In San José, your hotel choices range from expensive luxury resorts to budget pensions charging only a few dollars a night. However, these two extremes are the exceptions, not the norm. The vast number of accommodations, and the best deals, are in the $80 to $150 (£40-£75) price range. Within this relatively moderate bracket, you'll find restored homes that have been turned into small hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, modern hotels with pools and exercise rooms, and older downtown business hotels.
While, in general, there are plenty of rooms to go around in San José, the small boutique hotels and better-run establishments (including those recommended here) are often booked well in advance during the high season.
Choosing Where to Stay -- Downtown hotels, many of which are in beautifully restored homes, are convenient to museums, restaurants, and shopping, but they can be noisy. Many people are also bothered by the exhaust fumes that permeate downtown streets. Moreover, because the streets of downtown are not especially safe, particularly at night, you should plan on taking taxis whether you stay downtown or in a nearby neighborhood or suburb. Barrio Amón is the downtown neighborhood with the most character and remnants of colonial architecture. If you want clean air and a peaceful night's sleep, consider staying out in the suburbs. Escazú and Santa Ana are both quiet yet modern suburbs, and many of the hotels there have great views. Heading east from downtown, Los Yoses is fairly close to the center of the action yet is still quiet. If you've rented a car, make sure your hotel provides secure parking or you'll have to find (and pay for) a nearby lot. If you plan to take some day tours, you can just as easily arrange these from a hotel situated outside the downtown area.
If you're heading out to Guanacaste, the central Pacific, or the northern zone, you might consider a hotel or bed-and-breakfast either near or beyond the airport. Sure, you give up proximity to downtown, but you can cut as much as an hour off your travel time to any of these destinations. Many car-rental companies will even deliver to or pick up cars from these establishments.
Alternatives to Hotels -- If you plan to be in town for a while or are traveling with family or several friends, you might want to consider staying in an apartotel, a cross between an apartment complex and a hotel. You can rent by the day, week, or month, and you get a furnished apartment with a full kitchen, plus housekeeping and laundry service. Options include Apartotel El Sesteo (tel. 877-623-3198 in the U.S. and Canada, or 296-1805; fax 296-1865; www.sesteo.com), Apartotel La Sabana (tel. 220-2422; fax 231-7386; www.apartotel-lasabana.com), Apartotel María Alexandra (tel. 228-1507; fax 289-5192; www.mariaalexandra.com), and Apartotel Los Yoses (tel. 225-0033; fax 225-5595; www.apartotel.com).
Hint: You'll want to avoid motels in Costa Rica. To a fault, these are cut-rate affairs geared toward lovers consummating their affairs. Many rent out rooms by the hour. Some motels have private garages with roll-down doors outside each room, so that snoopy spouses or ex-lovers can't check for cars or license plates.
