Hilton Garden Inn San Jose La Sabana

There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance, shopping nearby, and the stadium views are great. The location is a strong point. I often stay at Hilton hotels, but I wouldn’t return to this one. I should have picked the newer of the two. This older property feels neglected and dated. The king bed was compressed from many nights of use. The pillows felt like my grandma’s old wool sweater, all pilled and lumpy. I’m not kidding, I wanted to open one up to see what was inside. Food was basic and very overpriced, with less variety than at other Hilton Garden Inns, so we ate out instead. Most staff seemed unhappy at work, with few smiles or greetings, and the front desk was pretty useless. The valet guilted us into unloading in the inconvenient, ridiculous pull-up area so he wouldn’t miss a tip. Just not a good experience. Hopefully we won’t need to be in San Jose for a while and can stay at the wonderful Hilton Garden Inn in Liberia Costa Rica, or at least book the newer hotel instead of this family misfit.

Breakfast was $35 per person, but the options and quality were abysmal. To me it was worth $10 at most, and I felt ripped off. I wouldn’t have minded the cost if the breakfast had been good. A taxi to the airport was quoted at $40, while Uber showed a $13 fare. I understand the hotel needs to earn money from third party services, but charging three times as much isn’t appropriate. The rooms are good, though the bathroom should have a door. We tried to sleep around 10pm before an early morning, but construction noise woke us up. The front desk confirmed concrete chipping equipment was being used in the dining room three floors below. The noise continued after I spoke with them, and nobody answered when I called again. I went downstairs, and they said the work would stop. Why start construction late in the evening? The only logical reason I could see was avoiding closing the dining area for a shift and losing money.

Getting checked in was easy. Diana and Erick Usually helped us at the front desk, and they were gracious and grateful even when some guests were a little naughty in how they spoke during checkout. Downstairs, the greeting, security and concierge were all helpful with parking, getting the car, and making sure the Uber had arrived in the right place. They also pointed us to 420-friendly spots, if you know what I mean. The Hilton Garden Inn in San José, Costa Rica is amazing. If you’re traveling, I invite you to practice Pura Vida, as they say in Costa Rica. Period.

Recently, someone close to me was sexually assaulted while visiting Costa Rica. I tried to post a review on TripAdvisor’s website, but I believe the hotel is actively covering up what happened to protect profits. Travelers should approach this hotel with caution.