Heike the owner was so helpful and accommodating. I had planned on staying there with just my husband but due to flight cancellations my sister was with us also. At the last minute Heike was able to rearrange and accommodate all of us. The hotel is great a short stay when going or coming from the airport.

My wife and I have stayed in this hotel twice. It is a great place when you have an early flight out of, or late flight into, C.R. It is a 10 minute, $6 taxi ride from the airport. Breakfast is included, & dinners can be ordered for $10. The hotel is clean, secure and very quiet. The German owner is pleasant, helpful and speaks English.

We stayed here the night before our morning flight home from San Jose. It was small but clean and comfortable. Theres nothing much more special about it than that. It was basic and convenient for 1 night, but I wouldnt have liked to stay here as part of a longer holiday. When we got up early for our flight, the nightman (who I think was local) greeted us with a smile and made us (much welcome) mugs of coffee for while we waited for our taxi which was nice.
The price for a double room with private bathroom including breakfast and tax was US $37 so its a real bargain.

One thing worth mentioning- the owner has about 6 cats that wander about the property so if you are allergic, make sure you pack your antihistamines!

There was a cheap take-away place nearby (5-10 min walk) where you could also eat in, so we went there for dinner. The food was good but greasy and definitely no frills! To go to somewhere decent to eat you would have to get a taxi out.

It was US $7/8 for a taxi to the airport.

One thing we hadn't realised is that you have to pay an airport fee of $26 EACH to leave Costa Rica. I had assumed that charges like that were included in your flight price- not so (at least not with Continental Airlines). If you pay this charge by credit card, they put it through as a cash advance fee (with the huge charges associated), so make sure you have some spare dollars to exit.

We stayed here for two nights at the beginning of our trip to Costa Rica and two nights at the end mostly because it was reasonably priced and fairly close to the airport. We ended up finding this place one of the best bargains in Costa Rica and a delightful place to relax for breakfast (buffet-style fruit, juice and toast, included) and dinner.

This small hotel (more like a bed and breakfast) attracts quite a few Europeans, partly because the owners are German. At dinner (optional, but well worth the modest cost) our final night, we listened to guests speaking German, French, Spanish, Catalan and English -- it was a great place to meet and chat with people from all over.

Although the home/hotel is obviously an older building, it is kept immaculately clean. The rooms are simple, and there's not much here in terms of extras other than wireless Internet. The Coconut House is in a safe and quiet residential area within walking distance of downtown Alajuela, and about 10-15 minutes via taxi from the airport. The hosts are very helpful with providing travel information and arranging transportation or tours. If we ever return to Costa Rica, we'd definitely stay here again at the beginning or end of our trip.