My wife and I are seasoned travelers, and the Grano de Oro, in San Jose, is one of the nicest hotels I've stayed in, with a great amount of charm and character. The hotel has a very cozy feel to it with exceptional service making it a nice blend of a 4-5 star hotel and bed and breakfast. The restaurant is fantastic. My wife and I had lunch there and returned for dinner after an afternoon of sightseeing in San Jose because we enjoyed the food and drinks so much. Its pricey but not outrageous and the food and drink are top notch. Best of all is the hotel's staff. The hotel employees, from desk clerks to waiters, all speak excellent English and are very friendly and welcoming. We stayed here on our first night in Costa Rica and I believe it to be one of the best choices we made all trip. It is an excellent place to relax a bit, get your bearings after hours on a plane and adventure a bit downtown. I can't imagine staying anywhere else in San Jose.

A few tips to any travelers considering a trip to San Jose and Costa Rica: We went to Costa Rica on a whim, based on an inexpensive price for a package of two round-trip flights. What a wonderful idea! Costa Rica had a bit of everything: culture, adventure, romance, food. We booked through the website latindestinations.com, who subcontracts Swiss Travel in Costa Rica, and I completely recommend them both. We were greeted at the airport, the reservations were correct, and transportation was always on time. Customer service was available 24/7 if we needed it.

While in San Jose, do not be wary to sightsee downtown. Just use red taxis, stay in well-traveled areas, keep your wallet and purse close, and you'll be fine. Be sure and visit their gold museum (great displays of pre-Columbian native art), sightsee around the theatre and churches near the museum, and stop by some of the markets and vendors for a snack. The Costa Ricans (Ticos) are friendly people, even if you do not speak Spanish.

I'd be glad to give answer questions or give advice. Just drop me a note.

First of all, the photos of Grano de Oro from Expedia are outdated. While the rooms look fairly similar to the way they look in the photos, the rest of the hotel has experienced a "makeover." The front lobby is impeccable and gradiose - modern and extremely well-
decorated. Free coffee is offered late at night/early in the morning. Free internet is provided via a laptop on the counter of the front desk. There is an amazing pair of jacuzzi spas on the roof with a fantastic view of the city lights in between romantic Grecian pillars. My boyfriend and I were the only guests using the jacuzzi at the time so it was incredibly romantic...I don't think the hotel advertises it so make sure to ask about it when you check-in.

The rooms themselves vary in size, but the quality is amazing regardless of size. We had the standard double room, which is probably one of the smaller rooms offered. While not big, the room was comfortable for two people and was impeccable as far as cleanliness and decor. The bathroom and shower (steamy hot) were great. One nice thing is that the room had a big rug so it felt as though the room was carpeted...something that lacked at all of the other hotels we stayed at in Costa Rica. There was no A/C, but this was not a problem when we were there because (1) it was not that hot and (2) there was a nice window offering ventilation.

As far as location, Grano de Oro is not far from downtown (about a 20 minute walk down the main Avenida Colon/Central), but far enough to be away from the noise. The street is quiet and residential, but still close to a busy street with restaurants. Unfortunately, many of the food joints on Avenida Colon close at before 10 pm, which made it difficult to find food after getting home late from day trips. The hotel's own restaurant has a very nice ambiance and offers some decent choices (although the food is not amazing). There are also a couple of restaurants within walking distance, but not super close and not super good. However, downtown is not very far and cabs are cheap.

This city gives off the vibe of being dangerous and grotty compared to the rest of this marvellous country. However this hotel is an Oasis of calm and tranquility. The service is second to none, the rooms are clean, the building has a huge amount of character being a converted stately home. The restaurant is also one of the best I have ever visited.

In the USA this would be a 5-Star hotel and if TripAdvisor had a 6-Star rating this hotel would get it!!!! The hotel staff was very helpful when checking in and spoke excellent English. A map was provided of local restaurants and walking paths. The hugh park, approx a mile by a mile with a lake, was within walking distance. The neighborhood surrounding the hotel toward the park was upscale with business-attire people. The restaurant??? We didn't dine there at night- wanting a local flare, what a mistake. We ate there for breakfast. Appprox $8.00, that included tax and tip. Take away $2.00 for what that would have been and this leaves a $6.00 breakfast. Juice AND coffee was included at no charge, thus this makes a $4.00 breakfast, in the most beautiful setting we have seen in our whole trip. The room was beautifully appointed and we had the standard room. We took a dip at night in one of their two hot tubs, very romantic. Book this hotel if you can and you won't be disappointed.