Hotel Barceló San José — Hotel in Uruca

A very disappointing experience! A very disappointing experience! I booked the Barcelo hotel based on their offer to provide a free shuttle. The hotel is located around 13 km from the airport, so as you would appreciate, it is not that close. The day before arriving, I emailed to ask to get picked up from the car rental office. The agent, whose initials are (CH), replied within an hour, telling me that they only pick up from the airport. I replied immediately at 14:00 and did not hear back until late at night. By then, I was asleep. The second email from a different customer service agent stated that I had to book the shuttle 36 hours in advance. As I woke up early, I replied at around 7:00 am, stating that I was disappointed as I was not informed about the 36-hour policy. Also, it was not stated anywhere on the confirmation or on Expedia of the restriction. Additionally, I was disappointed that no one responded to me until late at night the previous day. As you would appreciate, we are traveling around the country, and the roads are not the most reliable in Costa Rica. I requested to be picked up at 11:00 am that morning and booked the following day shuttle back to the airport. The agent (CH), in a patronizing tone, responded that as per the email from her colleague, I should have booked the pickup 36 hours in advance and there was nothing else she could do because all the shuttles were full.

I was disappointed and responded to speak to the General Manager. At 10:30 while I was driving, another email arrived to say that there would be a pick-up at 11:30 and if I missed it, I would have to pay $30. Distressing! The agent CH needs to be trained in customer service. We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, and due to the traffic, it took us a bit of time to get there. When we were at the pool, we went to get a drink from the bar, and when we asked for a drink, the bartender said, "We are closing the pool bar in 15 minutes!" No acknowledgment was made to greet us! We were a bit perplexed by their behavior and once again asked if we could have a drink anyway. The service reluctantly made the drink. I wanted to charge the bill to the room, and the bartender again stated that we could not! We booked via Expedia and were entitled to a 10% discount on all food and beverage, which was not applied. Dinner in the Anfora restaurant was somehow poor; the burger was thin and not very tasty! It looked cheap!

The saga continues the following day. I approached the desk at check-out and asked to speak to a manager to address our issues with the pickup. The agent at the desk stated that she was the supervisor and to share my concerns. I did, and she said if I could forward the email correspondence with her so she could speak to her manager. We were going to the pool, and she reassured me that she would come and see me. No one came back, and when I went back to reception before departing, she had gone! The last negative experience was when we went to the gym to get a shower. Once again, the first words coming out from the receptionist were, "We are closing in 30 minutes." I explained that we were going to have a quick shower and leave. The agent once again needs customer service training. Finally, to make our stay even more interesting, in the morning, we arrived at the pool at around 10:00 am, and there was a meeting room next to the bar. Inside, there was a religious celebration that involved the congregation singing many songs. Well, this lasted until after 12:00 pm. The peace and quiet of the pool had been removed. With all the meeting rooms available in the hotel, I don’t understand why they allocated the room that would affect the experience of many guests!

It was a very disappointing experience; we spent two weeks traveling around Costa Rica and stayed in 7 different hotels. The Barcelo San Jose was the...

There has been a serious communication problem. I tried multiple times to contact the hotel directly, called, and even left a message requesting a callback, but received no response.

I initially intended to book a one-night stay on February 14 to coordinate with my tour stay at the hotel from February 15-17. Since I couldn’t find a direct hotel email and my calls were unanswered, I sent messages through the Barcelo website.

As I received no response, I had to proceed with booking my room. Using Google, I set the date for February 14 and found a direct booking rate of $68. While this was not the lowest rate available, I preferred to book directly. The best rate was for Barcelo members, so I became a member and attempted to complete the booking. However, upon selecting the member rate, the price inexplicably jumped to 360 EUR. To avoid this issue, my husband booked using his email as a non-member. We also booked a free airport shuttle.

Since I never received a shuttle confirmation, I called the hotel again, left a message requesting a callback, and followed up with several emails to Barcelo contacts. The day before departure, I finally received an email confirming the shuttle. I updated my flight schedule periodically by emails to the hotel, and arrived at 12:30 PM for the 1:30 PM pickup. To ensure I didn’t miss it (as I was informed the shuttle only waits 10 minutes), I waited outside. However, the shuttle did not arrive on time. When I contacted the hotel, I was told it was delayed due to traffic and would take another 20 minutes. In the end, the shuttle arrived 45 minutes late, total wait was 2 hours after my arrival.

Upon arriving at the hotel, I was informed that my reservation could not be found. After much back and forth, it was discovered that my reservation had been made for March 14 instead of February 14. I have no idea how this happened, but this was the result. Since my original booking was 50% paid, the staff managed to switch it to February 14. However, this entire process took an hour after my arrival, leaving me completely exhausted.

I requested to speak with Mr. Carlos Ruiz, the Director, and was able to do so. I was surprised to learn that the responses to reviews under his name were actually written by his staff, and he was unaware of what had been happening. Meanwhile, Ms. Monica accused me of leaving a low review due to my own mistake. However, all of these issues could have been avoided if the hotel had simply responded to my messages promptly and informed me of any errors or miscommunications.

I was not happy with what happened. Mr. Ruiz assured me that he would take steps to compensate for my experience, and I will update after my stay.

My Review so far: • Negatives: The hotel feels outdated (like something from the 1970s), the phone in my room was broken, and the location is far from downtown—you cannot go anywhere without using Uber. The hotel faces highways and some rooms are quite noisy. Additionally, I did not appreciate the attitude of the receptionist who checked us in. • Positives: The hotel has a pool (though it closes at 5:00 PM), a nice gym, a jacuzzi, and a sauna. Also, the shuttle driver...

We recently stayed at Barceló San José and overall had a very positive experience, though there were a few areas where the hotel could improve. We stayed at the "Suite Pacuare".

What Could Be Better

Room keys: Our room had multiple entrances, but we were only given one key per door. Since we were two guests, it would have been much more convenient to receive two keys for each door.

Premium access confusion: At check-in, we were supposed to receive access to the premium lounge. Unfortunately, the key was never provided, and we only gained access on the last day of our stay after asking about it. It was disappointing to miss out on this benefit for most of our trip.

Shower design: The shower door doesn’t extend fully, making it easy for water to spill outside. It’s a small design flaw, but noticeable.

What We Loved

Exceptional cleanliness: The hotel was spotless, truly outstanding compared to even very expensive hotels in Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Everything felt tidy and well cared for.

Elegant details: The tasteful décor and even small touches, like the classic-style bidet in the restroom, made the space feel more refined. Air conditioning freedom: Unlike other hotels in San José or abroad, the AC here wasn’t restricted. We could adjust it as cold as we wanted, which made a huge difference in comfort. Friendly staff: Every staff member we interacted with—from security to the lobby to the restaurant—was warm, helpful, and professional. Premium lounge (once accessed): The premium area was excellent, with snacks and drinks that really added to the stay. We just wish we had enjoyed it from the start. Transparent pricing: No hidden fees or surprise charges. Transportation was included and free—unlike other hotels in San José where I’ve been charged for services I never used. Well-kept grounds: The gardens and surrounding areas were spotless and elegant. We even noticed staff cleaning small details that most places overlook. Everything felt first-class. Breakfast buffet: A highlight of the stay. The buffet was full of delicious options, from gallo pinto to eggs and much more. It felt like a return to the kind of breakfast service I’ve missed in San José hotels. Balcony views: The view from the balcony was beautiful and relaxing. It really added to the overall experience.

Despite a couple of hiccups at check-in and some room design quirks, this hotel exceeded our expectations in cleanliness, service, and value. It easily outshines many of the pricier options in San José and elsewhere. I’ll definitely be recommending Barceló San José to my friends, and I know I’ll be coming...