The travel time from the UK to Costa Rica is long. Off season, you can spend the best part of 20 hours travelling! Because of this, you need a hotel nearby to really set you up. A cosy place to relax and acclimatise. This is where the Hotel Presidente San Jose comes in. It is a boutique hotel in the centre of the city, offering some excellent food and a comfy place to sleep. Here is my review of this charming little hotel.
Hotel Presidente San Jose – A Review
The Setting
Hotel Presidente San Jose is located near the heart of the Costa Rican capital. It is really close to the main attractions in the city and the airport, making it perfect for a stopover or a legitimate destination.
The hotel itself is hidden and unassuming from the street. It lies behind a massive black gate, which only opens when transfers pull up. From the outside, it genuinely looks like how you would imagine any good Central American hotel to look and isn’t anything special. The lobby however is completely different.
At the time of writing, the hotel is currently in the process of renovating. The lobby looks very modern and industrial, with large black metal beams, tropical plants and distressed wood. This renovation is slowly happening around the hotel. In fact, some rooms have just been done to this new modern style and they are even building small balconies within the hotel, complete with an open roof. If you go to the 5th floor, there is also a rooftop restaurant which has some of the best views of the city.
Not all of the hotel has caught up though. Our room, a standard room, was exactly what you would expect. Yellow tiles on the floor, older wooden furniture; no frills at all. Yet, there is certainly charm in the older rooms and parts of the hotel and I can’t wait to see what it looks like in five years.
The Room
Our room at Hotel Presidente was nothing special, but it had everything we needed. There was a large and comfortable king-sized bed and a large ensuite. We also had views of some of the city from the window.
The décor was clearly dated; I don’t think it had been touched in the last decade. However, I still really liked it. It was quaint and, to be honest, exactly what I had expected of such a hotel in San Jose. Our bed was comfortable, the room was large and quiet… As we only stayed here for convenience with travel I did not mind it being basic.
San Jose really does not have a lot to offer at the moment. There are a few key areas (which I will cover), but it will only take you a day. With that in mind, the room is just what you will need as a base to explore and to relax and prepare for travelling.
Food and Drink
We did not have breakfast at Hotel Presidente San Jose as we were picked up really early each day. However, on our final night in Costa Rica we ate at their rooftop bar; Azotea. The vibe here is really special and it feels really cool. Not only that but the food is also excellent.
For starters, we decided to order a few different tapas options, including croquettes and empanadas. Both of these were served with different sauces, including mojo, which is one of our favourites. For out,mains, we both went for tacos which were massive and completely loaded. The food was such high quality and the Setting above the San Jose skyline makes it even better.
Azotea is actually Instagram famous for their cocktails served in fun glasses. As we had to be up at 3am, we decided not to go for these, but they did look incredible. You could have them in a range of fun glasses, including chickens, pirates and even the devil!
The Service
I don’t feel like we stayed that long to really comment on the service. However, every staff member was helpful and friendly. They were even polite at the silly hours we checked in and out. I also liked how they thought of small details too. For example, when we checked out at 3am, there was a coffee station to help you on your way. Overall, I couldn’t knock the service whatsoever,
Final Thoughts – Hotel Presidente San Jose
Hotel Presidente San Jose is not luxury. But then again, it isn’t trying to be. It is however the perfect place to stay when you arrive in Costa Rica and is a great base to begin, or end, your adventure. It is an authentic hotel in the heart of the capital and you would be hard-pushed to find a friendlier, or better, place here.
*cover image from Trip Advisor
