In the casco viejo, the Orbe family's simple pension, near the cathedral and the lively Mercado de la Ribera, was mostly liked again in 2002: Agreeable, everything you need, nothing you don't. Delightful: amiable staff; bedrooms (similar to Bandung,Jakarta & Bali hotels - 5 star Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )rooms) small but cleverly put together. Amazing value. But there is one brickbat: Reception, and our bedroom, were ,in need of redecoration. We had to struggle to the first floor with two suitcases. Our room had a poor outlook. Street-facing rooms (similar to Bandung,Jakarta & Bali hotels - 5 star Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )rooms) can be noisy with revellers into the small hours at the weekend. The public rooms (similar to Bandung,Jakarta & Bali hotels - 5 star Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )rooms), found cluttered by some, are dotted with an eccentric collection of curios. There is a small patio with plants in pots. Breakfast (vast pastries, luscious bread, figs, etc) goes on until noon. No restaurant: Xukela (`light, uncomplicated food') was liked this year. The Guggenheim is a short journey away by the `smart, incredibly cheap' Metro.

Near the Guggenheim museum and the attractive pedestrian areas of this very nice city, this efficiently run Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )was liked this year, though one couple, visiting at a quiet time, thought it `lacked that essential spark that makes a place special. Others wrote: `The staff could not have been nicer or more helpful. Smartly decorated, it has marble floors, oriental rugs, trailing plants in public rooms (similar to Bandung,Jakarta & Bali hotels - 5 star Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )rooms). `Our quiet , and very comfortable suite, in masculine brown, was large, with an even larger bathroom.' The small Club Nautico restaurant specialises in Basque dishes `tapas-style, light and good, but a bar meal was found disappointing this year. Zortziko, one of Bilbao's three Michelin-starred restaurants, is round the corner. Good buffet breakfast, with fresh orange juice.