Cute , Artsy hotel but we were only passing through San Jose. Traffic was terrible on Tuesday morning when we tried to leave the city . 20 minute drive took over an hour just to get back to airport and Friday night we returned to same hotel and it took 1 hour 45 minutes to get from airport to hotel . Totally unacceptable. Next time spend more money and stay near airport. Breakfast was good. No AC but none needed.

Hotel Don Carlos is located in the Historical District of San Jose.
We called the hotel to book reservation directly and we found they spoke both english and spanish. This was very helpful since my spanish is lacking to say the least. The people are very helpful at the front desk. They will can call you a taxi upon request, suggest local restaurants, and provide tour info. Very nice.

We stayed two nights in a Dbl. Superior Room which was great. The room was huge and had a good view overlooking the outside dining area. The beds were comfortable but I'd rather have my own pillows. TV, Safe and alarm clock were all nice. (You need to leave a $15 deposit for the safe key) .The bathroom was good size for two people and clean. Hot water worked all the time which is not a given in Costa Rica. (Room #3)

(We also stayed in a standard room which was small and included a very small bathroom. It's nice for a short overnight stay but any longer and I would suggest the superior room for the extra $10/night. Room #14)

Breakfest was included in our rate. $85+tax. Eggs, rice&beans, toast, varoius fresh fruit, coffee, juice,milk and cereal. Tasted good.

The mini pool and hot tub are both how they are descibed on their website, MINI. We did not use either but they look nice as more of a large decorative fountain. The hotel is decorated very nicely and is very clean. They have a large gift shop and a small restaurant. The food is alright there.

Overall the Don Carlos is a great place to stay. Located only a few blocks from downtown it makes a huge difference in the amount of traffic and noise both at night and during the day. We felt safe walking around the couple block area to close restaurants and shops both at night & during the day. Take a taxi at night if you are downtown.

This hotel is very conveniently situated in San Jose. It is family owned and has real Costa Rican flavour, with lots of nice touches.
The staff are very helpful and a lot of thought has been put into making the little things that make for a stress free holiday. The breakfasts are good - eaten outside in a pretty courtyard.
We returned again at the end of our stay in Costa Rica and would definitely go back again.

The Don Carlos is a pretty hotel on the outside, but the rooms leave much to be desired. We stayed there twice during our trip.

The first room we stayed in was nice but the wall were super thin and you could hear EVERYTHING going on outside.

The second night we stayed in was just weird. It was on the third floor, was setup to house 4 people instead of two, one of the beds being a dirty pull out couch. The bathroom had a sewage problem so smelled really bad. The luxury came in having two rooms and two tv's.

The restaurant left much to be desired. Should have eaten out that day. Not even the gallo pinto was good and that is the most common food in Costa Rica.

All in all an okay hotel, but needs some work