Zinema7, which some booking pages still show under its former name of Astoria7, is a four-class hotel in San Sebastián with a cinema-themed identity, in a city that hosts a famous international film festival every autumn. It has 107 individually decorated rooms and stands at Sagrada Familia 1, in the Amara area, a short walk from the Amara train station and close to the Reale Arena. The hotel is a calmer, more residential base than the old town, and the walk to La Concha beach is around sixteen minutes, with the Concha promenade and the María Cristina bridge at about fourteen and the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at about thirteen. Facilities include free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a gym, a library, a terrace, a café and a bar, and business services, laundry and dry cleaning and a safe at the front desk. Buffet breakfast is available at an extra charge, and parking is available at a nightly charge, with limited spaces. The hotel is not pet-friendly, though service animals are welcome. For travellers who want a stylish, slightly different hotel with a cultural theme and good transport connections, it is an interesting alternative to the beachfront options.
Location and getting around
The hotel is at Sagrada Familia 1. The Amara train station is about eight minutes on foot, the Reale Arena about ten, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd about thirteen, the Concha promenade and the María Cristina bridge about fourteen and La Concha beach about sixteen. San Sebastián airport is about twenty-three minutes by car. The walk to the old town is comfortable and takes you across the river.
Rooms and facilities
Rooms are individually decorated, with air conditioning and free Wi-Fi, and the hotel offers a gym, a library, a terrace, a café and a bar. Breakfast is a buffet at an extra charge. Self-parking is available for a nightly charge with limited spaces. Pets are not allowed, though service animals are welcome.
Who it suits
Film lovers, couples and independent travellers who like design-led hotels and good rail access, and who are happy to walk a little to reach the beach. It does not appear to have a restaurant on site, so plan to eat in the city, which is hardly a hardship. Visitors who prefer to stay on the promenade should look at Hotel Niza, and those who want a pool should consider the Barceló Costa Vasca. Book early for the film festival in late September, when rooms are scarce.
Why stay here
- ✓Cinema-inspired design
- ✓Library
- ✓Terrace
- ✓Cafe and bar
- ✓Gym
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
- ✓Air conditioning
- ✓Self-parking (charge)
Good questions
Where is Zinema7?+
It is at Sagrada Familia 1 in the Amara area of San Sebastián, about eight minutes on foot from Amara station.
How far is it from La Concha beach?+
La Concha beach is about a sixteen-minute walk from the hotel.
Does Zinema7 have parking?+
Yes, self-parking is available for a nightly charge with limited spaces. Pets are not allowed, though service animals are welcome.
