Presidente Hotel

Besides being very well located, the hotel has been recently renovated. The rooms and bathrooms are very modern and clean. The beds are confortable and the room had a large flat tv with international cable. The breakfast, included in the price, was buffet style, with both American and Costa Rican food. The staff was helpful and friendly. This hotel is a very good deal for the money.

We enjoyed our stay at the Presidente Hotel. It is located in the heart of San Jose and is convenient for walking to shops, museums, and other places of interest. The hotel had free internet that actually worked. The conceirge and staff were extremely helpful. I highly recommend the Rain Forest Spa for a massage. The restaurant was wonderful, breakfast was included and offered a wide variety. Lunch and dinner were great also and the price of lunch at the restaurant was less than the cost of a lunch at the US fast food restaurant down the street, and much better also.

The hotel was good. Pretty Clean and safe. Had all ammenitied and the staff was friendly. However if you are visiting Costarica to enjoy the nature and do some adventure activities, SanJose is not the place.

Type:NightLife Distance: Short walk from hotel

Safety

Be extremey careful while walking around in the night

The hotel is in a great location. The staff was very professional and accommodated all our requests. I would recommend taking the city tour, the coffee plantation tour and a 4/5-in-one tour. If you are looking for places to eat away from the city center the concierge recommended two places to us that were great and very reasonably priced--The Jazz Cafe in Escazu, very nice, small and they have live entertainment. There is a cover charge of $5. The other is an Italian restuarant in San Pedro, sorry I forgot the name--the pizza was simply great. For shopping I would recommend the mall in Escazu. I would not recommend a rental car as driving in San Jose can be challenging. The taxi service is reliable and cost effective.

A great value for the money. Close to museums, national theater, and pedestrian street for shopping or browsing. We really liked the fitness center on the 7th floor and the hot tub/sauna/spa outside on the 8th, with a great view of the city! We're not sure why this space is used on a reservation basis (but no cost) rather than having it available to all guests, but I guess it would be nice to have your own private spa area! Breakfast was good...we had fruit, coffee, and some breads...they were also making eggs cooked to order. My only suggestion would be for them to put some local information in the rooms. The room was large and clean. I'd stay there again.

Type:GettingAround Distance: Requires transportation

Driving is an adventure in San Jose

We rented a car at the airport and drove into San Jose. Its crowded, and the streets have lots of BIG potholes! People don't necessarily drive in their lanes, and trucks/taxis/etc are often parked in the driving lanes. The directions to the hotel are accurate, but if you miss a turn (which we did) its a challenge to find the right one way street to get back! Once in the city, I'd leave the car parked and take a cab. When you head for the volcanos or beaches, then take the car!