The Vibe: Live green, love green, Japandi.
The Area: Rising above the treetops of the Miramón Forest and within the Gipuzkoa Technology Park. It is not that far from the centre of San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque) and its beaches.
The DNA: The hotel emulates a Scandinavian sensibility, both in terms of design and social responsibility. It boasts ultra-low energy consumption, as evinced by the rigorously audited Passivhaus qualification. The outside of the hotel is covered in armour-like slats, which have an attractive striped effect, but as is the case with much of ARIMA, it’s about function as much as fashion. These aluminium pieces actually slide back and forth depending on the time of day and position of the sun, working (almost) silently to keep the hotel’s interior temperature regulated. The interior details are Zen: soft indie music playing in the stylishly lit hallways; floor to ceiling windows in the common areas that cast the Nordic-style furniture in a gorgeous light.
Suite-Me-Up: Floor-to-ceiling windows let in dappled, natural light. Each room boasts a rain shower and unique prints of flowers and wildlife on its walls. Sleek, contemporary furniture works seamlessly with a neutral colour palette of wood, stone and iron. Logistics like lights and blinds are all controlled from a single panel. Much is made of the mechanical ventilation system, which operates with permanent heat recovery, maintaining optimum air quality and CO2 levels at all times. Rooms have a small selection of organic snacks and are stocked with water. The bathrooms are behind smoky glass, and they have loos (which use filtered rainwater) as well as tubs and showers. The drawer beneath the sink is actually a recycling bin, with four compartments so that guests can divide up and recycle their waste.
✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 69 rooms & suites (22-41m2) (237-441 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2019 • architecture & interior design: HozFontán • bathroom amenities: custom (organic) • on-site parking (charged) • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible
