Where to Stay
The most popular places to stay in San José are in el puro centro, right downtown near the Plaza de la Cultura and in historic Barrio Amón, which has some boutique hotels with character. Other parts of downtown San José can be very noisy and polluted, so you may prefer to stay outside the center, in Escazú, Santa Ana, Alajuela, Heredia, and other Central Valley towns, which also give a good taste of Costa Rican life.
Note that high season in Costa Rica is from November 1 to April 30, and low season is from May 1 to October 31, excluding July and August, when greater demand means higher prices. During the low season, room prices may be discounted by as much as 40 percent. The price categories on the following pages indicate high-season rates.
Reservations made, but not paid for, may not be held, especially during high season, near the beaches and in Monteverde. Discounts may be given for stays of more than one night. Ask at your hotel about green (wet) season discounts.
Hotels in categories $$ and up (see price guide box) include breakfast, unless otherwise indicated. Note that rates for remote lodges in areas such as Tortuguero or the Osa Peninsula may appear high but they usually include meals, and often transport and a tour or two.
Tourist office: the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) is based in central San José, on Avenida Central, 50 meters west of the Plaza de la Cultura (tel: 2222 1090, www.visitcostarica.com), open 9am–5pm Mon–Fri. Closed during the lunch hour.
ICT has a system of classifications for lodging based on size and facility; however, there is a wide range of popular names used unofficially:
Apartotel Apartments with cooking facilities and living area in a hotel-style complex. Weekly and monthly rates.
Cabina Usually a one-room cabin with a shower and bath, often close to the beach in coastal resorts. Cabinas vary widely in quality and price.
Bed & Breakfast Price and quality vary widely, from a modest room in someone’s own house to elegant guesthouses all to yourself with pools and tennis courts.
Lodge Popular in more remote areas, usually near parks or natural attractions. Price usually includes meals. Stays at lodges are almost always linked with some outdoor activity: birdwatching, guided hikes, or horseback tours.
Villa or Chalet Often indistinguishable from a hotel.
Inn Often a Bed & Breakfast, but with more extensive amenities.
Resort Usually a luxurious, self-contained hotel complex.
Hotel Anything with more than 10 rooms.
Hostel There is a small youth hostel system. Prices vary.
Albergue/Pensión Modest, small hotels.
Homestays
To get a better understanding of the people and culture of Costa Rica, try a homestay. Visitors stay in the guest room of a host family and participate in as much of the family activities as they wish. Your options for finding a good homestay are best through one of the many language schools, which can help make homestay arrangements. Local families sometimes rent rooms at a price that includes meals and laundry. Check around the university and the bulletin board at the Costa Rican/North American Cultural Center, see the Tico Times or the local newspapers. For shared-lodging with Ticos or other foreigners, visit Craigslist Costa Rica at www.costarica.en.craigslist.org.
Useful Organisations
Costa Rican Hotel Association
Tel: 2220 0575
www.costaricanhotels.com
A good resource for hotel information.
Costa Rican Vacations
Tel: 2296 7715 (Costa Rica), 800-606 1860 (US and Canada)
www.vacationscostarica.com
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