I stayed for a conference in July of 2008, and was there for 8 days. I flew in early to see some sights before the conference started, and I was very pleased with the tours offered through the hotel. They seem to use Grey Line. However, it seems that there is a constant problem over the time of pick-up. But that's largely an issue for Grey Line.
The location was very pretty, and the hotel itself was beautiful. It's actually not in San Jose, but a suburb called Heredia. That's just fine by me, because San Jose is unimpressive and has been experiencing a growing amount of street crime recently. Stay in the suburbs, and enjoy the natural splendor of Costa Rica.
The staff was incredibly helpful and cheery, though how much that had to do with the fact that I speak Spanish, I can't tell you. The waitstaff in the in-hotel restaurant were very enthusiastic, and eager to please. The food prices are slightly high, but that's sort of what you can expect in a hotel of the Ramada Herradura's caliber. The food was good, though it seems to lack real variety. People who have never tried Central American cuisine should note that it is flavored very differently from Mexican food, which most North Americans are familiar with. It's satisfying, but not particularly sumptuous, nor does it wow the tastebuds. There are other restaurants at the hotel, a Mediterranean restaurant and a Japanese restaurant that has a sushi bar. There's an Italian restaurant down the road, and the mall across the street has American fast food. Don't feel like you only can eat what's on the room service's or downstairs restaurant's menus.
I was overall very pleased with my stay here, though there was initially some confusion over my nightly rate and accommodations. Accommodations were comfortable, clean, and easily meets the expectations of any North American or Western European visitor. I definitely recommend this hotel if you want to get away for a while and don't mind paying American hotel rates in Latin America.
