San Jose Hotels

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Hotel Milvia

At a Glance

    Pros

  • good value
  • artistic decor

    Cons

  • can be difficult to find, far from sights
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Hotel Milvia Review

Apply the principles of feng shui to an old militia arms depository, add splashes of stunning art, and you get a charming bed-and-breakfast on a San Pedro backstreet. Owner Florencia Urbina, one of the country's foremost contemporary artists, belongs to a local art consortium called Bocaracá, whose motto is "Art in Society." She takes that maxim seriously: the group's lush tropical paintings adorn the lobby, breakfast salon, small bar, and common areas. Your room will be decorated with lovely hand-painted tiles and classic Tico furniture, and you pass through a Zen meditation garden each time you enter and exit the building. The Milvia is a great value, and makes for a charming, artsy retreat. Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon are a couple of celebrities who've stayed here.

    Hotel Details

  • 9 rooms.
  • Rate includes breakfast.
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Fodorite Reviews

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    Hotel Milvia Review

    This is a great hotel...I stayed here for about a month last year and will do it again this year. The staff are wonderful - the space is really unique and fun.

    by Lori_Gardinier, 6/20/11
  • Room  
    Décor  
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    Hotel Milvia Review

    Run away! This hotel calls itself an art gallery/ hotel, but doesn't appear to do wither one very well. There were only 2 rooms occupied when we were there - and we were next to the other occupied room - so had the benefit of hearing every cough and snort! The walls are thin, beds hard, sheets rough, and pillows lumpy - filled with chopped foam. Bugs in the bathroom and breakfast room, and the worst cup of coffee we've ever had in Costa Rica prompted us to go out for breakfast rather than partake of the provided buffet of Frosted Flakes, Cheerios and cut up fruit with bugs on it. When we asked for a recommendation of where to go for a typical Costa Rican casada for dinner, we were directed to a nearby area that had plenty of American fast food restaurants and overpriced places featuring 'foreign' food.

    by stoke, 10/12/10

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