Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes San Sebastián, Curio Collection by Hilton

A Storied History

Located in the centre of the city, the property is the latest addition to Curio Collection by Hilton’s global portfolio of individually remarkable hotels, and sits within walking distance of the coastline, historic Old Town and San Sebastián’s renowned pintxos bars, galleries and theatres.

Originally designed by architect Ramón Cortázar, a founder of the region’s distinctive Basque architectural style, Palacio Bellas Artes opened at the height of San Sebastián’s Belle Époque and quickly became one of the city’s most emblematic buildings. Following an extensive restoration led by architect Ignacio Quemada – from the reconstruction of the iconic dome, to the meticulous refurbishment of the façade and decorative detailing – the landmark is reopening to the public for the first time in four decades, preserving its defining Beaux Arts features while introducing a contemporary, film-inspired hospitality experience.

Cinematic Stays

The hotel’s interiors were reinterpreted by Spanish interior designer Isabel López Vilalta + Asociados with respect for the cinema's original layout. Today, guests enter the lobby through the former stage, passing beneath the proscenium arch before moving through a series of spaces inspired by light, shadow and movement. 

The hotel offers 81 rooms and suites, each aligned to the hotel’s cinematic narrative. Room categories begin with the ‘Gallery’ rooms, the hotel’s largest room category, distributed across all four floors and offering a variety of layouts and unique connections with the surrounding cityscape. They progress through ‘Amphitheatre’ rooms – located on the top two floors and inspired by the theatre’s upper tiers – to the more spacious ‘Grand Stalls’ rooms, some featuring a balcony or separate living room. At the top end, suites including the ‘Front Box’ and ‘Corner Box’ echo the most coveted seats in the house, while the Cupula Suite sits beneath the dome.

Every room also functions as an exhibition space, forming part of a gallery that spans the hotel. Curated by Basque artist Lander Andonegi, Creation: Light, Movement and Gaze is a site-specific collection of 81 works - one per room - drawing on the building’s origins as a theatre and cinema.

Dining and Social Connection

Central to the hotel is Lotu, led by internationally acclaimed chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, the culinary force behind the two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz. Its name means "to tie" or "to connect" in Basque - fitting for a project inspired by the great dining rooms of the early twentieth century, those legendary establishments where actors, writers, filmmakers, intellectuals and travellers once gathered between premieres, festivals and summer seasons. Lotu draws on the memory of those places to return gastronomy to its role as a meeting point for people, conversations and shared moments.

From that spirit, Lotu revisits the classic cuisine of the last century and reinterprets it through a contemporary lens. The menu brings together recognisable classics - such as pâté en croûte, beef Wellington in the style of La Tour d'Argent, and sole meunière - alongside dishes such as txangurro (spider crab) donostiarra and chuleta. Rather than a single style of dining, Lotu lets each guest choose how they want to eat: the casual and the formal can share the same table, from a smashburger to a beef Wellington, or a tagliatelle al ragú to Oscietra caviar.

Set in the theatre's former box, Lotu spans two spaces and serves guests throughout the day. Breakfast is brought to the table so everything arrives freshly made, from viennoiserie and breads to dishes such as Japanese pancakes, eggs benedict and brioche egg sandwiches. Down at street level, a bar opens onto the lobby. Behind both is the project's own bakehouse - a working space within the kitchen, where the breads and pastries for every menu, from breakfast to the bar and restaurant, are made fresh each day.

Reservations can be made directly through the hotel’s website or on the Hilton Honors mobile app. Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes is part of Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest loyalty programme for Hilton’s 28 world-class brands.