Fabi and I are always looking for great experiences to share with you. We test flights and especially hotels. For a birthday weekend, we decided to look for a great stay in Bilbao and booked the best hotel available through Marriott. But can the Ercilla de Bilbao live up to its reputation? I can already tell you here & now: No! But read for yourself.
Review #37
Table of contents
Location
The northern Spanish city of Bilbao is picturesquely surrounded by mountains and situated in the east of the Basque Country, not far from the French border. As well as a large and beautifully preserved historic city centre, the regional capital is home to a branch of the world-famous Guggenheim Museum. The sea is less than an hour away by train.
Getting there
The vast majority of visitors to the city are likely to arrive by air. Of course, you can also get to Bilbao by car or train, using Spain’s excellent rail network. The airport is located on the outskirts of the city and can be easily reached by bus from the city centre.
How to get to the hotel
We took a 15-minute taxi ride from the airport to the Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao, which is right in the city centre. As I said, you can also take the airport bus (Bizkaibus) right to the city centre and walk to the hotel in less than 10 minutes.
However, there is a lack of parking in the centre of Bilbao, so I would rather leave the car on the outskirts of the city and take public transport into the centre. There is no parking available at the hotel.
Check-in & welcome
As we arrived at the Ercilla de Bilbao it was quite busy and the small lobby was quite chaotic. Unfortunately, we weren’t greeted by any of the staff standing around, nor were we offered any help or information. Also no one lend us a hand with our suitcases.
Some river cruise guests arrived with us, so it took quite some time before it was our turn to check in. Once we managed to make it to the reception desk, we were greeted in a friendly manner and the process went fairly quickly and smoothly.
Due to our status with Marriott Bonvoy, we chose the following welcome gift
- 1000 points
- Breakfast for all guests
As the room rate did not actually include breakfast and we had only chosen this as a status gift, we were quite surprised that all 4 guests were able to take advantage of this benefit. All enquiries (several!) were answered in the affirmative and we were, of course, delighted!
Ercilla de Bilbao at a glance
From the street you have to go down one of the two staircases or take the lift down one floor to the lobby, from which the entrances to the apartments lead off to the right and left. There is a standing desk for a bellboy, which unfortunately was always unoccupied during our stay. We were a little confused at first, as it wasn’t immediately clear where to go next.
Straight ahead, you go down half a floor and finally find yourself in the small hotel lobby with the reception. The entire reception area is in the basement, with no views to the outside. The bar, restaurant and function rooms are also on this floor.
The breakfast restaurant and gym are on the first floor. The rooftop bar is on the top floor. In between you will find all the rooms and suites.
The three lifts are really small in size and can only carry a maximum of 4 people. In a hotel of this size, this means that almost all guests have to wait rather a long time before they can use the lift. We ended up taking the stairs most of the time.
Accessibility at Ercilla de Bilbao is therefore rather difficult. In principle, everything is possible, but it really does take quite an effort.
In the corridors, unfortunately, the hotel scent was way beyond the limit: ‘Mmmhhh. That smells good’ and had long since reached the ‘Wow. That’s terrible’ threshold. On the day we arrived, we unplugged the fragrance diffuser on our floor and, interestingly, it wasn’t plugged back in until we left.
Room
As always, we booked the lowest room category and were upgraded to a larger Vintage Premium room due to our Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status. The second room we booked was left in the original room category, but on the same floor, which was really well thought out.
Welcome
As a welcome gift a handwritten greeting, a bottle of water and a little treat of macaroons awaited us in our room. Considering that the Ercilla de Bilbao is only a four-star hotel, that treatment was pretty great!
Upon entering the room, it smelled strangely old and musty, like unwashed hair mixed with old smoke. Really not nice! The brown carpet adds to the dingy, old, smoky feel of the room.
Bedroom and living room
Behind the door you will find yourself right between the bathroom and the shower. Straight ahead is the large shared living room and bedroom. The sleeping area is to the left.
The king-size bed is not very comfortable. Unfortunately, the 4 pillows are all the same size and firm, but completely unsuitable for sleeping on, unless you like pillows that are far too voluminous and tend to stiffen your neck… As expected, this didn’t work for us at all and we ended up sleeping with the sofa pillows out of desperation. Not very comfortable either!
There’s a duvet for both of us – but it’s not covered with a duvet cover, but instead just sandwiched between two sheets, which meant that at night we got into quite a fight with all the layers and the actual duvet wriggled out. I found this quite disgusting as the duvet isn’t washed after every use.
There are shelves to the left and right of the bed, with the telephone and remote control on the right. The TV is mounted on the wall diagonally in front of the bed.
Living Room
To the right of the bathroom you will find the built-in wardrobe with sliding doors and built-in safe, bathrobes, slippers, iron and ironing board, luggage rack, hairdryer and everything you need for laundry and dry cleaning.
