This place is a slight step up from your typical hostel, if not so much in terms of facilities and amenities, at least in terms of artistic and cultural cache. Located next to a well-known art gallery (Galeria Jacobo Karpio) this place as well as the neighboring warren of low-rent apartments was once home to a bevy of local and expatriate artists, including Otto Apuy, Diedre Hyde, and Guillermo Conte, as well as other assorted poets, writers and filmmakers. In fact, I spent a month or two on a couch in what was affectionately known as “el barrio” back in 1992, soon after landing in San José. You have your choice of bunk-bed dorm rooms and private rooms with shared baths, as well as private rooms with private bathrooms. Guests have access to a fully functional kitchen.