As my favourite hotel in San Jose (the melia cariari) has been taken over by doubletree. And there prices went skyhigh. I opted for another hotel for my 1 night stay. I was very happy with the Courtyard by Marriott. Easy to reach by car and also a complimentary shuttle service from the Airport. Service as to be expected. Room nicely appointed. Breakfast very good. Opposite the hotel there is a shopping mall with lots of restaurants, I choose a restaurant there for diner. Quite good Sushi!

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.