Perfect location in Escazu, the ritzy section of San Jose. Agents will try to put you in the Courtyard or Intercontinental but you can stay there back in the states. Upgrade your room to a Jr. Suite for $30 more. It's well worth it. The restaurant is very good. Plan to dress nice. My only complaint is the hot tub wasn't working which would have been perfect for San Jose's cool nights (55f).

We did not plan on making our visit to San Jose more than just a stop over enroute to our Costa Rica vacation across the country. Our goal was to find a safe place outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. In addition, we don't like to stay at a typical chain hotel but rather something that offers some local charm and we found that in the Alta Hotel. We chose the Alta after reading reviews here and also the recommendations in some travel books. It's a small hotel set on a hillside with rooms that have spectacular views of the city. The service is good, but nothing over-the-top and the rooms and facilties were clean and well kept. The open, cascading lobby is an interesting and dramatic space that leads down to the wonderful La Luz restaurant and pool.

The rooms themselves are somewhat small, but a large window and balcony helps give the room its character. The bathrooms had some poor plumbing fixtures and our tub did not drain well, but overall it was OK. If air conditioning is important to you, be aware that the A/C doesn't work very well. Luckily, the temperature was fairly cool at night although everything felt very damp to to the high humidity.

La Luz restaurant was highly recommended as one of the best restaurants in the city and I would have to agree. The food and service were both wonderful. I had the strawberry beef tenderloin over champagne rissotto that was amazing.

I don't recommend driving here as roads are not well marked anywhere in the country but the taxi fare was not too bad.

Overall the hotel was a great begining to our Costa Rican adventure.

We love to travel and we also love beautiful hotels and good restaurants. This was our second time in Costa Rica and after one week in Quepos we came to this jewel (again). The staff is AAA and the restaurant La Luz (one of the best in Costa Rica) is awesome. The view from our room was incredible. If you are like me about hotels then I will recommend this beauty (hotel) TO YOU.

I found the Alta Hotel by doing a search on Google for hotels in Costa Rica San Jose. I came across the Alta Hotel and in viewing their website I liked what I saw. I must mention that my family is Costa Rican and we have been to Costa Rica many times before, however this was my fiance's first time visiting this hotel experience was great for him. The moment you arrive at the Alta Hotel you're eyes can't help but to notice the wonderful florals and well kept hotel driveway entrance. We were greeted immediately by a pleasantly smiling staff. Not to mention a tasty welcome drink. There are great tall ceilings with chandeliers that just the right amount of sun light cast on them from the tall windows. There are beautiful paintings all around the hotel corridors. That was just the beginning. We stayed in two Deluxe Rooms with double beds on the first floor. In my opinion there was nothing Deluxe about these rooms they were absolutely amazing. Everything was exceptionally clean. The view from the private patios of Costa Rica's mountains and greenland was beautiful! The bathroom is huge and has lovely art tile work. The colors in the rooms are so soothing you can't help but to feel the stress fall off your shoulders. The first time we noticed how fast and courteous the staff is was when our closet digital safe was low on battery power. We called and immediately the young man came to fix the problem.
We ate dinner at a local restaurant and they were able to call us a taxi right away. When we were done we called the hotel from the restaurant and they sent us our taxi to ride back promptly. Unfortunately for us it was raining really hard upon our arrival at the Alta Hotel and late night it stopped so we enjoyed "night pool". The whirlpool was excellent! I must mention that there is a weight room and exercise room downstairs by the pool area. The bathrooms in that area also have a sauna a must try!
The next morning we had breakfast at LA LUZ Restaurant in the Hotel. The staff is truly prompt and always smiling there also. We ordered a typical Costa Rican breakfast of "gollo pinto" it was delicious. My finicky little brother wanted French fries however the waiter advised that they would take a while and had a hash brown made for him it was great. He totally went out of his way for my finicky little brother that was nice. I should also mention that there is an area that was being used for conferences which looked just as amazing as the rest of the hotel. My parents booked a tour to the Poas Volcano in their tour office. It's a long drive up from the Alta Hotel with amazing views and lots of photo opportunities. While waiting a few minutes for our tour bus & guide the owner of the hotel was out in the front entrance. He stopped for a while to talk my family, he was a very nice man. I observed him the day before talking to the chef about meals, looking at the florals around the vicinity and picking at some dried leaves. I can see that this man really takes pride in his hotel and isn't just about the fortune. He really does stop to ask how your stay is going and how you are also enjoying your trip. That to us was great and a definite factor in wanting to come back. I must also add that my fiance wanted to have a tour of the Penthouse. I thought to myself why the tease, they called the bellman and he escorted us up. It was SPECTACULAR! We decided to remember room number we loved... amazing jacuzzi style bathtub, the room has its own private balcony with an amazing view. The dining room is complete with rich wooden furniture, the living room has a great fireplace. I had to save the best for last there is a breathtaking open balcony with a fountain and seating area that is absolutely magnificent. If I could stay here for even just one night for my Honeymoon I would. All in all I'd definitely return and advise anyone in Costa Rica San Jose to stay at the Alta Hotel. It's family orientated, as well as good for couples like myself, and business people in need to do any conferences there. There's a sense of privacy yet you know that you will have great service when needed. Believe me it was worth the stay!