NH Collection Villa de Bilbao

The Villa de Bilbao, as part of the NH Collection, has a simple, unfussy, modern design that puts it above some of the fusty, dated NH properties that we've seen throughout Spain. Decor is unobtrusive, with crisp white walls and light wood furnishings, plus a few pops of bright colors like red and lime green. The lobby houses a small bar area with a variety of seating, from sofas to work tables and some large colorful pictures, with stairs or lifts up to the restaurant and rooms. Le Bol Blanc restaurant has its own style, continuing the bright, light decor, but with the addition of many written Spanish quotes and cartoon style artwork on the walls and windows, giving it a lighthearted coffee-shop feel. Due to its proximity to Bilbao's conference center, and its many own meeting spaces, the hotel is primarily visited by business travelers, particularly during the week, with a more varied mix of couples and mature guests on the weekends. 

The Villa de Bilbao sits on Gran Via in central Bilbao, which is the city's main commercial shopping area. This extends to the east and south, with many designer and high-street shops, as well as a good range of bars and restaurants within a two- to 10-minute walk. To the west of the hotel is San Mames soccer stadium, which is an easy five-minute walk, while the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall, and the Maritime Museum, are also five minutes away on foot. Farther afield, but still within a 15-minute stroll, is the striking Guggenheim Musuem. The Old Town can be reached in 15-minutes via the St Mames Metro station opposite the stadium. Known as the Casco Viejo, this is the original center of Bilbao, full of winding cobbled streets lined with independent shops and cafes, as well as the city's best nightlife. The hotel is also conveniently placed for the airport, with the airport bus stop a one-minute walk away, and the trip taking about 15 minutes door-to-door. 

The 142 rooms are bright and modern, with a range of configurations from doubles to triples and Junior Suites. Large wall murals supply a little character and the wood flooring creates a clean, high-end look. Entry-level Superior Rooms actually live up to the name, as they're ahead of many similarly named rooms in competing hotels. Standard amenities include safes, extensive minibars, large flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, electric kettles, and Nespresso machines. While beds are made with fluffy white duvets, some doubles are only two twins pushed together. Bathrooms in lower category rooms have double sinks, hairdryers, and large shower cubicles with rainfall showerhead. The NH toiletries are nicer than what you would expect, with a pot of hand cream alongside the usual shower gel and shampoo. The Premium Rooms, including Junior Suites, add robes and slippers, as well as a little more space, and some include small balconies. Suites also have a larger bathroom with the addition of a jetted bath and bidet. 

Business extras feature heavily in this city center hotel, with several meeting and conference rooms for up to 300 people, plus high-tech audiovisual equipment. Alongside this, the smart hotel has a relaxed restaurant with a well-liked breakfast buffet offering a wide range of continental and hot options, though it's not included with room rates. The hotel will also whip up your own personal smoothie or fruit juice for breakfast -- simply collect your ingredients from the buffet and take it to the waitress. Lunch and dinner menus, specializing in authentic Basque dishes with an organic spin, are served later in the day. The bar has sofas, tables and chairs, and a solid cocktail menu, though its atmosphere is perhaps lacking, due to its position in the lobby. Although there is no gym at the hotel, guests have free use of Nivel 3, which is a 10-minute walk away and has a large range of equipment as well as steam baths, saunas, and hot tubs. One of the nicer perks is NH's Lazy Sunday policy, which allows late check-outs on Sundays for free. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and on-site parking is available for a fee.