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Hotel el Descanso

2.0 star property
Hotel with a 24-hour front desk, near Sabana Park

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Photo gallery for Hotel el Descanso

Free WiFi, bed sheets
Reception
Shower, towels
Front of property
Staircase

Reviews

6.6 out of 10

Popular amenities

  • 24/7 front desk
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Free WiFi

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 3 of 3 rooms

View all photos for Single Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets

Single Room

Highlights

LED TV
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Cable channels
Wardrobe or closet
Daily housekeeping
  • City view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Standard Double Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Double Room

Highlights

LED TV
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Cable channels
Wardrobe or closet
Daily housekeeping
  • City view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Twin Bed and 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Basic Double Room

Basic Double Room | Free WiFi, bed sheets

Basic Double Room

Highlights

LED TV
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Cable channels
Daily housekeeping
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

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About the neighborhood

Map
Avenida 2 con calle 22, 22560304, San José, San José, 10103

What's nearby

  • Mercado Central - 12 min walk - 0.7 miles
  • Sabana Park - 15 min walk - 0.8 miles
  • Central Park - 15 min walk - 0.8 miles
  • Morazan Park - 20 min walk - 1.1 miles
  • National Stadium of Costa Rica - 5 min drive - 1.9 miles

Getting around

  • San Jose Cemetery Station - 14 min walk
  • San José (SYQ-Tobías Bolaños Intl.) - 18 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Crokante - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Cafetería Merayo - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Le Bistrot de Paris - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Momo Café - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Lubnan - ‬2 min walk

About this property

Hotel el Descanso

Hotel near Sabana Park
Hotel el Descanso provides laundry facilities and more. Guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
Other perks at this hotel include:
  • Luggage storage, smoke-free premises, and tour/ticket assistance
  • A 24-hour front desk
Room features
All guestrooms at Hotel el Descanso offer amenities such as free WiFi.
Extra amenities include:
  • 32-inch LED TVs with cable channels
  • Ceiling fans and daily housekeeping

Languages

Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • In-room WiFi speed: 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices)
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • No onsite parking available

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Change of bedsheets (on request)
  • Change of towels on request
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 17 steps to reach entrance
  • No elevator
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 32-inch LED TV with cable channels

More

  • Ceiling fan

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 1:00 PM; Check-in end time: 6:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
A late check-out fee will be charged

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
If you are planning to arrive after 6:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Late check-out is available for a fee (subject to availability)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Property is also known as

Hotel el Descanso Hotel
Hotel el Descanso San José
Hotel el Descanso Hotel San José

Frequently asked questions

Is Hotel el Descanso pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Hotel el Descanso?

This hotel doesn't offer parking.

What time is check-in at Hotel el Descanso?

Check-in start time: 1:00 PM; Check-in end time: 6:00 PM. Late check-in is available during limited hours.

What time is check-out at Hotel el Descanso?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM. Late check-out is available for a fee (subject to availability).

Where is Hotel el Descanso located?

Located in Hospital, this hotel is within a 15-minute walk of Chirripo National Park and Sabana Park. Precolumbian Gold Museum and Mercado Central are also within 15 minutes. San Jose Cemetery Station is 14 minutes by foot and San Jose Contraloria Station is 20 minutes.

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Hotel el Descanso Reviews

Reviews

6.6
Rating 10 - Excellent. 11 out of 42 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 42 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 11 out of 42 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 42 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 42 reviews

6.8/10

Cleanliness

7.2/10

Staff & service

5.0/10

Amenities

6.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
It was ok cheap
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lina

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

Great place to stay

This hotel is perfect for a traveler who wants to explore downtown San Jose. I highly recommend this hotel. The people were fabulous. The area really wasn’t bad at all and you can walk to downtown. It’s central market just about where you wanted to go so I definitely recommend it. Awesome hotel.
Stayed 16 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Lisa

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Very clean . Staff do not respond well To tourists . Location for Uber is terrible. Taxis and Uber have trouble finding the Hotel.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024

