Sura Bed and Breakfast

Think twice before booking. There are plenty of similarly priced places in the same neighborhood. We arranged an airport pickup, but nobody was there when we landed. We searched the long line of taxi drivers for someone holding our name, then had to hire a taxi ourselves. The manager and an employee apologized and said there'd been confusion about the date. The room was okay, though a bit heavy on the wood look. The TV remote couldn't turn the TV on or off, but once we got it on, it worked for the German Netflix account already logged in. The bathroom smelled strongly of mildew, and the toilet paper was incredibly thin. This was the loudest place we've stayed in San Jose. Cats were fighting constantly on our balcony, and banging plastic partitions sounded like fireworks all night. Breakfast was eggs, pinto, and coffee. We ate at the only clean table, feeling unhappy, and when we asked for a little milk in our coffee, we were told very smugly, “we don't have it.” The WiFi seemed average, though. The place was not good.

The neighborhood was quiet and close to the center, and the rooms and premises were clean. The hotel has character, though the rooms are a little dated. Some have a small balcony, while others have a shared outdoor sitting area. The staff were friendly but spoke very little English. Breakfast each day was eggs with beans and rice, plus coffee or tea. We paid cash on two separate stays. Both times they had no change and never paid it back. I prefer choosing whether to tip, instead of being made to leave my change.

We only stayed one night at Sura Hotel, but felt very well looked after, almost as if we'd been welcomed into someone's home. The place was clean and cozy, and the staff were friendly and helpful. There was secure private parking, homemade breakfast, drinking water, and laundry service for a small charge. The location felt safe, with restaurants and shops within walking distance, and we loved the outdoor area and balcony.

The location is handy, around a twenty-minute walk to downtown proper, with restaurants and shops just minutes away. Breakfast was delicious, everything was very clean, and the little cat on-site was adorable. Everyone I met was helpful and welcoming with a smile, though most staff spoke only Spanish, as expected. Sedat, the owner, was extremely helpful and professional whenever I spoke with him during booking. I booked the airport car service, and the driver was a delight. I'd recommend staying here when visiting San Jose.