Budget Hotels & Hostels
Apartments
Guesthouses and B&Bs
Florblanca
Truly in a class of its own, these 11 romantic villas are scattered around three hectares of land next to a pristine white-sand beach...
Celeste Mountain Lodge
One of the most innovative and sustainable hotels we’ve ever seen, Celeste Mountain Lodge is proof that one can be ecofriendly without giving up comfort or style...
Hotel Grano De Oro
Hotel Grano de Oro is a favorite of honeymooners and it’s not difficult to see why...
Maquenque Eco Lodge
Opened in 2009, this lodge is located on 60 hectares with easy access to the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Maquenque...
Mundo Milo Eco Lodge
Dutch owned and easily the most creative nest, choose from a fan-cooled African-style bungalow with a soaring sky-lit, bamboo ceiling, zebra and giraffe patterned accents, a full kitchen and private patio; or one of their more conventional, but stil...
Rana Roja Lodge & Cabina
This Tico-run spot offers one of the best-value options in the area. Small, earth-colored cabins – all with private terraces and rockers – are connected by elevated walkways...
Hostel Pangea
This industrial-strength, Tico-owned hostel – 25 dorms and 25 private rooms – has been a popular 20-something backpacker hangout for years...
Hostel Toruma
This graceful neoclassical home once belonged to José Figueres, the Costa Rican president who abolished the army and granted women the right to vote...
Alajuela Backpackers
This four-story inn is more hotel than hostel, with private rooms and dorms surrounding a plant-draped atrium...
Maleku Hostel
This sweet little backpackers’ abode has spic-and-span rooms tucked into a vintage home on a quiet street, 50m west of Hospital San Rafael. There are also three private rooms, with shared bathrooms, a communal kitchen, a TV lounge and free internet...
Hostel Vista Serena
In an area that is hopelessly overpriced, it’s a relief to find such a great budget hostel...
El Punto
This converted elementary school is now a chic loft hotel, and would definitely feel more at home in trendy Miami than in humble Guanacaste. The saturated tropical colors of the lofts manage to be understated and minimalist...
Hotel Punta Islita
This luxury resort serves as an example of how to ethically operate a hotel. In addition to organizing community arts projects, they sponsored the construction of various public buildings, including a new church...
Selva Verde Lodge
In Chilamate, about 7km west of Puerto Viejo, this former finca is now an elegant lodge that protects over 200 hectares of rainforest...
Hotel Casa Roland Marina Resort
A brand-new construction in the Zona Americana, the Casa Roland is now Golfito’s most swish hotel, and primarily caters to duty-free shoppers looking for an amenity-laden base...
Inter Continental Real Costa Rica
A top-end option. An outpost of this esteemed luxury chain located across the street from the Multiplaza mall.
Rip Jack Inn
This comfy, convivial inn has a handful of clean, modern, artfully painted rooms, lovely floor lamps, and doublewide macramé hammocks on the front porch...
Hotel Don Carlos
Built around an early 20th-century house that once belonged to President Tomás Guardia, this lovely Barrio Amón inn exudes a slightly campy colonial-era vibe...
Tilajari Hotel Resort & Conference Center
This former country club turned luxury resort has well-landscaped grounds overlooking the Río San Carlos, and offers an impressive number of tours and activities...
Hotel El Silencio Del Campo
This lovely resort 4km west of town has cabins that are luxurious without being showy, and have attractive tiling, plush bedding and soft lighting. Unfortunately, a hideously ugly and huge hotel has rudely put up its walls right next to the property...
Atlantida Lodge
Attractive grounds in central Playa Negra.
Hotel Poseidon
It’s hard to miss the huge Grecian wood carvings that adorn the exterior of this small European-run hotel...