paid about 65/ night which was exceptional value - nice quiet hotel, very good staff. it's certainly not a 4 star place so please lower expectations but for this price it's hard to complain.

took two trips with the tourist office in the hotel. both were only ok. i would advise researching the trips well in advance rather than relying on what the hotel had to offer that day.

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.