into one of the most fun places in the whole country.

JAZZALDIA – JAZZ FESTIVAL
One of the most famous Jazz festivals in Spain and Europe. Since its first edition in 1966, it has been held every year in July. During the week, several stages are set up around the city on which different Jazz performances are held. Free concerts are also held every night in the area around Playa de Zurriola.

ZINEMALDIA – INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
It is held every year at the end of September. Its first edition began on 21 September 1953. It is the most important film festival held in Spain and in all Spanish-speaking countries, as well as one of the oldest and most prestigious in Europe.

The festival wraps the city up in a unique atmosphere in which for a week everything revolves around film, filling the city with a shower of international stars.

Website: www.hotelvillasoro.com

Rooms: 25

Price: from 192 EUR per night