Stay in comfortable boutique hotel in San Jose | Start Costa Rica itinerary
check

Added to your suitcase

Titel
Show additional options
country Costa Rica
duration 2 nights
attribute Breakfast
attribute Breakfast
attribute Hotel

Boutique hotel in San José

Discover San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, from one of our Green Circle Member hotels, Grano de Oro. The city has a compact and busy city centre with narrow shopping streets. There are lots of markets where exotic fruit and vegetables are sold. A visit to the ‘Mercado Central’ is recommended if you want to experience the local city culture. Here, food and non-food articles are sold from numerous little stalls. If you’re in San Jose on Saturday morning, a visit to the organic ‘Feria Verde’ is a nice way to soak up the city’s characteristic culture. 

In recent years, San Jose has undergone a facelift. Now, there’s a vibrant restaurant scene in Barrio Escalante, which is a great area to go to for dinner. It is recommended to plan a city tour through the city centre, to see the interesting, historic buildings and to get a taste of local city life.

  • Perfect location to start or end your holiday
  • Vibrant city center
  • Nice parks
  • Covered markets
  • Great for day trips
  • Green Circle Member hotel

Hotel Grano de Oro

item-thumbnail

Hotel Grano de Oro

Hotel Grano de Oro is a beautiful boutique hotel in the center of San José. The Canadian owners have been living in Costa Rica now for more than 25 years, so they call the country their home now. Their passion for hospitality and love for the city can be found in every detail of their beautiful hotel. Hotel Grano de Oro is partly located in a traditional Costa Rican townhouse that has been extended and modernized over the years, but has retained its historic charm.

The hotel’s restaurant is one of the top dining spots in San Jose and makes sure to reserve your table for the evening when you’re staying here.

This hotel is one of our sustainable Green Circe Member hotels. This means we selected them because they operate sustainably and are environmentally friendly.

Sustainability at Hotel Grano de Oro

item-thumbnail

Sustainability at Hotel Grano de Oro

Hotel Grano de Oro is one of our Green Circle Member hotels, and here is why.

When you stay at the hotel you will notice their efforts to educate guests about water and energy use, and the encouragement to recycle.

The owners are the founders of the social project ‘Casa Luz‘. This is a home where single mothers can go if they need help and support. At the project, they learn how to become independent and live a bright future. At the home, there are 10 units for young mothers and their children. Even after turning 18, they are supported until they are ready for their future. 

Explore the Historical and Cultural heart of Costa Rica

item-thumbnail

Explore the Historical and Cultural heart of Costa Rica

In the city center you can admire a few historic buildings, including the Teatro Nacional build in 1928, and the national post office from 1917. There are also several museums and nice parks to sit and relax and enjoy the busy street life. Of course, you can explore the city center by yourself, but there’s also a free city tour that departs from the Teatro Nacional every day (except Sundays) at 10.00 am.

La Sabana Park & Irazu volcano

item-thumbnail

La Sabana Park & Irazu volcano

If you want to escape the busy streets in the city centre, you can go to La Sabana park. Especially during the weekends, local families gather here to relax, play and eat/drink together.

From San Jose, you can book various nice day trips. For example visit the Irazú volcano, at 3400 meters the highest volcano in Costa Rica with a beautiful blue-green crater lake. If you want to know more about cacao or coffee, you can go on a nice guided excursion. Exploring the Orosi valley and the town of Cachi are other options.

Poas volcano, coffee & waterfalls

item-thumbnail

Poas volcano, coffee & waterfalls

You can also drive about an hour and a half through beautiful scenery in the direction of Poas volcano. On your way, it is possible to do an interesting coffee tour at one of the oldest coffee producers in Costa Rica, Doka.

When the weather permits, you can visit Poas Volcano. A little further, you will find the La Paz waterfall gardens. These gardens with impressive waterfalls, a butterfly garden, bird garden, snake garden, and a humming garden are really worth a visit. These day trips can be done with your own rental car, you can also combine them in an organized day tour including transport and lunch.

