Stayed here at the tail end of a Caravan tour. The hotel is in a very central part of San Jose, easy walking distance to Central Market, museums and other tourist attractions. The room was spacious and clean. Overall, the hotel has no character, but it was more than adequate for the one night stay.

We were in San Jose, Costa Rica the end of November. The hotel staff was courteous, helpful and beyond accommodating. They spoke English fluently and were more than happy to help in any and every request that we had: and we had many!

There was a travel agency on the lobby floor who arranged a trip to El Arenal (volcano) which was much easier to do by tour just to get our "feet wet' and explore the city and streets enough to rent our own car and explore the rest of the country on our own. We used this particular hotel as a base to be able to travel around the country and return a few days here and there.

If you're in Costa Rica, might as well take off to Panama which is an hour flight and very worthwhile. However, each time we wanted any information at all, the front desk was eager to help and didn't expect anything in return. It was like a home away from home.

The one thing that was a "problem" for me was the fact that there were many rooms that had recently been painted, which was very bothersome for my allergies, making it impossible for me to sleep. The hotel was more than happy to guide us to several rooms and allow us to select one that was to our liking.

A must do in Costa Rica; Manuel Antonio. Jaco is just average, but has a good location for the Canopy Tour. Keep in mind that if you're driving to any of these locations, it is a breathtaking drive, yet getting out of the city is very tricky if you're only used to driving in the U.S. Also, all, and I mean ALL the cars we tried to rent were stick-shift, no automatic in sight; meaning that not everyone can get themselves around.

Last but not least; the people in Costa Rica are absolutely the nicest we have ever encountered, and we've traveled to more than 50 countries so far. They will go out of their way to help you, just because. Another must do: the coffee! It is to die for.
Enjoy.

We were at the Aurola at the beginning and end of a Caravan Tour, and it was perfectly adequate. It is in a good location across from a small park and only a short walk to the center of the city. The food and service in the buffet restaurant were good, and the tour farewell dinner in the restaurant on the 17th floor was excellent! Recommended.

I stayed at the Aurola for 18 nights in February and I have to say, as hotels go, this is as good as it gets. Sure, the facilities were great, rooms comfortable, helpful staff and a really decent location, but it was the whole experience of staying there that made it good. You get a feel of things after such a long stay and, on the whole it's an overwhelmingly positive experience.

For a start, its location is superb. San Jose can be a very noisy place and whilst there's heavy traffic outside during the day, it gets pretty quiet at night outside the hotel, and what's more, there's virtually no pedestrians outside. The same cannot be said for other hotels which are in much noisier neighbourhoods in downtown, and can be a pain to sleep in even at 11pm. No such problems at the Aurola though the park outside can be too quiet and a little bit iffy at night so beware of thieves or petty crime there. Tourist police are now a regular sight around, however.

As for the rooms, they're pretty good - safe that fits in a laptop, bed was comfortable, good amenities such as cable TV (with US television), fridge, good gym, swimming pool (indoors so a bit weird), jacuzzi, helpful staff (except for buying the departure tax which they only do in late afternoon and there's always a long queue), free wi-fi, internet terminals by the lobby, and a good breakfast. I don't quite understand why people complain about the breakfast because it's pretty much standard continental, American (sausage, bacon, waffles, pancakes) and Costa Rican stuff (rice and beans, plantines etc) as well as cereal and omelettes. A big bonus was also free local calls so great for business though I can't vouch for leaving messages as I never used it. Good wake-up calls too.

My only complaint would be that they don't provide any airport pick-ups or shuttle services, and that you can't open the windows in the room which can be quite annoying. Cleaners can be a bit too efficient in wanting to clean your room everyday, ignoring the 'Do Not Disturb' sign. And hot water can take a bit of time to kick in to the shower late night/early morning. Other than that, I would happily recommend this to anyone. Having also stayed at the Crowne Plaza Tryp Corobici, I can say that the Holiday Inn is cheaper, better-located (much better especially for finding food in downtown and personally, that's what made me choose this hotel) and just more happening in general. The Tryp Corobici was great, but just felt a little detached from all the action a little bit. With the Holiday Inn, you're never too far from somewhere to eat, or a bus to nearby suburbs.