I stay at this hotel when I want to give myself a treat. It used to be the Presidential Palace and has an interesting layout and the charm of local flavour. It's in a great location close to the downtown area, two blocks from some good souvenir shops but quiet and secure.

Our room had its own little private courtyard outside, the bathroom was very spacious and comfortable. Breakfast in the outdoor courtyard was nice. The complementary welcome beverage was a nice touch. Free parking was welcome.

I stayed at the Don Carlos for a night (or two?) on arriving in Costa Rica and one leaving. The hotel is a rather rambling structure in an old area of San Jose , an area with a number of nice houses. At one time this was the best area in San Jose although I gather there has not been a lot of attention paid to heritage of the older houses. Don Carlos is within walking of most things one would like to see in San Jose. The Jade museum is right up the street, an easy walk takes you to the pedestrian streets near the post office and near the other museums of note. A cab is needed from the airport, if you aren't renting a car. The hotel has an excellent buffet breakfast, as well as free internet access and the computers actually work (unlike some places which advertise free internet). There are lots of old furnishings of interest, which can be seen from the photos. The staff is friendly and helpful and there is a shop which is recommended by a number of guidebooks. It is a nice shop if you are into shopping. There is a lounge area of the reception where one receives a complimentary drink (unless you arrive too late in the evening) and there are also decent snacks and heavier fare if you want. The concierge or one of the reception staff was very helpful, going out of his way to give advise about wearing a camera and other tips to avoid pickpockets. When I left for the airport, I forgot my jacket and he was able to get it back to me (my plane was delayed , which helped ) via the driver who returned with other people from the hotel. It is a secure hotel. Many rooms differ because of its rambling style. I actually preferred the smaller room I had when I came back to the larger room on my arrival, which was apparently what was available at the time. It was not like being at an American chain hotel and in my way of looking at it, that's a good thing. However, almost everyone I saw staying there was American. It had a lot more atmosphere than the hotel I went to a few blocks away to get my exit stamp/whatever ahead of going to the airport. There are no doubt cheaper hotels in San Jose, and some may be comparable value, but except for the rather squeaky ceiling fan in the first room, I had no complaints.

This was my 1st trip to Costa Rica and had done months or research. Reviews, reviews, reviews.....And was throughly confused. New I didn't want a Marriott, etc, but something with local charm. There were so many bad reviews for the downtown district...........But for some reason I liked the web page for the Don Carlos and reserved a room. I needed a few nights waiting for my oldest son to arrive for a male bonding trip.

This place turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. Small and all the charm you could ever want. No matter where you stood there would be somewhere to sit within a few feet that was comfortable. Orchid plants everywhere constantly being changed out. You could sit and look for hours at the art or whatever hanging around.

The people were very nice. I had a small problem, clicker for tv wasn't to be found. I said something at the front desk, stopped to have a gin and tonic and by the time I got back to my room there it was there.

Son arrived and we found we were just a block from the Jade Museum, another block and the Gold museum, etc. We spent a few days seeing San Jose never seeming to have to walk more than 3-10 blocks from the hotel. Compared to most big cities I kind of liked San Jose.

Against all review advice we even walked after dark from the Del Rey area back to the hotel twice and never felt unsafe. We headed to the coast to go fishing but booked the Don Carlos for a night before flying out.

I'm pretty picky and I really liked the charm, location, price, people and the morning breakfast of this place. Oh, and the internet computers they had in small lobby number 2 (it's what I call it) worked perfect and at no extra charge.

Simple hotel and good location to be able to explore San Jose.
They provide free internet access - great bonus!

There is no lift and no staff to help you with your luggage.

Reception / administrative staff were helpful.

There is a 'travel agent' located in the hotel who can book many different tours and hotels in Costa Rica for you.