What to see around Hotel Grano de Oro

item-thumbnail

Fam. van Buggenhout

Top hotel with very good kitchen, ideal to start the journey. Very good service. We have been from San Jose to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.
Here we had Olman as a guide who was super. We were lucky that we were only three of us so we got a lot of info and he really could answer all our questions. Very good guide and a breathtaking waterfall. The butterfly garden is also great!

item-thumbnail

Robert & Joost

This is a very nice colonial hotel, everything is taken care of and exudes class and a colonial atmosphere. The different courtyards are places where you immediately feel at ease. Here you can eat or read a book and from the hotel you are right in the center of San Jose where there is much to see and do. The hotel has a fantastic kitchen and on the roof you will find a Jacuzzi.

item-thumbnail

Natascha and Richard

In terms of the accommodations of our honeymoon, the first hotel Grano de Oro (beautiful and great restaurant) stood out!

item-thumbnail

Fam. Neutkens-Scholten

Nice hotel! Unfortunately, we only spent a couple of hours i.v. late arrival and early departure.

The following destinations are close to this travel package:

item-thumbnail
Get inspired at this sustainable Ranch in El Castillo
Stay in a unique sustainable ecolodge in Costa Rica! El Castillo is a small village at the foot of the Arenal volcano, the most famous volcano in Costa Rica. You stay at an inspiring location, literally at the end of the road. Here, you eat what the land, cows, pigs, and chickens have to offer. Everything is grown and prepared in an organic way and super fresh! Also, you can take a relaxing yoga class or dive into the natural pool. Enjoy!
item-thumbnail
Your nature ecolodge in Sarapiqui
Not far from the main road to Sarapiqui you find the historical Sarapiqui ecolodge Hacienda La Isla tucked away in an incredible lush piece of the rainforest. The hotel rooms boast old colonial grandeur, the hospitality is warm and welcoming, and the nature is overwhelmingly pretty. While hiking the trails you will be greeted by the sounds of the birds and tiny colourful frogs.
item-thumbnail
Dive deep into the Caribbean Jungle
At Selva Bananito Lodge you will testify high-quality conservation progress and efforts. Surrounded by pristine Caribbean jungle with all its charm and sounds you stay in beautiful cabins and enjoy delicious locally sourced meals.  By building an ecolodge from waste-wood they made sure they would have the means to protect this piece of rainforest near ‘La Amistad Biosphere Reserve’. This is a true example of what a sustainable lodge should look like.
item-thumbnail
Sleep in a schoolbus on the Caribbean coast
Explore pristine Caribbean beaches and dive deep into the Caribbean flair of Costa Rica. The Tree House Lodge is located right at the pristine beach of Punta Uva. All the accommodations are made from recycled materials and waste wood. You sleep in a schoolbus set amidst a beautiful garden full of colourful plants and wildlife.
item-thumbnail
Stay in a treehouse in the jungle of Boca Tapada
One of our personal favourites, and Green Circle Member hotel, is Maquenque Eco Lodge in Boca Tapada. The hotel is situated in the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge at the San Carlos River. The owners build this hotel in synergy with nature to provide a truly sustainable and unique place for their guests. Here you will be staying in a treehouse in the jungle.
item-thumbnail
Sustainable paradise in the hills of Carara
Visit the peaceful oasis of Macaw Lodge in Carara, and try some delicious self-made chocolate. A huge tropical botanic garden around the lodge was created to regenerate the native local ecosystem. This area is a paradise for birdlovers!
item-thumbnail
Glamping in the jungle of Quepos
Rafiki Safari Lodge is a luxurious site for glamping in Costa Rica in the jungle of Quepos. Here, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings to the fullest. If you like some action, you can go wild water rafting or horseback riding. And, If you are a bird lover, we recommend you book a tour with a professional guide to spot the many species that live around the lodge, like toucans, parrots, kites, and maybe even a king vulture.
item-thumbnail
Live with the rhythm of the sun and sea in Montezuma
Ylang Ylang Beach Resort is stunning and its location, near the Montezuma beach and the Pacific Ocean, makes that you really follow the rhythm of the sun and sea. Enjoy everything the lodge and the town of Montezuma have to offer. Go on a nature hike at Cabo Blanco or Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve, enjoy the beach, and visit the nearby waterfall. You have arrived in paradise, and we're sure you don't want to leave anymore!
item-thumbnail
Sustainable luxury in the Cloudforest
Hotel Belmar provides sustainable luxury and operates completely carbon-neutral, and therefore is a Green Circle Member hotel. The Austrian Chalet-style buildings provide a spectacular view from the mountain tops of Monteverde down to the Nicoya Peninsula.

Download this page as PDF

If you want to reread this page, click on the PDF file.
This document will be converted into a PDF file! Please wait for a moment.