Hotel el Descanso

We spent a week here while making Costa Rica travel guide videos for our YouTube channel, Bakkerfeeling Adventures. The family running the place were really helpful, and the WiFi was great. It’s a very affordable hotel about a five-minute walk from central San Jose, with plenty of places to eat nearby and parking options. The cheapest lot is around the corner on the same block. Our room had a private bathroom and a TV that could be set to the original language. Really nice family-run place.

For a night before catching a bus, this is a practical choice. Downtown San Jose is about a 10-minute walk away, and shops are close by. It was a better location with easier access than the TICABUS hotel. We tried to sleep at the TICABUS terminal first, but it was loud and cold, and they switched off the router after the last bus left, so there was no WiFi. The room costs 18,000 colones, about $3.75 USD at the December 2022 exchange rate. There's no breakfast, and getting upstairs means climbing around 50 unusually tall steps, so consider your luggage. Call ahead so they know you're coming, whatever the hour. The street can feel deserted, and there are a couple of people using drugs there. A cab costs around 2,000 colones, or $0.70.

The location is great, and the staff are amazing. I highly recommend staying here.

A reasonably priced, cheap option if you need to catch an early bus.