Hotel Villa Tournon

The place has a collection of original art, much of it showing life in the Costa Rican Highlands and the Caribbean Basin, and dinner at the hotel bar was good, though a bit overpriced. My room was much better than the shared areas, but the carpeted floors should be changed to tile for hygiene and allergy reasons. The pool was very dirty, and the hot tub was out of service, half full of dirty water. It felt like the hotel used to be in better shape. Update: the staff cleaned the pool area the next day, and I really enjoyed it, so I raised my rating to four stars.

The breakfast was terrible. The only warm dishes were omelet, poor sausage, rice, and hotcakes. They didn't confirm my room number or give me any information. The pool is tiny, dirty, and not maintained, and nobody uses it. There were lots of mosquitoes in my room. The owner was not friendly at all. The exercise area seemed abandoned, with no treadmill, just three bicycles and one stepper. I'll never come back. The owner charged me for breakfast based on a document saying it wasn't included, even though I'd already paid for breakfast as part of my booking. The amount I'd paid seemed reasonable with breakfast included, and the owner didn't tell me what rate they received. I can't help thinking something about that wasn't truthful.

The staff were wonderful and so helpful. We showed up stressed after an issue at our previous hotel, with two kids and nowhere else to stay. The receptionist did what she could to find us a room. The hotel is spotless, breakfast was excellent, and they cleaned our room every day. We also had air conditioning and a mini fridge, and the pool was beautiful. Amazing place, highly recommend.

The pool area is the best part, like a little nature preserve of its own. Staff are attentive, and there's plenty within walking distance. A good base for exploring the San Jose area.