We stayed here before and after the C2C trip with Coast to Coast Adventures. Small, traditional hotel in a quiet part of town. We didn't eat in, apart from breakfast, choosing to eat at the recommended Cafe Mundo up the road (we recommend it too). Hotel staff were happy to show us the way & didn't seem offended.
Short walk to shops and the artisan's market, as well as the National Museum.
The only gripe was (like in many small traditional hotels)....the lack of a lift, so bit of a pain carrying 4 heavy kit bags.

We have stayed at several places in San Jose but always end up going back to Don Carlos. Rooms are spacious , clean and comfortable, staff are very helpful , interior is well decorated with Costa Rican art and the location is good for going to restaurants in the area without going too far in the dark. Don' t recommend walking around San Jose at night in any case.

We stayed at this hotel on our way back from a trip to the rain forest, just for one night while we waited for our flight. It was a very unique layout, with little courtyards and fountains to walk through to get to each room. We were greeted with welcome beverages and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The room itself was very nice - a good size, clean and a nice bathroom. The hotel is within walking distance to a nice little town center with parks and places to sit, and there was a lovely shopping center nearby as well. We wished we had more time to stay here a few more nights!

We had an excellent stay at this hotel. Good service, great restaurant with a wonderful waiter, a limited dinner menu but very good breakfast buffet, and a nice, clean room. The hotel is wonderfully decorated with many drawings and Costa Rican art. It is close to downtown but in a better neighborhood than other hotels we watched on our search in San Jose. All services we requested were completed in a timely manner by the hotel staff. Overall, we stayed there for 3 nights ($ 80 each night, superior room, low season, and with a rebate).