3 Best Hotels in North and East of Downtown, San Jose

Several 1940s-era houses with extensive gardens and lively common areas—visitors swap travel advice here—make up this family-run lodging. Each room is different; some have private gardens or small sitting rooms. The garden rooms are not that much more expensive than the standard ones and are worth the splurge. The complimentary breakfast buffet is an amazing spread of eggs, pastries, tropical fruit, and good Costa Rican coffee served on a marvelous palm-shaded garden patio. And this property is very eco-friendly, a rarity in the heart of the city. It uses solar panels for heating hot water, and it composts and recycles. Luxurious it is not, but this is deservedly one of San José's most popular budget lodgings; reserve well in advance during the high season. To be on the safe side, confirm your reservation 48 hours before you arrive and on the day of your arrival, giving an estimated arrival time. You'll get a small discount if you pay in cash.

The front of this century-old former coffee-plantation house is along a busy street, but close the front door behind you and you'll find an oasis of quiet in the center of the city. On the fringe of Barrio Amón, the hotel has spacious rooms with wood or tile floors and lots of deep, varnished-wood furnishings. Some of the tiled bathrooms have skylights. A bright breakfast room adjoins an interior patio, and if you keep traveling back into the interior of the building, you'll find a small outdoor pool, a rarity in a hotel of this size in the capital. The especially friendly, helpful staff makes this a real find. You'll get a small discount if you pay in cash.

The owners of this multibuilding lodging are committed to maintaining a family atmosphere, and you'll be guaranteed peace and quiet during your stay here. The place literally sprawls: one of the three annexes is almost two blocks away from the main building. (And if you drive by too quickly, you might miss the main building.) Inside are bright and tropical but basic rooms with lots of tile and wood; coffee and tea are brewing all the time in the reception area, and you can use the shared kitchen. You'll be asked to sign a two-page agreement when you register, attesting that you'll keep the noise down and won't bring unregistered guests to your room.