Bilbao is a vibrant city being brought back to life by the reconstruction of old shipyards into areas alive with walkways, parks and stunning architecture and sculptures.
Nestled amongst this redevelopment is the Sheraton Bilbao Hotel – itself an individual piece of architecture – which was designed by the father and son team of architects Legorreta + Legorreta. Legoretta Senior dedicated the design to his friend the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida drawing on his ideas of hollowing out something to create space.
Thus the hotel was designed with its central core as an open space where people are welcomed and can meet and greet friends. The bedrooms and other hotel facilities are in walls forming a huge cube surrounding a central atrium. The use of colour, light, beautiful wood, leather, fabrics and interesting art adorns the public rooms softening the stark geometric feel of the hotel making a very harmonious whole.
Facilities in the rooms are everything you would expect of a 5 star hotel but many extras make a stay very pleasant. Good lighting throughout the room and night lighting at floor level was much appreciated, as was the excellent array of toiletries, complimentary mineral water, ironing board and iron. A very attractive view over the river and a wonderful espresso machine makes a stay very comfortable.
Sheraton hotels are renowned for their beds and we certainly experienced the best night’s sleep in our two-week stay in Northern Spain at the hotel. (And don’t forget about the beds and bedding available from the Sheraton ‘Hotels at Home’ Store site should you ever want to try to re-create a Sheraton bed at home!)
Food in the Aizian restaurant is recognised as being one of the finest in Bilbao and a café bar with an outside terrace that overlooks the park. There are 211 guest rooms including 21 suites and a wellness centre that incorporates an outdoor heated swimming pool, a gym, massages and a sauna.
The hotel is 15km from the airport and 400km from Madrid but only 500 metres from the Guggenheim Museum – a mere 5-minute walk.
