Lasala Plaza Hotel

There are modern hotels, and there are historic hotels — and there are hotels that can do a bit of both. Fresh off its hundredth birthday, this 1917 building, with its panoramic views of San Sebastián’s extremely picturesque fishing port, has been reinvented. Behind its meticulously restored period façade, the Lasala Plaza Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel in the contemporary 21st-century style: a tightly focused, minimalistic color palette in blues and grays, plus modern furnishings, contemporary artworks, and the plush-but-restrained comforts that today’s travelers have come to expect from travel in the boutique era.

In classic European style Lasala Plaza’s got a handful of small rooms that are perhaps best suited to a solo traveler or a quick layover. But when you upgrade to a Sea View or a Historical room you’ll quickly find yourself with space and comfort to spare. While the bay side may be more photogenic, the view of the town is no hardship either — and from the rooftop terrace, you don’t even have to choose, as you’ll be treated to a 360-degree panorama of the port and the skyline at once. To that you can add a restaurant serving Basque cuisine — and the location, in the old town, makes it a convenient starting point for all manner of explorations on foot.