Where To Stay In San Sebastian: Colegio Mayor Olarain

When looking where to stay in San Sebastian, I checked the usual online travel agents and on Booking.com I found what was definitely an unusual place to stay. I booked my accommodation at Colegio Mayor Olaráin, students halls of the University of The Basque Country. Also, having lived years ago in the halls of the University of La Laguna (Tenerife) and University of Salamanca, I was confident I could trust the quality of the accommodation they offered.

Throughout the year they offer guest rooms along with the student accommodation. During summer they operate exclusively as a hotel. The location couldn’t be better, tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac near the Facuty of Architecture in the posh district of Ondarreta. It is 500 metres from the beach of same name and the Old Quarter is a pleasant 30 minutes’ walk or 10 minutes’ bus ride.

My en-suite room was simply decorated but comfortable and functional. It had a single bed (doubles are also available) and a large shared balcony with some quirky statues by artist Alberto Saavedra.

The large wardrobe offers a lot of storage space and free wired internet connection is available in the room – wi-fi only works in the public areas downstairs . The bathroom was fully equipped and had a shower only and was spotlessly clean. They even have their own branded toiletries, which are of surprisingly good quality.

The ground floor, around the reception and the restaurant, is where the heart of this place is. There is a spacious lounge area with a number of original pieces of art as well as period furniture and artefacts which gave a cool and quirtky feel to the place. There’s even an original 1950’s TV  – perfect in a place where most residents haven’t experienced a world without internet or mobile phones. Although there were some students around, it was a very quiet place, great to use the free wi-fi or just kill time.

When it comes to leisure facilities, there are a number of options, including a sauna, fitness centre and games rooms. Not something I had the chance to use myself, due to time constraints. And in the ultimate student accommodation style, you can do your own laundry in a room next door – more cost effective than in hotel.

All in all it was a “solid” type of accommodation, offering just what you need, with no fuss!