If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica you might be considering getting a hotel in San Jose to act as a base for exploring the rest of the country, or as a place to stay before or after flying. Holiday Inn is a name that’s familiar to most travelers and the Holiday Inn San Jose Aurola is about as central as you can be in the city, just a short walk from the museums and cultural center. Coming in between $80 and $100 a night on Expedia is it worth a stay when you’re chasing Pura Vida? Let’s find out.
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Holiday Inn San Jose Location
The Holiday Inn San Jose Aurola is extremely central in San Jose. Much of the city’s downtown core is pedestrianized so walking anywhere from the hotel is extremely easy. The problem is there is scarcely anywhere of interest worth walking to. San Jose is not a very tourist-friendly city and visitors to this hotel will find little in the way of bars, restaurants, cultural destinations or activities to interest them.
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I believe this area used to be something of a red light district although it seems to have been cleaned up considerably in recent years. Still, most everything in the city is shut down after 8:00 pm and visitors will find little to do in the area at night.
The hotel is fronted by a park which is thoroughly pleasant. It’s probably the nicest thing in all of San Jose although it isn’t especially large. To the property’s credit banners are visible advertising ongoing renovations. Those renovations did not disrupt my stay at all.
Property Overview
Visitors get the sense that the Holiday Inn San Jose Aurola was once the premier hotel in the city. In fact it’s probably still the premier hotel in the city, inasmuch as it has very little competition for that title. But it’s clear that the place is a little dated and has lost some of its original luster.
The lobby is very nice and there is parking available for free on-site. There’s no pool but the gym is more than adequate. A coffee shop on the first floor and a bar/restaurant on the second provide breakfast (not included) lunch and dinner. The bar menu is very small, only about 7-8 items. I had a pizza and it was possibly the worst pizza I’ve ever had. Inedible, actually.
There’s an executive lounge on floor 17 and I think another restaurant on 18, but those have both fallen into disuse at this point. There’s also a casino onsite which is small and not terribly exciting. But the slot machines start at 8 colones per spin so you can feel like a high roller.
Holiday Inn San Jose Guest Rooms
Thanks to the platinum status that comes with my IHG Premier credit card I received a room upgrade before check-in. I had a 15th floor (of 17, there is no numbered 13th floor because of the casino) room with a view over the park of the city and the mountains beyond. While it’s nice to get an upgrade I would have preferred to have the king bed I booked over two double beds, or at least a choice of whether to take an upgrade.
The room is nice and clean with good upkeep and very little wear and tear even though it’s decidedly dated with wallpaper and decor in desperate need of the promised renovations.
Beds are comfortable with quilted padding provided and heavy bedding. The TV is good with some English programming and even some American sports, but it is not intuitive to use and the remote takes some time to learn and remember how to use. While an ice bucket is provided, there aren’t any ice machines on the floors. Ice was available from the coffee shop soda fountain.
My main issue with the room is that the atmosphere is very damp and humid. It was not possible to directly control the temperature with the thermostat, although controlling the fan speed does affect the temperature in the room.
Choosing a San Jose Hotel
Bottom line: this hotel was fine. Just okay. Almost certainly the best in a downtown with few or no other modern international brands. I did not enjoy the city of San Jose at all and will never return. I don’t suggest you stay there either. If you absolutely must you’ll probably be better off searching the map and booking a hotel near the airport, and not near the city center.
