Interior detail

Reviews of Hotel Don Carlos

3 out of 5
Hotel Don Carlos
Ave.9, Street 9, San José, San Jose

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 35 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 34 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 75 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Carolyn, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
First impression of Costa Rica
Arrived by myself to meet friends the next day. Front desk manage allowed me into the room early and upgraded so I would not have to change rooms the next day. Hotel is quirky with great art work and decorated tiles. Room was large and comfortable. Front desk staff gave clear directions to centre of town.gift shop had interesting souvenirs and reasonable prices- 10% discount if staying at the hotel. Meals at the restaurant were reasonably priced. Breakfast was basic but adequate. Fully recommend it if you want something different from the large chain hotels.

8/10 Good

david, london,ontario, canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Historic Hotel
The hotel was originally the home of the first President of Costa Rica and a charming building located in a quiet neighborhood, but within easy walking distance of the main central area. The staff were friendly and helpful. The building was quite unique, but showing signs of its age. There is a shop and restaurant and the food was very good and quite reasonable. The room was comfortable, only wished we could open the window to take pictures of the mountains in the distance. We only stayed the one night so did not have much opportunity to explore. Would recommend just to have a chance to see the house. One downside: we were on the third (top) floor and there is no elevators.

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl, Toronto, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Central to shopping and all museums.
Right around the corner from favorite gallery - Namu Gallery. Just a couple of blocks from the zoo and a favorite restaurant called Cafe Mundo. Hotel has oodles of charm and decor is quite unique - lots of antiques and hand-painted tiles. Good gift shop and excellent little restaurant open for lunch and supper. I will definitely stay here again!

10/10 Excellent

Cparis, Seattle, WA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
True Costa Rica
If you want a truly authentic Costa Rican experience, this is the place to stay. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. We had to leave very early in the morning, and they had fresh coffee ready at 3:30 am! If you are expecting shiny-new, Marriott-style accommodations, stay elsewhere. This is an older, unique building, but the rooms are very clean and comfortable.

10/10 Excellent

Julia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

John, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
A quaint, very Costa Rican hotel. Service was excellent, every effort was made to accommodate. Neighborhood is central and as good as can be expected in downtown San Jose.

10/10 Excellent

Bill, Dallas, TX

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful boutique hotel
This hotel is Costa Rican to the core! Friendly doorman, receptionist, and staff made the stqy very pleasant. There was air conditioning (if needed, which is seldom in San José), good TV reception, a good safe in the room, walk-in shower, and comfortable beds. I liked the location which is on the edge of the old part of the city. Nearby Plaza Espagna is a good introduction to the various trees you will encounter in the countryside. The restaurant in the hotel is very good. In fact, I preferred to dine there and they make their own desserts (the coconut flan was outstanding). It is only two stories, but a series of adjoined former homes with a series of patios filled with Pre-Columbian copies and Peruvian (Costa Rican?) Spanish Colonial Oil paintings. There is an excellent souvenir store. Within walking distance of the beautiful art houveau Teatro Nacional and Gold Museum (in the same Plaza), and also to the brand new spectacular Jade Museum and its neighboring National Museum located in a former fortress (you enter through a butterfly conservatory with the neon royal blue butterflies. This museum also has a great Pre-Columbian collection. For anyone interested in archeology, these museums are definitely a must. Between the two museums is an arts and crafts market where you can bargain for some fine artwork. Only recently has the city put in some street signage, still not sufficient. I continually got lost, but in the process discovered some interesting plazas.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Super friendly helpful courteous staff. Easy walk to downtown main square

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel!
Great experience! Would recommend this to others. Clean and great staff.

