Wyndham Garden San Jose Escazu — Hotel in San Rafael

We were packing and getting close to check out time so I decided to take 2 bags and start the checkout process. As I was leaving I noticed my wife’s cell phone on the desk, but figured she would never forget her phone and went down to lobby. It wasn’t’ more than 5 mins and my wife and kids showed up with the rest of the bags. A couple mins went by and my wife said she forgot her phone, I told the front desk guy and he sent her with a security guard. When they arrived the cell phone was nowhere to be found. She came back down and I was getting mad as I just saw the phone on the desk. I told the desk guy and he first said we could see some video and that no one went into the room, and started escorting us to a camera, then they said to wait at sofas. I thought the security guy acknowledged that we could see the video. Obviously someone went to check the refrigerator, why they say no one was in the room? Then the security guy come back like he saw the video and then said we couldn’t see the video or there was none only a log of door openings and who opened it with their key? If they didn’t have anything to hide why not let us see the video that the front desk guy said they had? I was upset at this point and told them someone took the phone, and they just said all they’re people are honest; well there is one bad apple in that hotel for sure. And they seemed to be covering for the one that did grab it; after all it is a $1000 phone in Costa Rica. So there are more than one involved in that cover up… They never asked for our phone number so they could call us back if they found it, they just wanted us to leave. My wife works at a large restaurant in Fla and they have a lost and found book to take phone number in case it turns up, and box with all items that someone can look through if they are missing something. They never offered any kind of help; my wife on her own called them, and asked about the phone the next day and nothing, they did take our number then but never called. She called again a week and same old story. We always stay at the Irazu hotel and nothing ever happened there, even if we forgot something. We are locals, my wife is Tica, I lived in Escazu, CR for 15 years, and there was no language barrier problem, just dis-honesty. So be careful at this hotel if you do stay there and anything forgotten in the room will be GONE!!! Funny too, ATT put a Block on the phone and the culprit cant even use it, even if they Hi Jack it down there and stick one of the local sim cards in it. So after all this it was probably thrown in the trash in the end. Unfortunately, my wife lost lots of photos, all contacts...

As a solo traveller who has been lucky enough to travel to some beautiful countries and stay in many hotels this for me was my worst experience for one particular reason.I chose this hotel as it was relatively close to the airport and somewhere to ret before returning home and visiting Costa Rica. In all my years of staying in hotels I have never been made to feel so uncomfortable.

Firstly, to begin with a positive, the check in was quick and easy and the gentleman who checked me in was super friendly. Unfortunately the room was musty and smell and rather dull. Surprising considering it was not a cheap hotel to stay in for the night. I did not say anything or complain as my stay was short and I just needed to rest nor do I like to complain.

Secondly and most importantly is that I had a friend from San Jose come to see my in the hotel for a cup of tea she had just had some bad news about a family members health. When she arrived the gentleman at reception who either does not enjoy his job or does not have the personality to work in hospitality stop us. He insisted that I pay $20 plus taxes on top of the $80 I paid for the room for her to enter the hotel. I was shocked as she was not there to stay or to use the facilities but to meet her friend. He was rather rude about everything and made us both feel very uncomfortable like we were doing something wrong. He also insisted on taking a photocopy of my Identification despite me doing this upon check in. My friend was rather upset upset anyway and this did not help, naturally I was very angry by all this. I am not a confrontational person and despite challenging this charge he insisted that he was the manager and this was how it was going to be. To avoid further upset for my friend I paid rather than make a bad situation worse.

I don’t like to leave bad reviews but in this instance as an experience it was awful. Avoid at all costs as there are alternative hotels...

The staff was not very good. They are not very cheerful, nor very professional. When i checked in they didn't even go over the amenities of the hotel. Like where the pool and gym were, or what time breakfast is in the morning. Nothing, they just said "here's your key thanks" that's it! The beds were really nice, and their pillows are amazing. Loved sleeping in the beds. The internet stunk big time! It kept going in and out, in and out. Which is very, very, very annoying when you're trying to watch a streaming movie or youtube.

Another thing i asked is what is Wyndham's policy on service dogs? They said i had to pay $20 dollars a day for a service dog!! Can you believe this? So what if someone had a wheel chair, would you charge them $20 dollars a day for the wheelchair? A service dog IS NOT a pet, it is a tool that you must have to survive, and they want to charge you for that? Is Wyndham not a USA based hotel? Why are they charging $20 dollars a night in this hotel? This has NOTHING to do with Costa Rica laws, this is a hotel rule, not a CR law. I am going to inform the Americans with Disability Act on this ludicrous activity happening in this hotel!

Also, i asked for a taxi to the airport, the guy told me that it would be $30 dollars. I said the airport is 15 minutes away, why would it be $30 dollars? He said, that is the price. I said NO IT IS NOT! If they call a taxi that has a meter, it will only cost 10 dollars. Why on earth do they have these independent taxi drivers outside the hotel robbing tourists of their hard earned money? Why not have official taxis that come to and take the tourists? Who are these pirate taxi drivers? What background did they pass to be come taxi drivers for the Wyndham Hotel franchise? OH by the way, i took an UBER to airport and it cost...