Hotel Santo Tomas / Historical Property

The staff was very friendly and helpful. The hotel was a beautiful older colonial building and had multiple outdoor verandas. The rooms were very spacious. But the thing that won our hearts was the pool. After a long day of walking, etc. we'd come back and relax in the beautiful pool and jacuzzi. We were only able to do the breakfast once, but it was very good, standard Costa Rican breakfast.

I feel bad even saying this, because I never felt particularly unsafe, but we had two taxi drivers tell us that we were staying in a rough area. I think maybe it was on the edge of a rough area, but it was very close to walk to any of the places we wanted to go in San Jose.

The building and decor, the location, the pool and hot tub, the wonderful staff, the cleanliness. The breakfast room and the breakfast as well. We loved the old building with high ceilings and tiled floors. The staff especially Juan were wonderful. Our daughter loved the pool/hot tub. The location is very convenient to visit major sites or drive out to Irazú volcano National park. They served breakfast early for us to eat before catching our flight back. The room was clean and comfortable. It is large, nicely decorated and the bathroom is clean and nice. We enjoyed talking to the owner and the whole atmosphere of the hotel, something you don’t get in big chain hotels.

Nothing really. Our room was on the back with a window opening to the corridor, so it was a bit dark.

The hotel was correctly represented by the website's description and photos. I picked this hotel for its bygone atmosphere and its location. I could walk to the center of the city without any problems. Barrio Amon, where the hotel is located looks very safe and has several good dining possibilities for different budgets in walking distance from the hotel. The owner, greeted his guests at breakfast and gave advice for travel in Costa Rica if solicited. Everyone at the hotel went out of their way to meet my needs for the stay. I could not have chosen a better hotel for my purpose in San Jose. Thank you very much.

This is a lovely haven to stay in when you visit San José. Near to all the main sites and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Their taxi information for the airport was particularly good along with breakfast which is freshly prepared every morning.

One note in general about central San José, it isn't good to walk around at night especially if you are a woman travelling on your own. The hotel was incredibly mindful of this and always made sure I had a taxi if I needed to get around (Uber is also a good option). I would recommend this as a place to stay if you want a good central location.

Charming place in the very centre of San José. Nice, refreshing pool and warm jacuzzi. The breakfast is served a la carte (you have three options to choose from). All of them come with good coffee and fresh fruits. The hotel provides a very good base to explore the capital and prepare for the rest of your journey in Costa Rica. Very nice owners!

The furnishings are a little dated but fully functional, it actually adds to the charm of the place. If you're staying longer than 2-3 nights, you'd probably find the breakfast options limited but it's perfectly fine for a short stay.

Don't tell everybody, but this is a private gem, an oasis, in a renovated historic property, bang in central San José. Just don't bother with sterile chain-hotels, or rely on pot-luck when landing in or flying from San José - check out their website, see what you're going to miss if you don't book here. In a very welcoming country, this manages to stand out, and when you meet the owner Thomas and his staff, you'll get it. We'll be back next year.

Leaving. Not staying longer. Not having more time to hear how Thomas developed his hotel.

We enjoyed two nights at Hotel Santo Tomas at the end of a long trip around Costa Rica. Everything was clean and surprisingly spacious considering its location right in the city. Our room was large with comfortable beds. Breakfast was simple but tasty and filling (we could choose a Tico or American style breakfast). The kids enjoyed the hot tub and pool. There are several covered outdoor common areas that felt comfortable and inviting. We easily walked to the Plaza de Cultura, the children's museum and Cafe Rojo (amazing Vietnamese/Costa Rican fusion food) from the hotel.

Be careful on the slide from the hot tub to the pool -- you could get banged up if you just zoom straight down (my husband has bruises to prove it). Our kids did well by holding on to the sides of the slide until they were around the bend and then letting themselves go down. Of course, you probably shouldn't walk around the neighborhood at night.

There are so many positive things to say about our stay at this hotel. To start the staff and owner are all wonderful people. My son was involved in a RTA in Costa Rica & we booked the hotel thinking it was close to the hospital, it turned out to be 30 mins away. Thomas was so helpful to us and helped us with information about the local area, buses etc. We were booked in for 9 nights but the travelling to and from the hospital every day was a chore so we checked out 3 days early to move closer to the hospital. Thomas was so kind in agreeing to refund some of the cost which was out of pure kindness because tbh it was not his fault we checked out early. The rooms were lovely, comfy beds & very clean. I cannot fault anything at this lovely hotel & would definitely return, hopefully under better circumstances.

More personal interaction with staff than would be possible at a large chain. Nice, accommodating staff. Central location. Security. Pool. Hot tub. Weight room

No Air conditioning in rooms, hot tub was not very warm but staff did increase heat when asked. Minor issues, since I was surprisingly comfortable with no A/C except on really humid days

Location was great, the room was huge, the friendly owner talked with us, the pool and hot tub were good, quiet considering you’re downtown, jade museum and market nearby. Great restaurant across the street (Cafe Rojas). Reception dude Omar was fantastic.

Though warned by the owner, we got scraped and bruised by the tiled pool slide. For self-catering, there is a communal, stinky mini-fridge and a marginal eating area with no plates or utensils. Front desk dude Edgar didn’t have great recommendations. The breakfast was not included and just wasn’t that great compared to food you could find for the same price nearby.