TRYP by Wyndham San Jose Sabana

The location is central, the staff are courteous and friendly, and the rooms are comfortable. I travel a lot, stay in all sorts of hotels, and am used to the food here, so I appreciated how Tryp Sabana handled my complaint. After eating rice and beans with chicken at the hotel bar, I could tell after two bites that the chicken wasn’t right. I told the waiter, who offered fish instead, but by then the damage was done and I spent the night in the bathroom. The next morning I told the front desk and the chef. They apologized and refunded the meal. The hotel is great, though I’d maybe skip the rice and beans with chicken.

We stayed here twice during our Costa Rica trip because we expected a good experience from a four-star hotel, but we won’t come back. The front desk staff on both day and night shifts were rude and acted as if helping us was a burden. They never smiled or said please or thank you, and demanded our passports and travel vouchers aggressively. People were standing around outside and in the lobby when we arrived, but nobody helped carry our bags up the steep entrance stairs. I’ve stayed in two-star hotels with much better service.

The rooms were fairly nice, but getting help from staff was frustrating, and noise was our biggest issue. Traffic, other rooms, and the hallway were all loud, with very thin walls. Breakfast was a good buffet, but the restaurant was never much good otherwise. At dinner the meats were poor quality and they made a lot of substitutions. I ordered a burger that was meant to come with blue cheese and got Swiss instead. If something was unavailable, I’d have liked the chance to change my order instead of being served replacements. There are plenty of nearby restaurants, so I’d go elsewhere for lunch and dinner. It wasn’t a terrible stay, but staff behavior could have been better.

The rooms were large and the prices were very good. It’s an older hotel, but a strong option for business or a quick city visit, near the main downtown park. The food and restaurant were better than expected for a hotel in this region, and the small bar has a big TV and does a good job. Parking is free and feels safe.