6/10 Okay

Alexios

Pros: Strong wifi. Bearable for a night or two. Cons: Little insects (baby cockroaches?) in the room at night. Small room. The ceiling fan's switch cord was broken so it was always on with the room's light. Room with window facing the corridor, not outside like the internet photos. Uncomfortable and short mattress. No english speaking staff. No hangers.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Bradford Chester

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff was great. Rooms are very basic but sufficient. The hotel is located close to the downtown area. The neighborhood is safe but looks dumpy and is noisy. Ear plugs help. There are lots of homeless. Overall, this hotel is a good value. There is a lot of food options. Again, the neighborhood will look scary but its actually very safe.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was okay for the $.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Hadria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

Great Place to Stay on a Budget

It is a great place for the price. We stayed there in a pinch when our travel plans didn't go as planned. The staff was friendly and very helpful. The rooms are a bit small, but that's fine if you're just looking for someplace clean to rest for the night on a budget. Also, the two restaurants on the first floor had very good food and great service.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Guillermo

N/C
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024

4/10 Poor

Jesus

Disliked: Staff & service
There was unseen circumstances and was unable to make it to my room. I let them know ahead of time but they wouldn’t refund me for cancellation.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

justin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff were really nice and helped me out but the rooms were really small. The price was very reasonable.
Stayed 8 nights in May 2023

4/10 Poor

Nohemias

Liked: Staff & service
Very very small room too many stairs to get to the room and really near near stairs and very very small bathroom everything's really small I won't stay in a place no more
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Allen

No English speaking channels on the TV The MTS did not work… frustrating Good clean economical room With private bath.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

4/10 Poor

Jordan

This hotel is close to the main road in San Jose and the room itself wasn’t too bad for the price but that is where the positives end. It was our first time staying San Jose and the impression that was left with us was a dirty and gross city. Im sure there are nice areas but don’t expect anything better from the area this hotel is in. The walls separating the rooms are like cardboard and we could hear moaning from the sex workers multiple times per night. Other than the moaning the noise from other people in the hotel was also very loud. On our second and final night a man checking in to his room tried to open our door while walking down the hallway. Sleeping here was difficult which is ironic for a hotel called “Hotel el Descanso” and that is why I am leaving behind a bad review.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

6/10 Okay

Gustavo A Murillo

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
Rooms provide no privacy. Anyone can hear even if you fart. Bed sheets must be replaced [they are washed, but maybe because they're old]. No A/C. And once again, no privacy.
Stayed 9 nights in Apr 2024

6/10 Okay

Yipeng

Liked: Staff & service
Not really worth it considering the price
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

2/10 Terrible

Delia

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I reserved 2 months before and text them 3 days before to ask about the check in because my flight arrived at 12 am and they answered that there is not problem but when we arrived at midnight under the rain the said: no reservations and no room available, then we had to paid a taxi to another hotel.
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Zhong

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

budget friendly helpful staff, convenient location

I like the location, halfway between the cathedral and Sabana park. There's always someone at the front desk. The gate is locked, so you ring a bell for someone to open it. Feels safe. I arrived at midnight, and was able to get into my room. I had some problem with an ATM machine, and one lady at the front desk helped me to call the bank. Fan works, but very noisy. Pretty good wifi. Now the negative: no place to hang anything. No cups. Street noise and the door bell are not good for light sleepers. Thin curtain. Overall, worth the price.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

2/10 Terrible

Allen

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Be Warned: avoid this hotel, the room amenities presented by expedia.ca, are misleading, and are often not provided by the hotel. The hotel will not provide any customer service to resolve the issues, and they will not refund you. Expedia.ca needs to revise their listing info because the room info they are presenting is misleading. I know since the past two years, I have booked several stays on expedia.ca at hotel Descanso. My most recent reservation for Jan 21, for a single room, the online room info clearly displays: one twin bed, private bath, city view, ceiling, fan, free Wi-Fi, 32 inch LED TV, and cable channels. These amenities were not provided, which is misleading and unacceptable. Worse, the hotel management made no effort to resolve matters, despite being a repeat customer. And so I declined to stay, and the hotel refused to refund what I had prepaid online for the accommodation. In fact, only a few rooms actually have a city view. Most of the rooms are located off the noisy second and third floor corridors, with no city view, and no fresh air, and are hot, and insecure. The 32 inch LED TVs tend to be cheap old models, often the remote controls do not work. The cable TV system was not functioning, and another hotel guest told me that the cable TV had not been functioning for several days. The hotel amenities offered on expedia.ca are not in fact provided by the hotel. So I urge expedia customers to not reserve this hotel. Regards, Webster, Ontario, Canada.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

