Hotels around San Jose
 

We will be in San Jose for 2 nights in Feb. We need help as where to stay. Has anyone stayed at Hotel Bougainvillea? Were also thinking of Xandra Lodge or Las Orquideas.HELP!!! Thanks!

Is there a reason you need to stay in San Jose? Alajuela (where the airport is) has some lovely options. Myself, I like Orquideas Inn the best. Have also stayed at Buena Vista, which was nice but a little further away. Xandari has always struck me as a lovely place, haven't stayed there though, same for Vista del Valle.

Hotel Bougainvillea gets good reviews and is reasonably priced, but haven't stayed there. Xandari, the same, more high end, $$. Vista del Valle, about 20 min. west of the airport on the Interamerican highway, is an excellent hotel. Loved it there. Good food as well.

Tully is right--you mention staying in San Jose, but none of these places are in the city and there is really no need to go into town for a hotel. The airport (in Alajuela as she mentions) is about 20 min. WEST of San Jose.

At the beginning of our trips to CR, we nearly always stayed in the city and got a bit familiar with it--did a lot of walking, saw the sights, some of which are excellent. We loved staying at the Hotel Don Carlos. The Grano de Oro Hotel gets excellent reviews as well. After we'd done that a few times, we decided it made more sense for us to stay near the airport, particularly is our first locations were points west or north. San Jose would be a better choice if you were taking off toward San Isidro in the south (or anyplace else requiring you to go through Cartago) or the Caribbean coast.

Las Orquideas is, as Tully says, also a very good choice. Very reasonable, nice atmosphere. A little hard to find, but right on the road leading out of Alajuela toward Poas and La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

You will NOT go wrong choosing any of the ones you have mentioned. They are in 3 price ranges, aren't they?

Las Orquideas. . .$70ish
Bougainvillea. . not sure. . .$90??
Xandari. . . not sure. . .$150

Just guessing. . .

Bouganvillea is the start of many birding tours I see as I read birding reports. The beautiful gardens/grounds attracts many species and birders.

We've stayed at Orquideas and recommend the deluxe rooms in the annex as they are much more restful/spacious than the gardenside- for our tastes. The restaurant is very nice with good food.

I LOVE Hotel Grano De Oro!