Gran Hotel Sardinero

Opened in 2012, Gran Hotel Sardinero is housed in an elegant, four-story white building erected in 1890. Interiors are a modern take on classic style. Guests enter to a lobby with an intricate blue-and-white patterned carpet, center sofa, and hanging stainless-steel lights. Beige sofas and armchairs are situated in a four-story atrium, and the look all around feels thoughtful and polished. The restaurant has big windows with views toward the bay, while the cafeteria/bar has a striking monochromatic color palette, with black-and-white striped walls, and black tables and chairs. The hotel is across the street from the Bay of Santander, and a wide beach. A promenade and viewing platform overlook the beach and bay, with its surfers and boaters. Given its proximity to the beach,  casino, and soccer stadium, the hotel is popular with tourists, especially couples and families, but the meeting rooms and its proximity to the convention center make it a good choice for business travelers too.

Gran Hotel Sardinero is situated next to Plaza de Italia and Gran Casino del Sardinero, home to a restaurant, bars, a party room, and game room with roulette, slot machines, poker, and blackjack. Just across the street is the Bay of Santander and Sardinero Beach, which has boating, swimming, and surfing. A supermarket and numerous restaurants and bars are a short walk from the hotel. Buses and taxis stop outside the hotel. The El Sardinero Stadium (home of Racing Santander soccer club) is about a five-minute drive or a 10-minute walk from the hotel, as is the Palace de Deportes basketball and handball arena and Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos convention center. Menendez Pelayo University, which is just east of University of Cantabria, is about a 12-minute drive or a 15-minute walk. The Cantabrian Maritime Museum is a seven-minute drive from the hotel. The Magdalena Peninsula, with a small zoo, the Magdalena Palace and its surrounding gardens is also about a seven-minute drive (or 20-minute walk). It's a 10-minute drive or scenic 30-minute walk along the water to downtown Santander, with its 14th-century Gothic Santander Cathedral and the Santander train station. Santander Airport is a 15-minute drive from the  Hotel.

The Gran Hotel Sardinero's 102 rooms, including Family Rooms and Suites, are spacious, with large windows that let in natural light. Much like the blend of classic and modern styles used in the hotel's common areas, the rooms are done in a similarly stylish blend. The sharp decor includes blond-wood paneling, black furnishings and trim, and a white, gray, beige, and tan color palette. The use of stripes is particular striking, from the subtler ones in the accent panels behind beds to the bolder vintage piping on much of the furniture. Some rooms have proper balconies, though all have Juliet balconies, and many have bay views. All rooms come with air-conditioning, desks, safes, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with English and satellite channels. Minibars are stocked with free welcome drinks (but aren't replenished), and rooms do not have coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms are clean, spacious, and modern, and all come with hairdryers, make-up mirrors, a nice amount of counter space, and bidets. Some bathrooms include bathrobes, and some do not have bathtubs. Al rooms at the hotel are non-smoking.

The Gran Hotel Sardinero, despite its stately grandeur and stylish interiors, comes up short on the amenities that usually come with a hotel that claims upscale status. There's no pool, fitness center, sauna, or spa, but in-room massages are available. The hotel serves an ample breakfast (for a fee), with eggs, bacon, cold cuts, cheese, breads, pastries, cereal, fruit, coffee, and juice, and the restaurant serves traditional Cantabrian cuisine using seasonal ingredients. It has a well-priced daily prix-fixe menu, which includes a starter, main course, bread, water, dessert, and a bottle of wine. Room service is available. The cafeteria/bar serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and light fare. An outdoor terrace is open in warm weather. The hotel also has meeting rooms, a business center, tour assistance, 24-hour front desk, and private underground parking for a fee. Wi-Fi is free throughout.