Tica Boutiques: 6 Great Small Hotels in San Jose, Costa Rica

WRITTEN BY Mark Chesnut

Most international travelers who visit Costa Rica fly into the capital city of San Jose. And many of those people, when they need to spend time there before heading to the coasts or the mountains, stay in large chain hotels on the outskirts of town — big places that often lack the character of the destination. But San Jose is home to an array of interesting (and often more reasonably priced) small inns and centrally located hotels – especially in the city center, where you can sleep in historic Victorian-style mansions, have breakfast in private gardens and soak in outdoor Jacuzzis.

I recently returned from another visit to San Jose, to check out some of the best of San Jose’s small inns — closer to the city’s attractions, and easier on the wallet than the big chains. Here’s a roundup of some of the best small hotels in San Jose.

 

Best Upscale Hotel: Grano de Oro

Set in what were once three private residences, Grano de Oro is by far the most luxurious of the former homes now serving as hotels in the city center. Its 40 meticulously maintained guestrooms are laden with antique furnishings, and walls are lined with period photos and original artwork.

The elegant restaurant, overlooking a courtyard with an Italian tile fountain, is a beautiful place for a meal or a drink. Splurge on the high-ceilinged garden suite, which has a private garden terrace, or room 39, which has a tiny private terrace with high walls and a fountain with goldfish. Standard rooms are small, but nicely decorated. 

$115 and up.

www.hotelgranodeoro.com

 

Biggest Wine Cellar: Britannia

Set mostly in a former home built in 1910 by a Spanish coffee exporter, Britannia is a cozy upscale property with conservative, subdued décor. Be sure to look up when you enter the main lobby of this Victorian home; you won’t want to miss the high ceiling lined with leaded glass skylights. The 42-room property is decorated with historic photos of San Jose and lovely mosaic floors, and the restaurant — set in what had once been a wine cellar — is stocked with some 500 bottles of wine. Rooms are set among the original house and a newer, four-floor addition, but décor is kept consistent throughout the property. The single standard room is small but well equipped.

www.hbritannia.com

 

Best Value-priced Hotel: Santo Tomas

Located in Barrio Amon, where the largest number of former residences have been converted to hotels, this hotel is set largely in a Victorian home built in 1910. Thomas Douglas, a former tool and die maker from North Carolina, bought it in 1989 and has continued to make upgrades to the property, adding 11 brand-new, bright and airy guest rooms set in a newly constructed second floor; these rooms come complete with 37-inch flat screen televisions.

Original handmade tile floors and mahogany furniture characterize the décor throughout the hotel, and fresh flowers brighten all the rooms.

Santo Tomas may not be the most luxurious inn, but the property has more amenities than most in the neighborhood — including wireless Internet, a small but modern gym with workout equipment, a small swimming pool and Jacuzzi, and an open-air restaurant that is open to the public.

$59.95 and up.

www.hotelsantotomas.com

 

Best Contemporary Décor: Kekoldi

To be sure, no small hotel in downtown San Jose is going to win any awards for contemporary décor. But the 10-room Kekoldi is quite possibly the cheeriest, most modern of the small hotels set in old homes in Barrio Amón. It’s spotlessly maintained, with bright splashes of color in the form of bedspreads, lamps and accent pillows. Room rates include buffet style continental breakfast, wireless Internet, parking and breakfast served in the small garden.

www.kekoldi.com

 

Best Hotel with a Conscience: Casa Ridgway

Named after the Quaker peace activist Betty Ridgway, this 14-room hostel, founded in 1990, is ideal for travelers with tight budgets and a sense of purpose. Shared rooms start at just $12 per person and private rooms start at $14, breakfast included. Only one room has a private bath, but there is a sizeable book exchange and library stocked with tomes about pacificism and human rights. Income generated from the room rentals is used to finance programs at the Friends Peace Center, located next door (and open to guests). The hostel’s management is currently decorating guestrooms with murals that serve as an homage to peace activists, including Aung San Sun Kyi and Martin Luther King, whose image is accompanied by the words “The time is always right to do what is right.”

$12 and up.

www.amigosparalapaz.org

 

Best Hotel for History Lovers and Night Owls: Casa 69

Kurt Menn, a German ex-pat who came to Costa Rica on vacation in 2004 and fell in love with the destination, opened this pleasant bed-and-breakfast in 2006, in a house dating to 1938. Menn has since bought the house across the street, adding seven more guest rooms to the eight in his original building. It’s not in the prettiest neighborhood, but it’s a clean, pleasant place with good amenities and an extremely helpful staff; it’s also within walking distance of sites like the Museo Nacional (National Museum) and some good restaurants and bars.

$40 and up.

www.casatua69.com