Hotel Maria Cristina is the luxury hotel in San Sebastian. I had my doubts because my experiences at Starwood hotels have generally been mediocre, but I left with a deeply positive impression of the Hotel Maria Cristina, in large part because the concierge was outstandingly on top of her game. I got in touch with the hotel a month in advance of my trip, planning my eating itinerary, and requested reservation after reservation. The entire team worked seamlessly with me, but a young concierge by the name of Ane Urquia was so impeccable in her service that she stood out above the rest. Ane was a pleasure to chat with; she was so knowledgeable about the area and food in general, and her personal recommendations were spot-on. I generally don’t rely on concierge recommendations because of differences in personal taste, so I do my research prior to the trip and only ask the concierge to book the reservations on my behalf. In this case, Ane gave some local recommendations that even world traveling foodies don’t know about. Though I usually prefer boutique hotels, the stay at Hotel Maria Cristina was so pleasant that I would definitely come back and stay with them.