The location is good, but we arrived at 9pm thinking we could walk the ped street outside for a drink and dinner and everything was already shuttered down. Only one small restaurant was open on the corner. Had we known this, we would have stayed elsewhere closer to airports since there was nothing for us to do here and we spent $30 each way from the airports. The rooms are basic and spartan. The breakfast included however was very good and open from 5:30am.

Presidente Hotel is in the heart of San Jose with its front entrance leading directly onto the Avenida Central. it is just one block from the main square and in the centre of the shopping area. Reception is highly efficient (on two stays) and boasts a bar and cafe. Breakfast is served here- a good Costa Rican buffet. The cafe seves very reasonably priced dishes from early morning till late. Rooms are over eight floors with two efficient lifts. Standard rooms are spacious with two queen size beds, a bathroom with shower and decent toiletries. They are air conditioned but not double glazed, which can lead to poor sleep depending on the room position. WiFi is available for free throughout the hotel and the rooms are also cabled for inline connection. Given that it is unlikely that you would want to stay more than a few days in the capital, this is an excellent choice.

After living in Costa Rica for over a year, I decided it was time to spend some time in San Jose to learn my way around the city. I chose the Presidente because of it's VERY downtown location (convenient for exploration, but a bit noisy at night) and price - roughly $120/night for a junior suite.

The rooms were incredibly spacious with a flat-screen t.v. in each, reliable wireless internet and excellent hot water shower. Unfortunately, though I had been guaranteed in advance that I would have a room with a balcony, that was not available and the gentleman at check-in was quite unaccommodating. The rest of the staff during my stay were incredibly courteous and helpful.

While there are signs all over the hotel offering a rooftop jacuzzi and sauna, the door was always locked and I was later advised that they were closed for good. Unfortunate, and something that might necessitate the removal of the signs.

Breakfasts were fair and exactly the same every morning: yogurt in plastic cups, unripened fruit, a tiny canister of granola, scrambled eggs, gallo pinto, orange juice and coffee. It was included in the room rate so difficult to complain about, but it was quite boring for a luxury hotel owned by Tabacon. One dinner found that room service, however, was wonderful and extremely affordable.

Pleasant hotel for the price, but I think that my next trip to San Jose would require me to look elsewhere.

The hotel is in the heart of a pedestrian shopping area/market. It gets loud early in the morning and stays loud throughout the day and into the night. The location is great, as you can walk to many attractions. The area is safe.

The rooms are clean, but the bathroom is very slippery. There were 5 (3 adults and 2 children) of us traveling, so we booked a room with two queen beds (nearly 2 months in advance), however when we arrived they only had a room with two twin beds. We asked to be upgraded, they said it came with a cost and just apologized for the inconvenience.

The breakfast was good and the hotel was clean.