5 Best Hotels in Central Valley, Costa Rica

Lush gardens and manicured lawns surround this gorgeous, hacienda-style luxury hotel overlooking a scenic lake. From the royal palms that line the driveway to the patterned tile floors and art nouveau flourishes above the windows and doors, Casa Turire is an exercise in attention to detail. High-ceilinged guest rooms have hardwood floors, elegantly upholstered furniture, sumptuous drapes and bedcovers on the queen or king beds, and bright tiled bathrooms with tubs. Balconies look onto the lake or the beautifully landscaped pool area. The soaring plant-filled atrium is a civilized spot in which to relax after a day's adventure, or you can curl up in a leather chair in the library or try out the pool table in the sitting room with an adjoining full-service bar. The restaurant offers exquisite faux finishes and trompe l'oeil murals and serves sophisticated dinners that are surprisingly reasonably priced. The extensive breakfast buffet is excellent, too. If you hanker after even more luxury, the suites are exceptional, with Jacuzzi tubs, hydro showers, flat-screen TVs, and private terraces. The two-story master suite has a wraparound balcony. New, groomed trails around the lake offer pleasant shaded walks and bird-watching opportunities, and kayaks are available for paddling on the lake.

For quiet, get-away-from-it-all seclusion, this eco-friendly lodging with six bungalows—rustic on the outside but sparkling and modern on the inside—can't be beat. The bungalows are scattered throughout the wooded property, and all contain hardwood floors, cheery furnishings, minibars, and local art accents. Two of the six units have indoor-outdoor hot showers; for two others, outdoor is the sole option, wonderfully refreshing in the heat of March and April, but a bit bracing during the cooler September–December months. Large windows in the restaurant offer superb views of the forest and a small lake. The restaurant makes use of products from the hotel's own orchard and gardens as well as meat and produce from area farmers.

Stylish luxury prevails here: king-size beds, outdoor whirlpool tubs, and luxurious fabrics grace the rooms, and many have balconies overlooking the volcano. Lounges and sitting rooms are spacious and dramatic, with soaring ceilings and walls of windows that bring the outdoors inside. Breakfasts feature homemade breads, jams, nutty granola, and fresh milk straight from the lodge's dairy herd. The main outdoor activities are birding in the surrounding gardens or hiking around the 300-acre property.

This low-rise hotel was the metro area's original luxury hotel, and it remains popular for its excellent service and close-to-airport location. Just off the busy General Cañas Highway, about halfway between San José and the international airport, the Cariari is surrounded by thick, tropical vegetation that buffers it from traffic noise. Spacious, carpeted guest rooms in back overlook the pool area. The relaxed poolside bar, with cane chairs and colorful tablecloths, and nearby casino, are popular spots. Overall, it feels slightly more low-key and less grandiose than the nearby Marriott.

A longtime favorite for first- and last-night stays, this chain hotel lets you ease into and out of Costa Rica in familiar surroundings. You can't get any closer to the airport: it's just across the highway. (Crossing the busy highway on foot would be impossible, though.) All the U.S.-style amenities for which the chain is known are yours here, including its sumptuous hot breakfasts. Rooms are bright and airy, with the same furnishings you'd find at any outlet of a Hampton Inn back home.