Hostel Casa Ridgway — Hotel in Catedral

We have stayed here several times...it continues downhill in value. Recent changes in management do not seem to have helped. Our room this last time was #8, one of the few with a double bed now that they closed/sold off the east end of the building. It is a long, narrow room--so narrow you had to squeeze/duck-walk along the wall to get into the bed with a thin, worn out mattress. One small end table; one old lamp upon the which the shade would not stay put; one chair and small table--an open closet with a couple built-in shelves and half a dozen old hangers constituted the room. We were told no rooms with bath were any longer available--this had a shared bath. We learned it was shared with a dorm room of 7 beds and another double room! Fortunately only one other party was present to use the bathroom, which had a "suicide" shower that did not work--cold water only.|| The sheet provided was treadbare, the mismatched pillows long past their shelf and one blanket. No towels in the room, but available from the desk. Guest were expected to make their bed; and to bring the dirty linen down to the laundry collection basket. One limited bare overhead light, but there were several working electrical outlets. And a bit of the window opened for a dash of air over the industrial like roofs.|| Breakfast was included: A small thin slice of of four fruits; about a cup of gallo pinto; perhap a large eggs worth of scrambed egg; two slices of white "french" bread, with margarine; and a cup of "coffee"--a very sad weak substance Some black tea bags and hot water were also available. There was a small serving plate with a bit of jam. The charge was $40.00 USD. || It is a fairly quiet dead-end street but there is no secure parking, and certainly nothing attractive about the neighborhood. A request for map information got a token effort, but as their map did not extend far enough, we turned to Google Maps on the courtesy computer...but no printer, and the desk would or could not print it either.|| It pains me to write this review because Casa Ridgway is part of the Quaker Peace Center building, albeit under separate control--and it is no longer offering decent value nor an especially warm or welcome environment to compensate for such spartan facilities. Stay here only if you have minimal expectations and no other...

We have stayed at this hostel twice, in fall of 2018 and spring of 2019. It's a hostel, so one expects basic, and it is, but we stayed long enough to see how meticulously cleaned it was every day. We loved the people who work there, and we enjoyed the other guests. Every day we walked easily to the places we wanted to go. We were so close to the National Museum and the Jade Museum (Museo de Jade) which is about much more than jade. Both of these museums were wonderful. Right around the corner from Casa Ridgway, there's a fabulous, tiny coffee shop with beautiful baked goods and a few lunch options (but it closes mid-to late afternoon). Other great food is nearby. We expect to visit Costa Rica again, and we will look forward to staying again at...

I stayed here 6 nights and it was an absolute pleasure. The hostel is located in a small street leaving it pretty quiet (except for the distant honking of the train). It is only 2 blocks from the mainroad and within walking distance of the main attractions in San José. ||The staff is extremely nice and helpful, and the overall atmosphere is very tranquil. ||The hostel is part of the Friends for Peace organization and there are occasional meetings in the kitchen area and the adjacente meeting center.||The kitchen is pretty big and has nice pots and pans to use. The stove is electric so it takes a little longer to heat your water, but there's no rush here. ||I found my stay extremely comfortable and would definitely return here if I ever come back...