The Bottom Line
Located right downtown, the five-star Aurola Holiday Inn San Jose is big, well-designed, luxurious, and environmentally friendly – not anything like the Holiday Inns you remember from those endless childhood road trips.
Pros
- Right in the center of downtown San Jose -- many attractions are in walking distance
- The view! The view!
- Environmentally-friendly
Cons
- Right in the center of downtown San Jose -- which can mean noise and chaos just outside
Description
- 5th Avenue and 5th Street
San Jose 1000, Costa Rica - Reservations: 1-888-HOLIDAY (1-888-465-4329)
- www.aurolahotels.com
Guide Review - The Aurola Holiday Inn in San Jose, Costa Rica
Central American Holiday Inns are nothing like the American Holiday Inns you're familiar with. They're luxurious. They're artistically designed. And they're environmentally-friendly – at least, the Aurola Holiday Inn in San Jose, Costa Rica is, boasting 4 out of 5 Eco-Leafs. To earn that fifth leaf, the manager told us, you'd almost have to dry your towels in the sun. So 4 leafs is pretty laudable for a hotel set in the urban heart of San Jose, close to all the Costa Rican capital's main attractions.
The Holiday Inn has 200 rooms and suites. Guests enjoy a complimentary breakfast buffet, complimentary internet access, and many more amenities. An indoor pool offers aquatic fun when Costa Rica's infamous rainstorms are raging outside.
One of the Holiday Inn's greatest draws is its height -- the hotel is the second-tallest building in Costa Rica. The management has plans for gardens on the rooftop, but even as is, it's worth a hike up. The panoramic 360 degree view of San Jose is absolutely unforgettable. I wanted to pull up a chair and stare forever, but I had to settle for a seat in the El Mirador restaurant a couple stair flights down – a happy compromise, since the view's almost as good.
