Barceló San José

They really helped us when my dad had a medical emergency months ago and couldn't use his December reservation. Even though we'd paid for a room with no changes allowed, the hotel let us move the date. When my girlfriend and I arrived, they gave us all the benefits and put us in a suite. I've stayed here three times now and love the experience. I'm from Guatemala, and it's definitely a great choice for travelers. My only suggestion is to improve the transfer to barcelo tambor. It was a bit tiring to take our big luggage on the Ferry. Otherwise, we're very happy with the hotel and the people in charge. Thank you, we want to come back.

We'd absolutely stay at Hotel Barceló again. The front desk gentleman working the evening of January 11th, 2026, was incredibly helpful and apologetic. I wish I'd gotten his name so I could thank him personally. We were there for just one night before a very early red-eye flight, so sleep mattered. Our first room shared a wall with a group partying with loud music and smoking, which wasn't allowed. I'm not usually one to complain, but I asked at the desk if we could move. He promptly found us a quieter room and upgraded us to a beautiful suite. We didn't need so much space for one night, but really appreciated it. As travelers who watch our budget, it was one of the nicest hotel rooms we've ever stayed in.

The room had two separate beds, a big bathroom, and all the amenities, though the decor felt a bit dated. It could be modernized quite a lot, unless that look is what the hotel is going for. The morning buffet was nice and varied, and the front desk staff and receptionists were polite and helpful. This is a luxurious place to stay in San Jose, with magnificent gardens and outdoor installations, a big pool, and three restaurants with different cuisines and atmospheres. I recommend it for a stay in San Jose!

The main catch is the airport shuttle. Barceló San José says it offers a shuttle service to Juan Santamaria Airport with a free reservation, but the ride is NOT COMPLIMENTARY/FREE. We put our name and a noon time slot in the book with the bellman/front desk more than a day before our flight. About 20 minutes before the slot, we showed up and spoke with the bellman. When noon came, he called a taxi. I asked if it was the airport shuttle we'd signed up for, and he assured me it was the same. The taxi got us to the airport on time, but charged about 18,000 Colones, around $40 USD. We stayed March 8th-13th. The location worked well for day trips and things to do in San Jose. Rooms were clean and a decent size, the bed was comfortable, and we liked having a couch and small table for room service or food deliveries. Breakfast had a very good range of options. We booked a king bed room with a terrace. It was very windy during our trip, though that may have been the timing, so I don't hold it against the hotel. The terrace rooms seem to share one large terrace, divided by small hedges, with the windows on floors above looking straight down onto them. There's little privacy there.