"We arrived after a long journey, well into the evening but it was still in the late 30s because of the heatwave. We were very pleased to find the journey from Bilbao intermodal bus station by tram dropped us almost outside the door. We were given a warm welcome and were able to check in quickly. We had a quadruple room as we are a family of four with grown up children. It is rare to find a family room with full sized beds and we always thoroughly research our accommodation as our son uses a wheelchair which gives us an extra challenge. The Petit Palace Arana suited us well. We had the lift access we needed to our fifth floor room (although this required two lifts due to the hotel layout) and having this facility didn't mean compromising in character. This is a traditional building on the edge of Bilbao old town and thought has been given to preserving the features while ensuring the rooms are modern and functional. Our room at the front of the hotel was big enough for us all with a large bathroom and balcony with a fantastic view. The beds and pillows were really comfortable, the aircon was effective (thank goodness as the next day was well into the 40s) and blackout curtains meant we slept well. The staff were friendly, efficient and spoke great English which was a big help. However, the best thing about the hotel was the location - close to old town and new, with tram, bus and metro stops nearby. Getting a Barik card made using public transport easy and very cheap.
We didn't experience any of the issues with noise from squeaky floorboards commented on in other reviews. There was no-one above us as the sixth floor doesn't cover the whole building. We tried very hard to tip toe late at night but there were a few squeaky floorboards which may have disturbed anyone below us - sorry. We were not able to alter the aircon and it was very much needed but it was directed towards the children's beds which meant a bit of a dry eyes/throat in the morning. Perhaps, it could be directed more into the room? We had breakfast on the first morning (12 euros each if you pre-book) but it didn't really live up to expectations. It may have been because it was a holiday, but other reviews commented on a wide selection of fresh fruit, cereals and pastries and that wasn't our experience. There was just pineapple and melon which was refreshing but not like the colourful pictures. It was fine for my husband and I (we especially liked the coffee) but the fussy eaters were not satisfied! This was not a big deal though - there's so many alternatives nearby if you prefer and the hotel buffet may be ideal for others more open to different experiences."
