Bcool Hostel, the last hostel in Bilbao.

Meet Bcool Hostel Bilbao, the first accommodation of the newly born chain of hostels Bcool.

The Hostel Bcool Bilbao, the latest establishment of its kind to open in the capital of Bizkaia, surprised us during its recent opening with its setting and its gastronomy, a winning combination in any Basque establishment. The Bcool concept mixes the modernity and design of hotels with the simplicity and practicality of a hostel, a bet that we loved and that raises the term hostel one more level. According to its managers, the Bcool Bilbao hostel will have a space reserved for “foodies”, an Anglo-Saxon word that is gaining strength in international society to refer to all those people who enjoy eating all kinds of food. In this aspect, we must say that the proposals with which they decided to whet the appetite of their guests at the opening of the restaurant, make us think that they will have no problems to get their little niche in the gastronomic routes of Bilbao. But what about the prices, do they keep up with the traditional hostels or do they rise with their new proposal? We show you this and many other aspects of what they claim to be the perfect accommodation for “Supertravelers”.

The Bcool hostel chain was not born from nothing, its creators, Javier Velat and Juan Carlos Sanjuán, have extensive experience in the world of tourism and travel experiences. Javier Velat, resident in Barcelona, was professionally trained in the NH hotel chain, where he held a management position in the commercial department of Catalonia. On the other hand, Juan Carlos Sanjuán, resident in Valencia, is the owner of Casual Hoteles, a chain of establishments with presence in some of the most important cities of the peninsula that offers a different stay to its guests. These two entrepreneurs have wanted to create under the company Serendipity Hostels S.L. (commercial brand Bcool), a complex where leisure, culture, history and gastronomy of Bilbao merge, integrating their establishment in the daily life of the city, inviting the traveler to exchange experiences with other guests, offering much more than just spending the night under their roof. Of course, at no time do we find any nod to Basque culture or history, it could very well be a hostel in Barcelona or any other city in the world, a pity.

The location, price and design of Bcool Hostel Bilbao make it a perfect establishment for all types of travelers profiles, and thanks to the variety of room types available, it can perfectly accommodate people looking for a hotel in the center of Bilbao as well as people looking for less comfort and better price in hostel type accommodations. Some of you may be a little confused with the term Hostel, but this trend is not new, the concept we know as hostel is evolving to become the new model of establishments that society demands: suitable for all types of profiles, open and dynamic. It is not the first time that we find establishments that combine all types of rooms, an example of this is Koikili Aterpetxea, an accommodation located in the town of Otxandio, of which we have already spoken on other occasions.

Location: Located in the urban center, near Bilbao la Vieja (Bilbi), on the left side of the Bilbao estuary, Bcool bets on one of the areas with more potential of the capital of Bizkaia. And the fact is that this area, once considered marginal by many, is evolving thanks to the different cultural and business projects that decide to establish their headquarters in this place. Thanks to one of the star projects of the center of Bilbao, the undergrounding of the Abando station, Bilbao la Vieja and the rest of the streets bordering this neighborhood will benefit from a new open space, an urban transformation worthy of mention.

It is here, in San Francisco street where we find the Museum of Reproductions of Bilbao, next to the modern area of Martzana, two spaces of which we have already spoken to you previously and that are just a step away from Bcool. A perfect location to get to know “el botxo” on foot without having to depend on any transportation. On the other hand, we must say that it is difficult to park in the vicinity of the hostel, so we recommend leaving the car in one of the parking lots in the city.

Building: The property where Bcool Hostel Bilbao is located belongs to a family of businessmen from Bizkaia who have decided to lease it to the Bcool chain for its hotel operation. The building has 3 floors, 22 rooms, 1 terrace and 124 beds. It has an extraordinary location in the heart of Bilbao, perfect for getting around the city on foot. The interior of the building has been completely remodeled, going from a traditional structure to a modern, designer building with a lot of charm. The distribution of Bcool’s spaces is like that of all the buildings in this area, convoluted, slippery, as if it were a small labyrinth, but not uncomfortable or unpleasant, on the contrary. This first establishment of Bcool Hostels has two entrances, the main one, located at number 19 Hernani Street, and the secondary one, a limited access located at San Francisco Street, where the gastronomic space will be located. We recommend entering through Hernani Street, next to BilboRock, just one step away from the 7 streets of Bilbao.

Hostel: Bcool Bilbao is not just any hostel and, in addition to the typical bunk rooms found in other establishments of this type, Bcool has 3 double rooms with bathroom, 3 rooms that although we have not had the pleasure of enjoying, we are sure that they will surpass rooms in many hotels in Bilbao. On the other hand, Bcool is going to offer a special gastronomic space that will be accessible both for its guests and for anyone who wants to enjoy its creations, another aspect that the “common” Hostels are not used to. Because of these 2 aspects and some other details, we can qualify Bcool Bilbao as the hostel of the future, where travelers of different profiles mix to enjoy its services and the city.

Price: The price of Bcool Bilbao varies depending on the type of room (shared or private) that we select. We wanted to make a small comparison to check the prices offered, as a conclusion, we can say that the price of private rooms is equal to or higher than some 3 and 4 star hotels in Bilbao, while the shared rooms maintain the average price of Bilbao Hostels. Thus, we conclude that the hostel has a good value for money.

Gastronomy: Although we have not been lucky enough to enjoy the new gastronomic space of Bcool Bilbao, the managers of this hostel say that it will be a place open to everyone where you can have lunch, dinner and snacks between hours, a space that will integrate this new hotel establishment in the city.

Practical design: Modernity, practicality and design. In Bcool they have taken a step forward in terms of practicality, combining all the amenities that we have found throughout the Hostels we have visited. Thus, we find small details such as the curtain that is located in each of the beds that makes the stay more intimate, or the plug to charge electronic devices in the lockers / drawers that corresponds to each of the beds, some will say bullshit, other amenities.

The open spaces such as the terrace allow guests to relax and enjoy some music while exchanging travel experiences, another aspect that adds extra value to this new Bilbao hostel. As you can see, Bcool Bilbao is a centrally located establishment, with good prices, nice aesthetics, practical and 100% recommendable. Who gives more?