To the right of the wardrobe is a small cabinet containing the minibar, which was not included in the room rate. On top is a Nespresso machine with capsules and paper cups for a coffee to go.
Living Room
The living area is to the right of the room. There is a sofa with an armchair and a low table. Opposite is a desk with information about the hotel, writing materials, the remote control and water. The second TV is also mounted on the wall above.
To the left of the sofa is a fully functional record player, which you can actually use to listen to the available records. That’s actually pretty cool!
Bathroom
The bathroom is to the right of the entrance. There is a vanity unit with one washbasin. On a shelf underneath it is where the towels are kept. At the bathroom unit you will find amenities such as soaps, lotions and various other small items such as a comb, shower cap, q-tips and the like. There is also a make-up mirror for your use.
There is also a toilet, bidet and bath with shower head. In-house toiletries are available.
Shower
The large shower is just opposite the bathroom. An entire room has been built just for this purpose. There is a huge window on one side of the room, letting in daylight and opening up for view into the room. If you don’t want people to see you showering, you can pull down a blind.
To be honest, the whole thing is rather bizarre and actually not that great. And yes. There really is plenty of room to shower, but why there’s another shower in the actual bathroom, why there’s a window here and why the floor tiles look like wood? It remains a mystery.
Turndown
Interestingly, Ercilla de Bilbao offers a turndown service. The duvet is folded back a bit and two sweets are added as a bedtime treat.
General information about the room
On the first day of our stay, our room had apparently been forgotten by housekeeping. After several requests and rather monosyllabic replies with no further apologies from reception, the bed was made and towels added some time later. Unfortunately, the room has not been cleaned that day. After further calls, the water and coffee capsules were refilled.
And now, unfortunately, I have to state a few things about the cleanliness and general condition of the room. In the bathroom there was a rhinestone stuck to the floor for a full 3 days and there were shoe prints next to it. This suggests that it had not been cleaned the whole time we were there.
There were hairs on the floor in the large shower room and the shampoo had been used and not sealed properly. We could also see handprints on the window as soon as it steamed up from the inside – and it wasn´t us leave them behind….
Both radiators in the bathroom and shower were rusted.
The air conditioning wasn’t working properly and was making some strange noises. Obviously it had been worked on more than once – the flap in the ceiling in the corridor showed clear signs of dirt from the work, which hadn’t been removed.
Basically, I have to say: I don’t want to be more pontifical than the Pope, and housekeeping doesn’t have much time per room. I am very well aware of that. But so many things didn’t work here. I just can´t find that acceptable.
View
The view from the back is of the schoolyard and is therefore noisy from morning to afternoon. The windows are not that well insulated, meaning you can hear most of the things going on outside when they’re closed.
Considering that we were upgraded to the highest room category, the view and location of the room really surprised me.
Activities at Ercilla de Bilbao
Ercilla de Bilbao scores highly for its location. All the city’s attractions are within easy walking distance. If you prefer not to walk that much, you will find taxis just outside the hotel entrance and a metro station situated just a few minutes’ walk away. So nothing stands against a wide range of activities in and around the city!
Fitness Centre
The fitness centre is located on the first floor and faces the street. There are a few cardio machines, a free weight area and some other equipment. Water and towels are provided.
Restaurants
Restaurant
The restaurant at Ercilla de Bilbao is called Bar Americano. Located behind the lobby in the basement, you can sit at the bar all day or enjoy international dishes. Brunch is also served here.
The place is really nice, but a bit difficult due to its situation in a basement and hence the lack of any outdoor reference. Personally, I think the bar is great for jazz concerts and cocktails, but not so much as a brunch restaurant.
Bar
La Terrazza Rooftop Bar has a small indoor area with a bar and a relatively large outdoor terrace with views over the city and adjoining mountains. Beautifully designed, it is a great place to grab a snack, but more importantly, it is a great place to end the day or night with a cocktail or a glass of wine.
From here you can see the back of the big Ercilla neon sign and feel like you’re on a rooftop in New York. Almost like an outdoor living room.
On our first evening we wanted to have a drink here to toast the start of our holiday and were asked if we had a reservation. They said there were no tables outside so we were seated inside.
Firstly, the table was totally sticky and hadn’t been wiped down or prepared in any way, also the floor around it was super dirty. I mean – we waited to be seated, and in that time it would have been perfectly possible to wipe the table down at least briefly. The table was only cleaned once we asked for it, and only after an uncomprehending look. And secondly, a rooftop bar situated in a hotel cannot expect all arriving hotel guests to have booked in advance. In my opinion, there should always be a few seats available for hotel guests who drop in spontaneously.
Later we were ushered outside as there was suddenly a table available. No idea how that happened… Unfortunately, the problem with the dirty table was repeated here.
The service was really slow. It easily took 15 minutes before our orders were taken and then another 20 minutes before the drinks arrived at our table. Also stating that the terrace was far from full. So service should definitely have been faster.