2/10 Terrible

giovanna

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Cockroach party. Literally felt like I had to beg for room service, towels, toilet paper, garbage changes etc. we literally got in trouble for TALKING the room at late hours. The walls are extremely paper thin. And there is a “window” that faces towards the hallway in the bathroom so all noise carries throughout the building. There is no AC. The worst part of it all was I felt like I was being scammed because when my guest would come visit, one of the staff would charge 5,000 colones and some wouldn’t. So I wasn’t sure if the money was getting pocketed. The hotel is very close to San Jose central market and all the hot spots. But it is located on a weird one way corner that a lot of Ubers have difficulty picking up from therefore they would cancel a lot and no near by taxis :(.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Roberto

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

2/10 Terrible

Allen

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Be Warned: avoid this hotel, the room amenities presented by expedia.ca, are misleading, and are often not provided by the hotel. The hotel will not provide any customer service to resolve the issues, and they will not refund you. Expedia.ca needs to revise their listing info because the room info they are presenting is misleading. I know since the past two years, I have booked several stays on expedia.ca at hotel Descanso. My most recent reservation for Jan 21, for a single room, the online room info clearly displays: one twin bed, private bath, city view, ceiling, fan, free Wi-Fi, 32 inch LED TV, and cable channels. These amenities were not provided, which is misleading and unacceptable. Worse, the hotel management made no effort to resolve matters, despite being a repeat customer. And so I declined to stay, and the hotel refused to refund what I had prepaid online for the accommodation. In fact, only a few rooms actually have a city view. Most of the rooms are located off the noisy second and third floor corridors, with no city view, and no fresh air, and are hot, and insecure. The 32 inch LED TVs tend to be cheap old models, often the remote controls do not work. The cable TV system was not functioning, and another hotel guest told me that the cable TV had not been functioning for several days. The hotel amenities offered on expedia.ca are not in fact provided by the hotel. So I urge expedia customers to not reserve this hotel. Regards, Webster, Ontario, Canada.
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2024

2/10 Terrible

Allen

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Be Warned: avoid this hotel, the room amenities presented by expedia.ca, are misleading, and are often not provided by the hotel. The hotel will not provide any customer service to resolve the issues, and they will not refund you. Expedia.ca needs to revise their listing info because the room info they are presenting is misleading. I know since the past two years, I have booked several stays on expedia.ca at hotel Descanso. My most recent reservation for Jan 21, for a single room, the online room info clearly displays: one twin bed, private bath, city view, ceiling, fan, free Wi-Fi, 32 inch LED TV, and cable channels. These amenities were not provided, which is misleading and unacceptable. Worse, the hotel management made no effort to resolve matters, despite being a repeat customer. And so I declined to stay, and the hotel refused to refund what I had prepaid online for the accommodation. In fact, only a few rooms actually have a city view. Most of the rooms are located off the noisy second and third floor corridors, with no city view, and no fresh air, and are hot, and insecure. The 32 inch LED TVs tend to be cheap old models, often the remote controls do not work. The cable TV system was not functioning, and another hotel guest told me that the cable TV had not been functioning for several days. The hotel amenities offered on expedia.ca are not in fact provided by the hotel. So I urge expedia customers to not reserve this hotel. Regards, Webster, Ontario, Canada.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jae Jun

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

2/10 Terrible

wayne harrison

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
He promised first floor and hot water for $51. I gave $60 cash to hold. When i checked in the room was upstairs. The room down stairs was$71. He said the money was gone so I couldn't have it back. Ater saying I would call the police he said OK for the $60. But no hot water.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024

2/10 Terrible

JUANA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2024