San Jose, Costa RicaCatedral
Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton
Restored 1930 landmark
Catedral San Jose, Costa Rica
Renovated
2018
Price
$$
Rated for
Heritage Classic LocalOutside the door
The house
HiltonRestored 1930 landmark
Costa Rica's first luxury hotel channels its 1930s glamour on the fifth floor, where live piano music plays over the plazas.
What it’s good at
Notable
A 1930 national architectural monument where President John F. Kennedy stayed in 1963.
Listed
San Jose's original 1930 grand hotel facing the Teatro Nacional across Avenida Central.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
The front doors open onto pedestrian Avenida Central, facing the neoclassical Teatro Nacional across Plaza de la Cultura.
The rooms
Rooms adopt a Scandinavian look, with pale blond wood and tufted headboards set in quiet gray tones.
Restaurant
Cultura 5
Floor-to-ceiling windows look across downtown San José. Patterned tile floors lead between morning buffet tables and the cocktail bar.
How it began
Businessman Luis Paulino Jiménez Ortiz founded the hotel in 1930 to host foreign diplomats and Costa Rica's coffee elite.
San Jose
More like this
Hotel Presidente
“Industrial-chic downtown hotel”
The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.