I had a last minute change in plans on my recent trip to Costa Rica and ended up needing a decent hotel close to Pavas, the airport where Nature Air departs from. Although I usually stay in Alajuela while in the area that proved to be too far for an early morning flight so I chose the Marriott instead. The hotel is very nice and modern, check-in was quick and efficient and the bed was huge and comfy. It's not the usual type of hotel I stay in in Costa Rica but I have no complaints at all. There are a couple of American type restaurants right next to it but I just ordered room-service. Didn't have time to look too much around the hotel other than a quick look in the gift store. The room had a small balcony with sliding doors which was nice as the temps in the area are very pleasant and did not need the a/c.

This was my third trip to Costa Rica and previously I stayed at the Courtyard. (See my October 2007 review) I decided to stay this time at the Marriott Costa Rica primarily because of the mostly rave reviews of this hotel on Trip Adviser, even though it was more expensive than the Courtyard. I was very disappointed. The room was dated, smelled musty and was not even as nice and clean as the Courtyard. After two days I got a reservation at the Courtyard for over $100 a nite less and moved. My wife likes the room at the Courtyard much better-the room is cleaner than Marriott and no smell. Also, the internet is free, not $15 a night. A big plus of the Courtyard is it is right next to an upscale shopping center where there is an Outback, Hooters, Argentinian, Cuban, Japanese, Italian and Tabas restaurants, upscale coffee house and a bar.

Remember, at the Courtyard you have access to CTT, a transportation company with very modern vans and responsible drivers. We hired one for $15 an hour (3 hour minimum) and went wherever we wanted. The driver was great to have while shopping in Downtown San Jose and chose a very nice restaurant Nuestras Tierras, with real Tico food. A good way to explore Costa Rica.

So if you are thinking of paying more money to stay at a more "upscale" resort I believe you will get more for your money at the Courtyard. I will definitely stay here when I come back again

We stayed here the night before flying home. Further from the airport than we expected. Great restaurants and shopping within walking distance. Nice facility. Friendly staff. We stayed in a room that faced the parking lot. The noise from the Hooters across the street kept us up half the night. Hopefully, you won't need to make an international call using your credit card from the room phone. They are connected with a company that scams customers. We made 4 US phone calls totalling under 15 minutes and we were billed 150 dollars.

We stayed at 4 hotels in costa rica and this was the worst.

This hotel was great. The rooms were clean, the bed was comfortable, and the tv came with a lot of channel options. The front desk was accomodating, offering currency exchanges as well as the option to buy your airport tax from the hotel (with a premium payment of course), and a free shuttle to the airport. There is a small plaza across from the hotel with numerous restaurants and bars which was great when choosing places to eat. The bars did contribute a little noise during the night, but the music was not loud enough to disrupt sleep. AS far as noise within the hotel, we were put in a room with an adjoining door, which made the walls incredibly thin. We could hear everything from the neighbor. However, the rooms without this adjoining door are okay, so request one of these if possible. One thing to look out for is extra charges on your bill when you get home. There were a lot of charges on our bill we should not have been charged for, so watch for this especially.