Hotel Bristol — Hotel in San José

The Hotel Bristol seems almost like a mirage in the midst of urban sprawl. A great place to unwind for a couple of days before the flight home or to catch your breath after flying in before starting the adventure. It's well landscaped grounds & pool are surrounded by cottage or apartment like structures containing fridges, stoves, microwaves etc., all one needs to relax poolside & keep the refreshments coming. The different units can even be merged to accomodate larger groups or families. They have an onsite restaurant for breakfast but you can also order in & they'll supply the menus. If you feel like a stroll then you can find small markets & takeout spots nearby & if you take the right turn there's a great fresh bakery in a small local residential area about 10 minutes away. The hotel area is well secured as are the individual units but there is a little noise from the highway (Tico trucks seem to like using their jake brakes). Almost forgot! The staff were very professional & helpful. They'll get on the computer to confirm your flights & book seats etc. for you if need be & arrange private car service to the airport....

The area and the outside looked a little daunting, but once you get inside the gate, it’s a lovely little spot. I can see the problem with getting in, but we had no issues as there was someone at reception 24 hours and let us in almost immediately on ringing the bell. The surrounding were lovely and clean, as was the room and breakfast area. We only spent one night but it is so convenient to the airport. We were meant to pick up a car and drive to Monteverde on arrival but our plane was delayed and driving to Monteverde after dark is not advisable, so this was a perfect spot. Breakfast starts at 6.30 but the managers/owners saw we were ready to leave just after 6am and offer3d to make us an early breakfast, which was also tasty. For an inexpensive hotel, that’s close to the airport, clean and friendly, Hotel Bristol is our recommendation. Do be careful because there is also a Hotel Aeroplane nearby, and do make contact with the hotel to sort out...

San Jose has not street names or addresses, so we found this hotel to be a little hard to find at night- it gets dark around 5pm. GPS did not know of the Hotel (GPS in San Jose has to know the name of a place or it cannot find it). It was close to the Airport and right off the highway once we found it with the help of some locals who are all very friendly. Once there, it is a small property, the rooms are clean and good sized but very basic. Bed was very firm (but we found this to be the case in all boutique hotels in CR). Pool was good sized and clean. Breakfast included was eggs and fresh fruit. For a stay before or after a flight on the way in or out of town, it was a inexpensive and good highway access place to stop over. Gated property, safe...