If you’re going to Bilbao mainly to visit the Guggenheim, it’s almost impossible to beat this whimsical, charming hotel located right next door. Iñaki Aurreroextea was tasked with a nearly impossible job: Make a hotel that looks good next to Gehry’s museum without copying the form or style. He came up with a skin of polished stone and cantilevered black glass windows. Their odd angles echo the Guggenheim in a fractured plane of small reflections. Inside, each floor has a distinct color scheme in jewel and chocolate-box tones. We generally stay in less expensive interior rooms, which overlook the central atrium. The price is right and we enjoy the view of the Guggenheim from the rooftop terrace every morning at breakfast.