Gemma Tiptonvisits Petit Palace Arana in Bilbao
WE WERE going to Bilbao for a family birthday. With direct flights from Dublin, the attractions of the winding lanes and atmospheric squares of the Old Quarter, some legendary tapas and, of course, the mad architecture of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, it is an ideal weekend away.
I’d seen the Petit Palace Arana on a previous visit, and its location seemed perfect. It’s a rather handsome 19th-century building on a corner by the river, just where the central shopping area of Bilbao meets the enchanting Old Quarter. The tram stops outside, and the subway is just up the street, but it’s also walking distance to pretty much anywhere you might want to go.
Looking it up online, however, it seemed extraordinarily cheap. Not wanting to consign my parents to a hell hole (and on one of their birthdays, too), I checked TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.ie) to see what other people had to say about it. TripAdvisor can be very unintentionally funny, as people’s prejudices come out in their reviews, and some American visitors, in particular, seem to find it difficult to get to grips with European standards of service. (“I asked the receptionist for a Starbucks and she just shrugged.”)
Reviews of the Petit Palace were, on the whole, good (with the exception of a man from Cork who had stayed there while renovations were going on), so even though more than one guest seemed to be flummoxed by the showers, I asked myself how difficult a shower could be and booked us in.
The Petit Palace is run by High Tech Hoteles, a Spanish group, and promises an architectural fusion of the original 19th-century building with modernist design. This promise is delivered, in parts, and it’s an interesting mix. There is a gorgeous central winding staircase of polished wood, set in a circular red brick core, yet the corridors feel slightly institutional, with a checked carpet that has seen better days. It’s funny the way really old things weather so much better than newer ones, which can look all done in after just a few years.
Book a room at the front of the hotel and you get an original enclosed glass and wood balcony that is a step back in time; inside, a frosted-glass door gives on to the bathroom, which is all contemporary mod cons.
Single rooms are smaller and less inspiring. Mine had a view of a ventilation shaft, and the noise of air-conditioning units came through the open window. The bed looked too serviceable to be inviting, yet it proved pleasantly comfortable. There’s a lot of veneered wood going on, and it’s a sort of Ikea modernism that isn’t built to last.
But what about those showers? They’re a daunting sight, all dials and jets, with the threat of flooding. They were probably easier to use when first installed, but the efforts of past guests to turn some taps on and others off have left all with their own idiosyncrasies. The shower in my parents’ room managed only the side jets; mine gave out nothing at all; my brother’s responded well to a sharp thump.
The front desk sent up a nice engineer who had no English but a large spanner, which he used in his own version of my brother’s sharp thump, and all was well again.
Breakfast isn’t included in the overnight rate, and rather than head to the cafe on the top floor we dived into the streets of the Old Quarter for delicious coffee, mini omelettes and croissants.
Bilbao is a wonderful city, and there is much much more to it than the Guggenheim. The restaurants are (in the main) inexpensive, the tapas are great fun and the local wine is tasty, and we seemed to lurch from one little cafe to another. There is also an abundance of shoe shops, with prices that would inspire you to bring an extra suitcase the next time.
Everyone we met was extremely friendly and helpful, to the degree that we wondered why the Basques don’t share the Irish reputation for hospitality.
After dinner we strolled around the small streets of the oldest part of town, a little lost and very happy, with none of that sense of being about to be mugged that you get in dark lanes in some cities.
On our second morning we were seasoned professionals when it came to tackling the showers, and decided that we’d definitely return to both Bilbao and to this hotel. But we might bring our own spanners, and we’d definitely pay a little extra for a room at the front.
WherePetit Palace Arana, Calle Bidebarrieta, Bilbao, Spain, 00-34-944-156411, www.hthoteles.com.
WhatThree-star hotel on the edge of the Old Quarter.
Rooms64, including singles, doubles and family.
Best ratesFrom €60 single or €32.50pps, without breakfast. Packages with admission to the Guggenheim from €89 for two people.
Restaurant and barCoffee shop on top floor; open for breakfast.
Child-friendlinessEight family rooms.
AccessAccessible bedrooms, and elevator access. Amenities Fantastic location, deals with nearby car parks, bicycles available, internet access throughout. You can even bring a dog of "up to 15kg".