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Condé Nast Traveler

The Best Hotels in Bilbao, Northern Spain's Cultural Capital

Looking out towards the Guggenheim's sweeping titanium and glass frame, The Artist is a luxurious spot for any traveler fascinated by design. Originally called the Gran Hotel Domine, The Artist opened in 2002 and was designed by Spanish artists and architects Javier Mariscal and Fernando Salas, while Jeff Koons' floral 40-foot sculpture Puppy sits just outside the entrance. The airy lobby is dominated by the towering Fossil Cypress, an 85-foot column of rolled stone designed by Marisco that awkwardly soars up to the seventh (and top) floor. Speaking of the summit, it's The Artist's rooftop bar—imaginatively titled The Rooftop—that's perhaps most impressive here. While the view of the Guggenheim is obviously the star, the eye is also drawn to the lush hills and the distant hillside neighborhoods of Bilbao's extraordinary cityscape. Soak up the panorama with Idiazabal cheese, Iberico ham, and a glass of fruit-forward Rioja Crianza. Quality downstairs restaurant Olio and secret lobby cocktail bar Sixty One 61 form a fine gastronomic triumvirate. The hotel boasts 145 rooms, most of which exude a warm palette with bright midcentury lounging chairs but are thankfully restrained on the art, which is left to the public spaces. The sublime 861-square-foot penthouse comes with its own private terrace facing the museum. And to unwind, the oak-wood Turkish bath and sauna are perfect escapes from an admittedly tourist-heavy corner of Bilbao.