A 1914 Beaux Arts building in the center of San Sebastián that once housed one of Spain’s earliest cinemas has reopened as a hotel. Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes San Sebastián, Curio Collection by Hilton, offers 81 guest rooms and marks the building’s first public opening in four decades.
The hotel is home to Lotu, a new restaurant from chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, the chef behind the two Michelin starred Mugaritz. The property sits within walking distance of San Sebastián’s coastline, its historic Old Town and its pintxos bars, galleries and theatres.
The building was originally designed by architect Ramón Cortázar, a founder of the region’s Basque architectural style, and opened during the height of San Sebastián’s Belle Époque. It quickly became one of the city’s most recognisable buildings before closing to the public 40 years ago.
An extensive restoration led by architect Ignacio Quemada included the reconstruction of the building’s dome and the refurbishment of its façade and decorative detailing. The project preserved the structure’s original Beaux Arts features while introducing a contemporary hospitality concept built around its cinematic past.
Spanish interior designer Isabel López Vilalta and her studio, Isabel López Vilalta and Asociados, reworked the interiors around the building’s original layout as a cinema. Guests enter the lobby through the former stage and pass beneath the proscenium arch before moving through spaces designed around light, shadow and movement.
The 81 rooms and suites are organised into categories that follow the building’s theatrical layout. Gallery rooms, the largest category, are spread across all four floors. Amphitheater rooms occupy the top two floors, while the larger Grand Stalls rooms include some with a balcony or separate living room. The Front Box and Corner Box suites sit in the building’s most prominent positions, and the Cupula Suite is located beneath the restored dome.
Every room also forms part of a hotel-wide exhibition. Basque artist Lander Andonegi curated Creation: Light, Movement and Gaze, a site-specific collection of 81 works, one for each room, drawing on the building’s history as a theatre and cinema.
At the center of the hotel is Lotu, meaning to tie or to connect in Basque. The restaurant draws on the dining rooms of the early twentieth century and reinterprets classic dishes including pâté en croûte, beef Wellington in the style of La Tour d’Argent and sole meunière, alongside dishes such as txangurro donostiarra and chuleta. The menu is designed to let guests choose between casual and formal dining at the same table.
Lotu occupies two spaces within the hotel’s former theatre box and serves guests throughout the day, including a table-side breakfast of viennoiserie, breads, Japanese pancakes, eggs Benedict and brioche egg sandwiches. A bar opens onto the lobby at street level, and a bakehouse within the kitchen produces bread and pastries for the hotel’s menus each day.
Simon Vincent, executive vice president and president, EMEA, Hilton, said, “San Sebastián is one of Europe’s most compelling destinations, celebrated for its world-class gastronomy, coastal beauty and rich cultural character.” He added that the opening “represents an important addition to our portfolio,” noting Hilton now has more than 65 hotels trading and in the pipeline in Spain.
Jenna Hackett, senior vice president and global category leader, Lifestyle Brand Management, Hilton, said, “Each Curio Collection by Hilton hotel is individually remarkable, and Palacio Bellas Artes is no exception.” She said the property is “a celebration of San Sebastián’s cultural identity, bringing together cinematic heritage, thoughtful design and timeless gastronomy.”
The hotel is the latest addition to Curio Collection by Hilton’s global portfolio of independently distinct properties.
