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Home > Costa Rica > Hotels > San José

Best Hotels & Lodging in San José, Costa Rica

Best hotels and lodging in San Jose, Costa Rica

Most Costa Rica travelers fly into San Jose, so it often makes sense to spend the night at a local hotel. Just be aware that Costa Rica’s capital and largest city is a gritty concrete jungle home to 360,000 people. This number swells to over one million residents if you include greater San José, which includes the towns of Escazu and Alajuela.

Although the city is set in a stunning mountain valley, if you’ve been dreaming of tropical paradise, San José will certainly let you down. Many neighborhoods are characterized by grime, crime, traffic and bad 1970s architecture.

These days opinions on San Jose tend to fall into one of two categories: those who don’t like it, and those who insist it isn’t nearly as bad as everyone claims. Yet scattered among the post-modern carnage are just enough museums, parks and historic sites to keep things interesting. Despite San José’s bad reputation, you can easily spend a highly enjoyable day here. And if you’ve never visited a city in the developing world, San José is an eye-opening experience.

= Recommended

= Good Value

= Rated 4 or 5 “Green Leaves” by Costa Rica’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program

San José Hotels – Luxury

Grano de Oro

Gran Hotel Costa Rica

San José Hotels – Moderately Priced

Hotel Don Carlos

Aparthotel La Sabana

Adventure Inn

Hotel La Amistad

Hotel Presidente

Hotel Parque del Lago

Apartotel Suites Cristina

Hotel Santo Tomas

Park Inn

Colours Oasis Resort

Rincón del Valle

Hotel Dunn Inn

Aurola Holiday Inn

Hotel Le Bergerac

San José Hotels – Budget

La Boruca

Aranjuez Hotel

Kap’s Place

Casa 69

Cocoon Hotel

Hemingway Inn

Hostel Bekuo

Hostel Casa del Parque

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My name is James Kaiser, and I believe travel should be fun, affordable and enlightening—especially in national parks, where there's so much to experience.

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