Santo Tomas Hotel

We had an excellent time at the hotel. The owner Tomas introduced himself to us & asked us daily if he can help us with some advices. All the staff was very friendly & concerned about our well-being. They made us feel like family. We would stay there again if we return ti Costa Rica.

I was very happy with our stay here. There is much more to the property than it appears from outside. The pool was wonderful (small but my 2 kids were the only ones in it so it was ok). Breakfast was good, all the staff were very friendly. The neighborhood is a little rough particularly after dark (which is when we arrived) but this is the case with most of downtown as just about everything shuts down by 5 or 6. We did walk out to dinner on the second night (with the kids) and did not feel unsafe. The same distance in the opposite direction would have been less pleasant though. The onsite parking was great. There is no climate control in the rooms but with 2 windows open for a cross breeze, it was fine (a wee bit noisy- but that's the city). Overall, I would definitely stay again!

We only spent a night here, but my kids are still talking about it, and we'll return on our way to the airport when we leave Costa Rica. The room was clean and airy, and the staff very helpful--and they speak English if your Spanish isn't up to snuff. In the courtyard there is a small but well-designed pool with a jacuzzi and a slide, and the staff was happy to open it at any time for the kids to play. For the parents, there's a wi-fi deck above so you can catch up on Facebook while watching the kids. The restaurant wasn't open for dinner the night we were there, but the complimentary breakfast was excellent--go for the full Costa Rican plate, and try the salsa de vegetales. Finally, the owner of the hotel, an American ex-pat, was supremely helpful--he even got in his truck to guide us to the highway through San José's famously bad traffic. Highly recommended!

Kids loved the pool and slide, great location, walked the park blocks to National Museum, Kids Museum, and the Central Market. Was impressed with San Jose, very busy, hard to drive, parking nightmare, but once I figured out that one side of city was evens the other odds, found the hotel easily and had free parking, instead of over $20 for 24 hours in neighboring lot. Owner was really nice, full of information, breakfast was lovely, great hot sauce, and we loved the rooftop terrraces and old historic feel of the rooms. They even bumped us into a bigger room for the kids. Sure, there could be a bug or two, but this is the tropics, and the rooms and grounds were clean and tidy. I would highly recommend this hotel for people with kids, my 7 and 11-year old boys loved it, and the exercise rooms is pretty good place to watch world cup too!

Staff were welcoming and excellent. Food was surprisingly delicious as we took dinner one time. Breakfast is definitely adequate and tasty, though not tons of choices.... we didn't need it and were happy. My family (wife, 2 kids (14 and 10) and me) stayed. It's within walking distance of many museums (national, gold, jade, etc.) and other cultural sites including many parks. We felt safe within the hotel and didn't have any worries walking around San Jose with our kids. The rooms are very cool... high ceilings. The pool has a slide and jacuzzi... which is nice in the middle of the city. Beds are good, shower isn't overly powerful, but was clean and hot. Wifi is spotty in some rooms (at least ours), but we didn't mind as you could always access in common areas. Overall, i was impressed and for the cost, can't imagine you can find that sort of family feel in the middle of the city. Definitely recommend and hope to be able to stay there if/when i return to San Jose.

if you want to feel like you are at home this is the best place to go the owners the staff is like a family dont look anywhere else to go this is the best hotel in costa rica

Our family of 8 stayed here for a total of three nights - one on our way in and two on our way out. We felt really welcomed by an excellent staff. Everyone we came in contact with made it clear that they were there to serve us in whatever we may need and they did it with the utmost professionalism. The rooms were beautiful, full of character, and exceptionally clean. The breakfast was more than just a sufficient start to the day - it was a looked forward to bottomless cup of coffee, a hearty plate of food, and fresh fruit by the pool. The pool is fantastic - clean and creative with a great hot tub and waterslide design. The verandas and open air seating areas were calming. Thomas, the owner, makes it a point to meet every guest and offer his expertise to any and all who need it. To be honest, now that we know about the area, we would be much, much more likely to stay in the hills and just tour the city rather than the other way around, as the estates area of Volcan Poas and the hills above Alajuela are just as convenient to the airport, but if we were to spend the night in the city again, it would most certainly be at the Hotel Santo Tomas. Room Tip: Try to get an upstairs room with a pool view balcony. Avoid Room 1 underneath the staircase.