Sirimiri - Bilbao, Spain 

We stayed one night in the Sirimiri, Bilbao - passing through on our way to San Sebastian. The hotel was simple but neat and the gentleman at the front desk was friendly and accommodating. Our room was also simple and clean and the bathroom was glistening white! Unfortunately, despite there being "no smoking" signs everywhere the entire hotel smelt very strongly of cigarette smoke, including our rooms and the hallways. Perhaps this was a hangover from the days when smoking was permitted in the hotel. The hotel and surrounding area was beautifully quiet when we went to sleep, however we were woken early the next morning by the construction on block next door. The sound of tractors demolishing concrete was ear shattering and didn't stop until we checked out. The glazing on the hotel windows was very good, but unfortunately not enough to keep this racket out! There seemed to be very few guests in the hotel the night we stayed (we only saw two other people), however the gentleman on the desk did not think to put us in a room that faced away from the construction site (no noise could be heard from the hotel lobby, perhaps they were unaware of exactly how loud the activity next door was). I would recommend this hotel if you are a heavy sleeper, or (a lot) later down the line when the construction next door is finished! Bilbao itself was an amazing city and we wish we had been able to stay a few more days rather than just passing through. It is a visually stunning place with lots of interesting things to do.

My experience at Hotel Sirimiri was a great surprise, considering that it is a 2 star hotel! The hotel is recent and still looks new. Travelled with a group of 6 people and booked 3 rooms (2 doubles and 1 triple) for 1 night on the easter week. Following is a summary of our experience: 1) Location - excellent location at a walking distance from almost everything (Ribera - 1 minute, River - 5 m, Casco Viejo - 1m, Train - 3 m, Guggenheim - 15 m). We were travelling by car but the hotel has parking and there were 2 places for us. The park is small but free; 2) Lobby and Reception - standard for a 2 star hotel, with a small living room. Note that this is a non smoker hotel in public areas. There is just one lift to the upper floors and is enough; 3) Personnel and Service - The personnel were very friendly and helpful! Advised us about restaurants, points of interest and guided us on a Bilbao map; 4) Food - the breakfast was quite poor even for the 3,00 ? per adult we paid (Toasts, juice, coffe, milk, tea, butter, some industrial cakery and cereals). The hotel may improve this service (at least other bread, ham and cheese ...) 5) Rooms - Excellent surprise! The rooms were very clean and tiny and there was enough space for 3 people. The extra bed was quite good and the decor was simple but nice. Bathroom was spacious and looks nice as well; 6) Overall opinion - it is impossible to find a similar hotel (even a 3 star) for the same price! Would definitely recommend!