We had a room with private bath. Everything was quite shabby. The property is not well maintained and starts pretty much falling apart. Should I mention we were not even given towels?
The room was very basic - tiles on a floor, one queen size bed and a bunker bed (the board of which pretty much cracked in two) right above our heads (!).
Bathroom had an electric shower.
Hotel has a kitchen that can be used and a small poorly maintained backyard.
My advise - pay 5 dollars more and stay at the hotel Pacande which is right next door to it.

We stayed at Cortez Azul for 4 nights. It is a perfect base for day trips to San Jose and some volcanos. It is 5 minutes by taxi from San Jose airport. Prices are cheap and rooms are spotless. The open air community kitchen is a place to get together and relax. There are art pieces, paintings and sculptures all over the hotel, which contributes to the cosy and familiar atmosphere.

I actually planned to spend just one night in this hostel because I wanted to avoid San José after a long and exhausting bus trip back from Panama. Then I discovered how close Alajuela is to Volcán Poás which is definitely worth visiting. Cortez Azul is run by Eduardo who is much into art. The whole place looks like a gallery. The host is very helpful. He showed me two colorfully painted rooms: The first one was very nice, but windowless; the one I chose was brighter but quite basic. It had a queen size bed with a slightly damaged loft bed above it. There was no wardrobe, chair, table etc. in the room and the bathroom was functional but tiny. What bothered me was that the window (a small one almost touching the ceiling) had ben broken and at the time of my stay the missing window pane had not yet been replaced. I could therefore hear every single word people spoke in the open air kitchen and in the garden. The hostel has no free WiFi, but if you are lucky enough to reach one of the neighbours' unlocked one, you can use your computer in the front of the house. The best about Cortez Azul is the kitchen on the back patio and the little garden with tables and chairs where you can prepare your breakfast (coffee is free) or just sit and meet other travellers.

The Hotel Cortez Azul is a fantastic base to work in some day trips while visiting the interior of Costa Rica. The owner, Eduardo has a fantastic personality that will inspire you to get out and explore your surroundings. Take time to look at his amazing art and explore the surrounding neighborhood. Rooms are extremely clean and the back yard kitchen area is a relaxing spot to enjoy a meal. Don't pass this one up.

Julie