A friend and I stayed at the Hotel Presidente one night, on arrival in San Jose, then flew to the coast for four nights, then returned to the Presidente for our final three nights in Costa Rica. We arrived fairly early the first day, before noon, but were able to check in right away. On our return from the coast, we were also able to check in upon arrival even though it was well before the stated 3 PM check-in time. The hotel allowed us to check a bag at the hotel while we were gone at no charge (although I think this is a fairly common practice in city hotels). Based on a couple of the reviews about street noise, we had requested an upper floor when we made our reservations, and we were given a room on the 6th floor (out of 8) the first night and the 7th on our return. Street noise was about what you would expect from any hotel in the center of town...the a/c drowned the noise out. We found the staff very helpful in arranging for taxis (we took taxis three times and never had to wait, there was always one just outside the door in the back entrance area) and for a tour we took of a coffee plantation (the Cafe Britt tour, lots of fun). We ate at the hotel one night, an OK dinner...but the free breakfasts were great, with made to order omelettes and plenty of other choices. The rooms themselves were basic, business hotel accommodations, but everything seemed clean, which is what I look for given that I don't expect to spend my vacation time in a hotel room. The location is great, on a pedestrian-only street within two blocks of the National Theatre, the Gold Museum, and plenty of restaurants. Despite all the warnings you hear about petty crime, we never felt unsafe when we were out walking. However, if you're going to Costa Rica for the first time, don't plan to spend more than a day in San Jose, because the city itself is not particularly interesting. I'd definitely recommend this hotel for anyone staying in San Jose.
