Who has been? Looking for villa/apartment rental for a summer trip. Hotel resort would be fine also. Beaches and 3 star dining are the goal.
Any and all recommendations are welcome. 
George
Love San Seb!
Hotel Londres and Hotel Niza are well located, relatively basic hotels on La Conca. Hotel Maria Cristina is the most fancy pants Hotel in the town. We booked an apartment through http://www.feelfreerentals.com during our last trip that was good.
There are so many great high end dining options in and around San Seb. Arzak, Akelare, Mugaritz, and Martin Berasategui are all worthwhile bookings. A trip out to Asador Etxebarri is an experience. There are so many great Pinxios bars to enjoy the great value local Pinxos at night.
Cheers
Jeremy
Stayed in a Suite at Maria Cristina last October for five nights. Great hotel and great location.
Ate at Martin Berasategui (pretty sure I got food poisoning from this meal and we had a bizarre lecherous waiter who acted oddly towards my wife). Food was pretty good and the artistry of it amazing however I would not return.
Also hit Asador Etxebarri and it was interesting but I was not blown away.
We had a fantastic meal at Rekondo, not a 3 star but the wine list was as advertised and the steak for two as good as Extebarri.
We love Mugaritz and Etxebarri and visit them every year. We did not enjoy our one experience at Arzak (my review is on this board or maybe the Epicurean forum if you do a search). Elkano is also highly recommended. We haven’t been to Akelare. We also had a very interesting meal at Azurmendi, which I liked more than my husband. Some high highs and some WTF things as well, but a gorgeous room and some delicious dishes.
High end dining is great there, but don’t miss the pintxos bars. The best of the lot, for us, is Gambara. Some of the best, simply prepared, freshest seafood I’ve ever had (ask if they have percebes and pay whatever they ask, if they do), plus amazing mushrooms and even a really good steak one night, in a fun atmosphere. Order off the menu and don’t fill up on the pre-made finger foods, no matter how appealing they look. This place is such a favorite that we once went three times in the same day. 
What do folks think about a wintertime visit? Silly idea?
It’s only silly if you want to go to the beach. It rains there a lot of the year, leading to lush green hillsides, so except for the sunshine in summer months (the most crowded times of year), you’re can’t count on San Sebastian for its beautiful weather. We actually like going off season because restaurant reservations are easier and there are fewer crowds when the beach goers are missing. We’ve never gone to the beach there at any time of year, to tell the truth. Winter can also be good because the cold water fish are particularly fat and delicious.
Last time I was there it rained for all 3 days/nights and still was one of the better 3 day experiences ever. I absolutely love the town and anybody will that loves food/wine. We had a full time guide which probably helped and made sure we had umbrellas! Been hankering to get back there…
Thanks you two. We live on a pretty nice beach so a winter visit beckons.
Rain, rain, strong winds, rain, winds … in wintertime. We were there early March this year and have been there a couple of summer times and rain/winds are mostly the story (but much more during winter months). Love the restaurants (Mugaritz and Akelare) and a ton of excellent tapas places everywhere, especially as far as the locals-only Gros District. A foodie-lovers’ paradise. Cuchara de San Telmo in the old district is a tapas place to jostle in with the local crowds.
I will add Rekondo for the obscenely-robust wine list and very reasonable pricing. The food’s been a pleasant surprise as well.
A short 40-minute drive into the mountains is Asador Extebarri, a must restaurant, if you’re already in the area.
It’s an embarrassment of riches. I don’t have much to add to what others say, but Mugaritz, Extebarri, and Elkano are musts. I enjoyed Arzak but was not bowled over by it. That said, the food is delicious and the wine list superb. When I return, Rekondo is near the top of my list for its legendary wine list. And it’s hard to have more fun than roaming from pintxo bar to pintxo bar. One of my favorite cities anywhere. We also loved the Maria Cristina as a place to stay.
Yes, there are LOTS of very famous places - but don’t forget the pintxos, too.
If you haven’t yet come across Brad Kaplan’s photo log of his trip to Rioja and the Spanish Basque country, enjoy: Rioja trip report (plus San Sebastian, Bilbao, Pays Basque) - Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum - WineBerserkers
We stayed there in March two years ago, and it was wonderful. A touch cool, a bit rainy, but absolutely wonderful. There were some unseasonably warm temps (in the 70s) the week before we arrived, so you never know!
I would also highly recommend the Hotel Maria Cristina. Recently restored to its sublime Belle Epoque glory, I’d hardly consider staying elsewhere (though I’m quite sure there are many lovely spots). It’s perfectly located, right next to the beach and the old town pintxos bars. Remember: this is NOT Barcelona or Madrid. The bars close promptly at 11pm on weeknights, 11:30 to midnight on weekends. So if you want that extra slice of tortilla de patata, or late night slab of foie at La Cuchara de San Telmo, or anchovy with txangurro sauce at Txepetxa, or another brilliant creation at Zeruko or A Fuego Negro, or the simplicity of a great Gilda at Bar la Cepa… you’ll appreciate proximity!
Along those lines, I’d definitely make the pintxos bar crawls the focus of your dining experience. Yes, the Michelin starred temples of cuisine are extraordinary, but you will be astonished by the range and quality and creativity of the pintxos. And when you go to Rekondo - and do go to Rekondo! - be sure to request a post-dinner tour of the cellar.
Richard,
Thanks for that link. It is amazing.
George
Thanks for bringing up a great memory for me… Sitting out under the trees on their patio, enjoying more aged Rioja than I probably should have (at prices so far below what you could ever think to see at a restaurant here in the States). '64 Tondonia was especially sublime. Ah, wish I was there today…
Michael
+1 on Maria Kristina. Room we had was gigantic, which was a great thing, given I was dragging two young kids (5, 1). Only downside I remember was the 5 year old accidentally locking herself if the bathroom and taking at least an hour to get her to unlock the door. Didn’t hit any of the great restaurants (see: two kids under 6) but just killed every pintxos bar we could find. Was interesting to note that the pintxos were incredibly cheap (1-3 euros), but the beers were 5-7.
We did have a pretty rainy day in March, but took the little txu-txu train around town. All in all, one of the best places we’ve visited and I’ve sent several people there, with nothing but high praise.
All credit to Brad Kaplan! That photo log inspired more than a number of stops my wife and I made, in San Sebastian and elsewhere.
We went for the '68 Tondonia (my birth year) and also the '81. The '68 got the port tongs treatment, by far the best bottle opening method I’ve experienced - fire, steam, pop! We arrived a bit before opening and stayed well after closing time. Txomin and family (including their yellow lab who we dubbed Rekondo Dog) were the most gracious of hosts.
Heh… txu-txu train!
And one more excellent resource for the pintxos bars: Todopintxos, los mejores bares de pintxos y tapas.
I see one of my faves still makes the top 10 (note the price - 4 euros! - and that’s one large slab of foie): Todopinxos. Los mejores pinchos de Donostia - San Sebasti�n
Wow, the beers are that much? The txakoli and “crianza” (generic reference to the house red) were all we drank! The only expensive pintxos I recall were the hongos, those amazing mushrooms that look and taste a bit like porcini.
I love Basque culture.