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1,414 reviews
  • Luxurious hotel with elite dining options
  • 10 minutes’ walk to the notable Guggenheim Museum

Five-star glamour in central Bilbao

Built in the 1920s and considered Bilbao’s first luxury hotel, the five-star Carlton offers a dose of old-school glamour in the city centre. With a prominent position on the famous Plaza Moyúa Square, when you’re not enjoying the hotel’s high-end facilities, you’ll be just a short stroll from Bilbao’s top attractions.

You can expect all the glamour of the roaring 20s at this hotel, with grand halls, red carpets and crystal chandeliers. There’s also a good-sized gym and steam room, with recently renovated bedrooms adorned with classic decor and large marble bathrooms. Modern amenities include minibars, Nespresso machines and large, satellite TVs.

What Carlton has to offer

    Guggenheim Museum

    It’s impossible to miss this glistening, wave-like structure that sits loudly beside the river. Designed by Frank Gehry, it’s Bilbao’s number one attraction and responsible for singlehandedly reigniting the city's economy. Once you’ve stopped gazing at the building’s exterior, inside you’ll find a vast collection of modern art, interesting exhibitions and interactive installations. It’s a 10-minute walk from the hotel.
     

    Pintxos Food Tour

    Bilbao is a city renowned for its gastronomy. Sampling the local pintxos, smaller versions of tapas, is a wonderful way to explore the wide selection of foods on offer. You can pick from a range of pintxos tours, most of which are usually served alongside chatos, little glasses of local wine. Expect to try an assortment of nibbles ranging from delectable local cheeses and succulent meats to mouthwatering croquettes, fresh fish and traditional tortillas. 

    Museum of Fine Arts

    Less that a 10-minute walk away is Bilbao’s second-most visited attraction, the Museum of Fine Art. The museum houses an impressive collection of Basque, Spanish and European art spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. You’ll find artwork from an array of famous painters including El Greco, Goya, Picasso, Van Dyck, Gauguin and Bacon. 

    Facilities

    Food & Drink

    • Bar
    • Restaurant
    Use of these facilities may attract additional charges. All hotel and room facilities are subject to safety and wellbeing measures (including height and/or weight restrictions on slides and rides), board basis, seasonal availability, opening times, age, and dress code.

    Sports & Health

    • Fitness
    Use of these facilities may attract additional charges. All hotel and room facilities are subject to safety and wellbeing measures (including height and/or weight restrictions on slides and rides), board basis, seasonal availability, opening times, age, and dress code.

    Find out more about Bilbao City

    Geographically speaking, Bilbao lies in the far north of Spain, on an estuary that flows out into the Bay of Biscay – but as the largest city in the Basque Country, it very much has a flavour of its own, reflecting the region’s proud and distinct identity. Formerly an industrial powerhouse whose economic growth was fuelled by the iron, steel and shipbuilding industries in the 19th and 20th centuries, it has morphed into one of Europe’s most culturally rich cities today, packed with eye catching sculptures, fascinating museums and an eclectic blend of ultra-modern and traditional architecture.

    The Guggenheim Museum, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, is an unmissable masterpiece, renowned for its futuristic titanium facade and contemporary art exhibitions inside. Right next to it, you’ll find a 12.4m-tall sculpture of a West Highland Terrier covered entirely in flowers – one of many weird and wonderful permanent art installations dotted throughout the city. When exploring the trendy La Vieja district, and when wandering the colourful streets of Casco Viejo (the old town), home to the 14th-century Gothic-style Santiago Cathedral, you’ll feel a totally different vibe. That’s the thing about Bilbao; each neighbourhood reveals a new and intriguing layer of the city’s unique character. 

    Plaza Federico Moyua 2, Bilbao City, 48009, Spain

    Average weather in Bilbao

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