10/10 Excellent

Mariya, Denver, CO

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A pearl in the middle of San Jose <3
What a beautiful little place!!! Very cute and unique. Their pool is A LOT smaller that it appears in the pictures, but the hotel's ambiance makes up for it. The breakfast is great, the staff is very helpful and friendly, and the whole atmosphere is amazing. We will definitely consider it in the future!!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
very accomadating close to everything in the city.
A great little place if u need to stay in the city. They have access to a computer a restaurant that has a delicious breakfast, dinner not so much. I will warn at night you will see some prostituttion going on out side of the hotel on the same street. I wasn't prepared for that so if you have small children keep them inside so they don't see it.

8/10 Good

D , california

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Nice hotel clean hotel
Located on a smaller road in San Jose so not crazy crowded with people and cars. Not too far from places to eat and shop. Room was basic but clean. They say they have a pool but it is tiny! It's more like a cold jacuzzi. Breakfast was included in our room rate and it was delicious! Overall great bang for your buck! I would go back.

8/10 Good

Andy, Georgia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice feel for Costa Rican Culture
The hotel is close to almost everything. So we took an afternoon stroll and enjoyed some sites. The place was clean and the breakfast very good. Helpful kind people.

10/10 Excellent

Coletrain5, Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a wonderful surprise!
Five weary travelers arrived at Hotel Don Carlos on the last night of their Costa Rica vacation. The friendly and helpful staff got us settled into our rooms and another adventure began. The interior hallways, as well as guest rooms are decorated with beautiful art. Even the exterior walls hold art treasures. We were surrounded by beauty and history on every side. The guest rooms are clean and comfortable, not plush by most standards. It is hard to explain, but you don't visit Hotel Don Carlos, you experience it's old world charm. If you're in San Jose, don't miss it.

8/10 Good

Janine, St Louis, MO

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Charming hotel in downtown
My family stayed here the night before we left Costa Rica. We chose the hotel because it was unique and was a walkable distance to various good restaurants and tourist attractions in San Jose. We loved the charm of the place. We would stay there again if ever in San Jose. It had a neat history and many interesting decorations. The rooms were clean and comfortable. No AC, though, and it's too loud to open the windows. This was not a problem during out stay as weather was comfortable. My only complaint was the shower. Mine did not work. When I decided to just make do with the faucet in the shower, the bathroom got flooded as the water was not draining. Of the three rooms we had, however, mine was the only one with a problem. The others did have low water pressure but it's an older place and we did not mind. Breakfast was adequate. Two of our party had dinner at the restaurant and enjoyed it.

10/10 Excellent

Jean, Columbus, Ohio

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous experience at Don Carlos
We stayed at Hotel Don Carlos our first and last nights in Costa Rica. I would highly recommend it anyone looking for an authentic Costa Rican experience in San Jose. The facilities were charming with local art, conversation nooks and areas of interest scattered throughout the hotel. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. The breakfast of fresh fruit, rice and beans, and eggs was free and delicious. Highly Recommend Hotel Don Carlos!

10/10 Excellent

Norm, Wisconsin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice little hotel
This hotel has a very friendly and helpful staff. Nice on site restaurant for a meal. Morning breakfast was included and well prepared. A great location for walking to the museums, parks and pedestrian malls during the day. The neighborhood and parks are a little rough after dark. Walking after dark should be avoided. Take an official taxi (red taxi/yellow triangle). Walking during the day from the hotel is fine and fun. Watch out crossing the streets. I recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Eclectic Artistic Comfortable
We loved the ambience a d location of the hotel. The food and service were excellent.

8/10 Good

Linda, Pittsburgh, PA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely interior
Slightly dated and simple room, but lovely courtyard and sitting areas! Decorative tile work was incredible! Desk and maintenance staff very accommodating and pleasant. Restaurant food was very tasty! Will return!

8/10 Good

Karen, Chicago

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good
Nice hotel though a bit aged furniture and bathroom. The gift shop is not amazing despite what the guidebook says. The secured parking is very nice. The staff is very helpful. Good wi-fi. Breakfast was good; restaurant for dinner was good. Not the best neighborhood.

