Hotel Atari

I stayed 2 nights at Hotel Atari in early June 2025. It was booked fairly short notice and, this being my first visit to San Sebastián, I decided that I’d prefer to stay within the old town. There was limited choice available, with most of the better reviewed more reasonably priced options being full. However Hotel Atari had availability…either a small single room (with the bed against a wall), or a “Deluxe Double with Balcony”. Despite travelling solo, I opted for the latter and booked directly on Hotel Atari’s own website. Total cost for 2 nights was a little over €550, inclusive of breakfast. I arrived at around 2pm and was told that the room hadn’t yet been cleaned, but that I’d receive a text message when it was ready. I said I’d go next door to their bar to take a drink and perhaps a small bite, and asked if I needed a voucher or similar for the “free” glass of wine and the pinxto that was offered on their website and mentioned in the booking confirmation. The pinxto appeared to come as a surprise…I was asked to show the email and the young women on reception took a screenshot of this “so that I don’t get sacked”. I presumed this was a joke (we are talking about a tiny €4 snack!), but based on my later experience maybe it wasn’t! Anyway, the room was available soon after. It was okay though really nothing special; long and thin and a little dark, with a door out onto a narrow balcony that was shared with two other rooms. The following morning I went to the hotel’s first floor restaurant for breakfast. The reception wasn’t welcoming, with the first words from one of the staff being “room number?”. The breakfast is mostly a self-service buffet type setup, with an additional short menu of hot dishes (eggs etc.), and drinks served at the table. The buffet selection was decent, with good quality jamon filled croissants and the like. The most important however for me at breakfast is a good coffee and a good fresh juice. The orange juice wasn’t self-service, but was poured for me at the table. The waitress poured (quite literally) a third of a glass, way less than I’d receive if I had ordered this at any local bar or cafe for €5. During the breakfast I asked for this to be topped up; I was very begrudgingly served a tiny bit more (less than first time), but told “no more”!! I returned for breakfast the second morning. Same unwelcoming reception and same minuscule glass of juice poured (see the attached photo - absolutely no joke!). This time, when I asked for some more I was told “no, one only”!!! Now seriously, I can understand freshly squeezed juice not being left in a jug to be consumed at will. But I would at least expect to be served a decent glass, equivalent to what I would receive if I had ordered this in a cafe. And really, if a guest asks for a little more, is it really appropriate to say “no”? This costs perhaps €5 maximum in a cafe, and that includes their profit and all overheads (the staff, the rent, taxes etc.) ….the increment

Was impressed by the press coverage and came here expecting a boutique experience as a review in the telegraph newspaper suggested . however as the 2 stars at the entrance suggest , the hotel is a very basic affair. Manned by one person at the front desk , there is no real “ service “ to be expected, and the staff weren’t particularly friendly or responsive to even simple requests. I don’t think they come from a hospitality background. My biggest issue with the hotel , however , is the very poorly designed room. If your a light sleeper expect a rotten night of sleep as I experienced , the sounds below will startle you awake in the wee hours , and the lack of proper blinds make direct incoming light an issue. The slanting roof in the room led to a head bump, and the hard mattress wasn’t very comfortable. The view of various other balconies literally peering into your bed is a little unsettling, and the lack of a basic mini bar , proper side table and wardrobe space is concerning. If you want a very easy, clean and basic experience in the middle of the old town then this is perfectly acceptable , but certainly avoid if you’re looking for a higher notch experience. I think spend a little bit extra and stay at the delightful lasala hotel right next door , with a lovely location and all the trimmings of good service and lodging. Most importantly, absolutely avoid if your a light sleeper, irrespective of other factors.

Just returned from three nights in lovely San Sebastián. Weather was mixed but when the sun shines it is a magical place. This hotel is all about the location, even when it was pouring with rain we were so close to bars and restaurants that it hardly mattered. Room, staff and breakfast were all great. Standing on our terrace we saw the world go by, a wedding and incredibly noisy drumming. What a few days away!

The hotel is very cute and pretty. The staff was extremely helpful. They helped us booked a reservation at one of the nearby restaurants. The location is amazing as you are steps away from all the bars and pintxo places. There is a church right across the street. Our room opened to the view of the church. The church bells do ring every 15 minutes, but only starts at 8am to 11pm (or around then). The closed windows will still let the church bell sounds in, but it does do a good job blocking out all the crowd noises. My wife and I absolutely loved this hotel and San Sebastian in general!