Before accepting our reservation, Lourdes sent us a detailed message describing our prospective accommodations (e.g., that it was a room in the house rather than the separate apartment she usually rents out, the areas of the house that were off limits, etc.) followed by a series of maps and details about the area. All this was much appreciated and demonstrated to me her thoroughness as a host.

The room itself was not large, as she had told us, but it was quite comfortable. There was a desk, a bed comfortable for two, and a rather eclectic collection of books. It definitely felt like a normal family bedroom/guest room but that suited us just fine. Internet could be a little fritzy at times (WIFI signal was not very strong in the room and I sometimes had completely innocent websites [honest!] blocked by the filter), but that being said it was still eminently functional and even could sustain a Skype call. The room even has its own it veranda and lets in plenty of natural light. We also had a clean, spacious bathroom to ourselves. Like I said, cozy but welcoming, especially if you just need a place to rest between outings to the beach (which is only a 10 minute walk away).
Every morning Lourdes or her husband offered us a breakfast we were more than happy to wake up to (mind you, a breakfast is not included in the room, so they were just being extremely hospitable). One day it was simply toast and jam, another beautifully fried bacon and hardy Spanish bread, another day authentically prepared French toast…always accompanied with a bowl/cup of wonderfully strong coffee. It was the perfect start to our day. And when asked, they were always ready to help us plan for any places to visit in the city or trips along the coast.
Lourdes has a wonderfully sunny disposition, even singing to herself in the kitchen. Both she and her husband, Fernando, are extremely friendly and warm but in a very laid-back, relaxed way that is just pleasure to be around. While Fernando is the more proficient English speaker, Lourdes’ expressiveness compensates nicely.

As an extra bonus, there is a great fish restaurant is footsteps from Lourdes’ house - Zelai Txiki – for when you get tired of pintxos (“tiny food from Spain”) and feel like splurging on some fine dining with a wonderful view of the city.

San Sebastian was the first stop in our Spanish adventure, when we were first transitioning from work-mode to vacation-mode. Staying with Lourdes eased us through that transition immensely, and we are grateful to both her and Fernando for it.