6/10 Okay

james, Bow

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Dumpes into the dank dungeon
The room was a very big negative being beneath the kitchen, I think, dark and stuffy, 10 feet off the sidewalk, on a busy street in a club neighborhood with car alarms constantly going off. Felt like i was badly hustled with the cab they call when the cabbie tried to get twice the quoted estimated rate. He didn't especially after i took his picture and the cab's marking on the exterior

8/10 Good

Deborah, Newcastle, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
An oasis in the city
Don Carlos Hotel is a charming, olde-worlde building in a great San Jose location. It is full of character, beautiful local art and all sorts of quirky features. The staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was standard fare but acceptable. All in all, would have no hesitation in recommending.

10/10 Excellent

Kelly, New York Adirondacks

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Another wonderful way to great Costa Rica
Coming to a foreign country can be intimating to a non Spanish speaking person, however the front desk folks at Don Carlos speak very good English. They know what cabs to call, exchange money for you when the bank around the corner is closed and offer guidance for their guests that reach beyond just a nights sleep. The art, the gift shop and the food is excellent. The experience with them helps me to feel more confident and eager to explore more of what Costa Rica has to offer. Many thanks to all of the staff at Don Carlos! I look forward to many more years with you as my first and final stop between visits. Kelly Lindsay

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

a

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A lovely hotel in a historic mansion.
Nice stay, pleasant staff, good breakfast, charming, quaint interiors and restaurant garden.

10/10 Excellent

Nadezda, Richmond

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place to stay
Very good place: nice and clean with beautiful decorations. I would recommend this place!

10/10 Excellent

Oliver, Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place for downtown adventure
Hotel is nice looking. Getting there without GPS can be a bit if a challenge specially at night. Great atmosphere.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Evelyn, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Don Carlos - a unique spot in San Jose
We stayed for two nights at Don Carlos. The staff was outstanding in their assistance, and English was spoken at the desk. The Hotel itself is like an art museum, and the Gift Shop at Don Carlos had a wide array of beautiful souvenirs - woodwork, art and jewelery. A welcome cocktail, buffet breakfast and 3 minute call to our country of origin and calls to anywhere in Costa Rica were included. I would recommend this hotel for the comfortable atmosphere and charm, cordiality and convenience. It is not a new hotel but that is part of its charm. It is central enough that travel including walking to attractions is convenient.

8/10 Good

James, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Charming Hotel in a Good Location
The hotel is charming and unique. It is combination of several houses and has a series of passages and stairwells that are unusual. The decoration is artistic. Unfortunately, there is no elevator and the repeated climb to the third floor was a drawback. The breakfast was very good with eggs on order and a buffet. The pool is pretty but very small and the water was surprisingly cold. It is a pool for sitting only. It is too small for swimming. The hotel is located in a nice area with restaurants within easy walking distance. The staff was very helpful. We were glad we stayed there.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Historic hotel with gorgeous artistic interior
The service of the staff was uniformly excellent. Desk staff speaks excellent English. Everyone uniformly went out of their way to make our stay pleasant and comfortable. An excellent breakfast and free cocktail were included in the room rate. Plan to spend time just wandering through the hotel and looking at the decorations.

10/10 Excellent

Kathleen, milwaukee

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel in a decent area
We loved the Don Carlo! The staff were all very pleasant and helpful, the bed was huge and comfortable, and the neighborhood was clean and safe. I would go back to San Jose just to stay there again! Only negative I can say is the pool was tiny, so if you are looking to actually swim, not the place for you..

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
art gallery as a hotel
convenient location to the airport, comfortable , clean room. Friendly helpful staff. Loved the lobbies art. Café was not so hot.

8/10 Good

Greta, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Close to Downtown
We really liked the service. We stayed 2 nights on 2 separate occasions. The first night our rooms were not that great, they needed updating. The second night they were fantastic .Would recommend this hotel

8/10 Good

Christian, Hangaroa, Chile

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

6/10 Okay

S Royce, San Diego, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great location in San Jose, Costa Rica
This is a lovely, but old hotel. The service was above average and the rooms are very nice.

