Hotel Presidente

Top choice in San José


This formerly drab hotel is now a glorious boutique stay, right on Avenida Central. The lobby offers tons of inlaid brick and antique adornments, and a red spiral staircase leads to a rooftop garden and hip new cocktail bar. The central location remains ideal, as do the 71 well-appointed rooms, the best of which feature Jacuzzis and stunning city views.

The hotel's rooftop cocktail bar is the talk of San José, with incredible city views and an exquisite garden.The vibrant mural adorning the building's facade makes it a landmark for blocks around.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San José attractions

2. Plaza de la Cultura

0.09 MILES

This architecturally unremarkable concrete plaza in the heart of downtown is usually packed with locals slurping ice-cream cones and admiring the wide…

3. Teatro Nacional

0.1 MILES

On the southern side of the Plaza de la Cultura resides the Teatro Nacional, San José’s most revered building. Constructed in 1897, it features a columned…

4. Templo de Música

0.14 MILES

Since the 1920s, this large metallic dome perched atop columns in Parque Morazán has sheltered concerts, dance parties and political rallies.

5. Parque Morazán

0.14 MILES

Parque Morazán is named for Francisco Morazán, the 19th-century general who attempted to unite the Central American nations under a single flag (for his…

7. Edificio Metálico

0.19 MILES

One of downtown San José's most striking buildings, this century-old two-story metal edifice on Parque España's western edge was prefabricated in Belgium,…

8. Parque España

0.2 MILES

Surrounded by heavy traffic, Parque España may be small, but it becomes a riot of birdsong every day at sunset when the local avian population comes in to…