Hotel Bahía sits on Calle Alfonso XIII facing Santander's inner harbour, steps from the dock where Brittany Ferries' Portsmouth and Plymouth services berth. The Palacio de la Magdalena and El Sardinero beach district are 2 km north-east; the main shopping street (Calle Burgos) and Mercado de la Esperanza food market are around 300 metres inland. The proximity to the ferry terminal makes it a practical first and last night for travellers arriving or departing by sea — the terminal building is approximately 200 metres on foot.
The building is a mid-century urban hotel refurbished to a functional contemporary standard. Standard rooms face the interior courtyard and are the quieter option; Superior rooms on the upper floors face the harbour and capture bay views across the inner port and the distant Cantabrian mountains on clear days. All rooms are air-conditioned with flat-screen TVs, en-suite bathrooms and free Wi-Fi. There is no pool or spa.
The hotel's restaurant serves Cantabrian seafood and grilled dishes for dinner; breakfast is a buffet. A street-level bar serves drinks and light snacks and draws a mix of hotel guests and harbour-front locals in the early evening. The front desk is experienced with late-arriving ferry passengers: luggage storage is available before check-in and after check-out, and staff can advise on city orientation for guests arriving after 22:00 when most restaurants have closed. The tone of service is efficient and aimed at independent travellers rather than tour groups.
| Price | €€ (€70–140/night, ~$76–151) |
|---|---|
| Address | Calle Alfonso XIII 6, 39001 Santander, Cantabria |
Room types
- Standard rooms
- Superior rooms
Amenities
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Free Wi-Fi
- Bay views from upper floors
- Air conditioning
Location
Calle Alfonso XIII 6, 39001 Santander, Cantabria
43.4633, -3.7992 View on map
Highlights
- 200 metres from the Brittany Ferries terminal — the most convenient central hotel for Portsmouth and Plymouth sea routes
- Superior rooms on upper floors with bay views across the inner harbour and Cantabrian coastal mountains
- 300 metres from the Mercado de la Esperanza and Calle Burgos central shopping street
- Luggage storage available before check-in — useful for ferry passengers with long connections
- Street-level bar with a local crowd, useful for orientation meals on late arrival evenings
Tips for visiting
- Book a Superior bay-view room for the harbour panorama; standard courtyard rooms are noticeably quieter at night but have no view.
- The ferry terminal is 200 metres on foot — this is consistently the closest full-service hotel to the Portsmouth and Plymouth ferry routes.
- For late-arriving sailings (often docking 21:00–23:00), the bar can provide cold platters and snacks when the restaurant kitchen has closed.