10/10 Excellent

Anna, Atenas Costa Rica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
THE BEST HOTEL EVER!!!!!!
From the minute you walk into this charming hotel, you know that you have chosen the best hotel in San Jose! The owners and staff are very very considerate, the decor is truly exceptional, the food is good, the gift shop is one of the best I've seen, a great location close to museums BUT it's the little touches that make this such a great place - disposable slippers, bio-bag for purchases, the staff going out of their way to assist you any way possible. If you are going to be in San Jose, this is the ONLY hotel in which to stay!!!!!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The stay was ok nothing great about it.

8/10 Good

katie, Redding, Ca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Centrally located with friendly staff
The staff were very nice and we were able to check in early in the morning after our red eye flight. They change money at the hotel for very good rates which was convenient. We enjoyed the included breakfast and were able to walk from the hotel to many different tourist attractions in San Jose. The bed wasn't that great and it was a bit noisy as we stayed next to the maid station but overall we were happy with it.

8/10 Good

Bruce, Ocean City , Md.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A great 1 day stopover for the airport
After our visit , wish I had stayed longer . the staff was very helpful and the setting and décor charming.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beuatiful hotel close to downtown .
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. When we first arrived I was disappointed because I received a room that was a bit dumpy. I had asked for 2 double or queen beds and one of them was a twin. The view out the window was ugly and the floor was quite scratched. I thought it was because I booked through Expedia and got a discounted rate so had a discounted room. The hotel was not at all busy so I kindly stated my disappointment and was moved to a much better one, it was done in a semi friendly way. Once I continued to be satisfied and friendly, the friendliness of the man at the desk returned. The stay was great.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice, quaint hotel
Convenient location; friendly, helpful staff. Nice breakfast. Ignored dinner Referral, went to excellent Cafe Mundo instead.

8/10 Good

Maureen, Kingston, ON, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Tico charm
The entrance was rather basic, but other areas were charming with a variety of sculptures art and artifacts. It isn't right downtown, but a short walking distance. The Jade Museum is in the same block, and was interesting, but not a must see. Staff at the hotel were courteous and spoke English. There was a "welcome" drink and a free phonecall home. The "pool" was decorative ( small ) and the restaurant and surroundings very "Tico". There is no elevator, and we were on the third floor. There is quite a variety of rooms and areas, so some rooms may have been better. Ours was basic, but good value. Breakfast was good, and we talked with other interesting guests. One couple had returned about 6 times & found the hotel enchanting. They used it as a base & took their tours. We felt safe at this hotel and probably would return.
Outdoor patio with sculpture
Stairway leading to the restaurant
Conversation nook in public area

8/10 Good

N & L, Los Angeles, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely Quaint Hotel
Quaint hotel with lovely courtyard area. Staff were extremely helpful and friendly.

8/10 Good

Sue, New York

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
nice hotel close to all sights
It was a nice hotel- not fancy- but comfortable and easy to get to the sights in San Jose. Room large- food just ok- staff helpful. Pool very small-

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A plesant stay at the Don Carlos
A great hotel, well located in downtown SanJose. Restaurant is good, well priced, with a variety of choices. Take the upgraded room if you are staying more than one night, it's worth the extra few dollars. Front desk staff and services are outstanding in helping solve any problems!! The bathrooms are functional but could use some updating. Definitely would stay there again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good safe late night arrival hotel .
Fulfilled my expectations. The staff was very helpful in answering questions regarding destinations and the almost impossible bus schedules and bus departure locations in San Jose

8/10 Good

LilYul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice expérience
Very professional staff. Well organised. Nice décor. Restaurant average

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Overall great hotel, location, and excellent service. My biggest complaint is that the mattresses on the bed in our room was uncomfortable and clearly needed to be replaced. But I don't know if that is the case with all of the beds or just the one we got, but I'm still glad we stayed here.