Neighborhoods

Downtown San Jose/Barrio Amon

Moderate -- The Sleep Inn (Av. 3 btw. calles 9 and 11; tel. 2222-0101; www.choicehotels.com) is a modern, American-style chain hotel in the heart of downtown, while Hotel Doña Inés (tel. 2222-7443; www.donaines.com) on Calle 11 between avenidas 2 and 6, and Hotel Rincón de San José (tel. 2221-9702; www.hotelrincondesanjose.com) on the corner of Avenida 9 and Calle 15, are two little boutique hotels, that are also good options.

Inexpensive -- Kap's Place (tel. 2221-1169; www.kapsplace.com), across from the Hotel Aranjuez on Calle 19 between avenidas 11 and 13, is another good choice, while real budget hounds might want to try either Tranquilo Backpackers (tel. 2222-2493; www.tranquilobackpackers.com), on Calle 7 between avenidas 9 and 11, or Costa Rica Backpackers (tel. 2221-6191; www.costaricabackpackers.com), on Avenida 6 between calles 21 and 23.

San Pedro/Los Yoses

The Hotel Boutique Jade (tel. 2224-2455; www.hotelboutiquejade.com) is a modern business-class hotel with an excellent restaurant, while the Hotel Don Fadrique (tel. 2225-8186; www.hoteldonfadrique.com) is another good option in a converted home, bedecked in interesting artwork.

Escazu & Santa Ana

Located about 15 minutes west of San José and about the same distance from the international airport, these affluent suburbs have experienced rapid growth in recent years, as the metropolitan area continues its urban sprawl. Both Escazú and Santa Ana are popular with the Costa Rican professional class and North American retirees and expatriates, and quite a few hotels have sprung up to cater to their needs. It's relatively easy to commute between Escazú or Santa Ana and downtown via bus or taxi. Taxi fare should run around $8 to $12 (£4-£6), each way. A bus costs around 35¢ (15p).

Moderate -- The Courtyard San José (tel. 888/236-2427 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2208-3000; www.marriott.com) and Quality Hotel Santa Ana (tel. 877/424-6423 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2204-6700; www.choicehotels.com) are both modern business-class hotels a few miles of each other, right on the western Próspero Fernández Highway connecting Santa Ana and Escazú with San José.

Heredia & Alajuela (Airport Area)

Alajuela and Heredia, two colonial-era cities that lie much closer to the airport than San José, are two great places to find small, distinct, and charming hotels. If you plan to get yourself to a remote beach or rainforest lodge as quickly as possible and to use San José and the Central Valley purely as a transportation hub, or if you just detest urban clutter, noise, and pollution, you might do well to choose one of the hotels listed here.

Moderate -- Viña Romantica (tel. 2430-7621; www.vinaromantica.com) is a cozy new bed-and-breakfast in the hills just above Alajuela, which is earning strong praise for its amiable hosts and excellent restaurant, while Pura Vida Hotel (tel. 2441-1157; www.puravidahotel.com) is a popular Alajuela inn that's also convenient to the airport.