As written earlier, we were on a birthday trip and wanted to toast at midnight sitting on the terrace. We ordered well before 12 o’clock and waited and waited and waited… So long, in fact, that Fabi in the end went to the bar at 00:05 to get the drinks himself. Meanwhile, the waitresses just stood at the bar chatting.
I mean, that can happen, but in this case it was just too many things in too short a time. Unfortunately, it also ruined our birthday moment. And service staff in a hotel with this reputation really need to be able to understand at which moment being on point is important – especially in situations which will clearly result in memories!
All in all, we were really looking forward to spending time on this rooftop and were unfortunately disappointed in every way!
Breakfast
The Ercilla de Bilbao offers its guests two different breakfast options. Non-status guests can enjoy a buffet breakfast in the breakfast restaurant on the first floor. Guests with status and those willing to pay can also enjoy an à la carte brunch in the Bar Americano.
We tried the buffet option on our first morning and were allocated a table after being greeted at reception. The low-ceilinged room is very crowded and the space between the tables is very small – privacy is not the be mentioned here. It was quite busy and therefore rather hectic.
The buffet itself is actually quite good, but the layout of the room gives it more of an ibis feel. We were able to order egg dishes, but everything else you have to go and pick up yourself.
On checking out, we noticed that breakfast was only included for one of the two rooms. But if you remember, we were assured at check-in, even after rechecking several times, that breakfast was free for all booked rooms. Unfortunately, no one at breakfast had notice of this agreement. After a lengthy discussion and phone calls to reception, all guests were suddenly included.
And don’t get us wrong – it’s a great concession that we weren’t expecting, but once it’s done, it’s done, everyone should know and it should also be granted.
Brunch is the option at Bar Americano which is located in the basement. At least that’s what Ercilla de Bilbao calls its à la carte breakfast, which is served until 3pm. But it’s not brunch in the sense of the word as I know it.
We decided to go for brunch here on our second morning. Once we arrived downstairs and asked at the bar if we could have breakfast here, we were told that “breakfast” was available on the second floor. After a brief confusion about the terms breakfast and brunch, we received the reluctant answer that only brunch was available here.
We were told to sit down, but all the tables were only set for 2 people. As we pointed out that there were four of us, there was no real response. Only after much back and forth, two tables were put together.
The rest of the service was quite difficult. Both waiters were rather dry and gave the impression that we were a nuisance rather than happy to do their jobs. By the end of breakfast, plates, cups and glasses had not been cleared and further orders were reluctantly accepted.
Of course, when the time to sign the bill came, nobody remembered that we had included both breakfasts. This moment was then followed by a not so friendly anymore conversation at reception, leading to the same result as the day before.
At least on the last day everyone knew about all breakfasts included as we would be having breakfast at the Bar Americano again.
Basically, the room is really nice, but the feeling of having breakfast in a nightclub is a bit weird.
Check-out
Check-out was friendly and professional. The receptionist printed out the bills for both rooms and presented them to us. Our room was fine, but unfortunately the price for the second room was 150 euros more expensive than the price we had booked it for. After several enquiries to the back office, we finally agreed not to pay for the second room until we received an email from the person in charge the next morning to then hopefully have a solution to this case.
We thought this handling was fair. However, the nice receptionist had to run to the back office several times to discuss her actions. It would have been a lot easier if we had been able to speak directly to the person responsible.
Unfortunately, the payment issue with Fabi went on taking several episodes up to the point where we got completely annoyed and finally ended up paying the same – originally booked – price for both rooms.
Die Kosten
We paid 521 euros for the three nights at Ercilla de Bilbao, including drinks in the rooftop bar.
Departure and onward journey
Bus A3247 to Bilbao Airport leaves from Plaza de Don Federico Moyúa (next to Hotel Carlton), a 10 minute walk from Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao. A one-way ticket is 3 euros per person and the journey takes just over 20 minutes. All passengers queue at the bus stop, so the first to arrive at the bus stop can board first. You can pay in cash, by card or using a public transport ticket.
We took this bus back to the airport and flew back to Frankfurt in Lufthansa Business Class.
Of course, you can also go by train or car.
Das Fazit
Ercilla de Bilbao is a consistently difficult hotel – unfortunately.
We were really looking forward to our stay and especially the roof terrace. Unfortunately, we were really disappointed all along the line. The room was really not great. The service was not good throughout. The situation at breakfast was also difficult – too many people in too little space. Housekeeping did a poor job, if at all, and the roof terrace was also disappointing.
All in all creepy!
Empfehlung
Well. We can not recommend Ercilla de Bilbao at all!
Hotel Homepage
Rating
Ercilla de Bilbao is awarded only 1 out of 10 possible points.
Apart from the location, nothing was really right here! Amazing, but true. That’s why, for the first time ever today, I’m not going to deduct any points, but simply award this one point. No other category will get any points.
Go there?
No. If you can find another hotel, don’t go to Ercilla de Bilbao Hotel.
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