Hotel Colonial
A courtyard pool four minutes from the Jade Museum
About this stay
Behind a plain street front, the courtyard opens onto an outdoor pool with walls high enough to keep the traffic out and the afternoon light in, which is a rare thing four minutes from the Museo del Jade. The rooms and suites are old-school in the literal sense, refined rather than renovated, with cable TV and air conditioning, and the restaurant handles breakfast and evening meals. La Esquina de Buenos Aires is a minute away for anything else. This is one of the lower-priced properties in the family group and the only one at that level with a pool of its own. Parking is available, free Wi-Fi runs throughout, an airport shuttle is listed and the whole property is smoke-free. Kid-friendly facilities are confirmed.
- Outdoor pool in a courtyard
- Restaurant and breakfast on site
- Air conditioning and cable TV
- Airport shuttle, smoke-free property
Our take
Hotel Colonial is a classic central San José address with old-school rooms and suites, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and parking. Its strength is location, four minutes on foot from the Museo del Jade, with an airport shuttle for easy arrivals. I recommend it to families and museum-goers; anyone expecting contemporary interiors should look elsewhere.
- ✓Book a suite rather than a standard room, the extra space is worth the small difference in a building this old.
- ✓Use the pool in the middle of the day, the courtyard walls hold the light long after the streets have gone into shade.
- ✓Eat once at La Esquina de Buenos Aires a minute away, it is the reason locals walk this block in the evening.
Why we love it
- A walled outdoor pool in the city centre
- Four minutes on foot to the Museo del Jade
- Breakfast and airport shuttle included
- Lower nightly rate than the four-star hotels
Why guests love itHotel Colonial gives families something rare in central San José: an outdoor pool behind its facade, four minutes on foot from the Museo del Jade. After a morning of museums, children can swim while parents rest, and the on-site restaurant saves a search for dinner. Kid-friendly rooms, air conditioning and a smoke-free policy are listed, and the airport shuttle simplifies arrival day. Rooms are old-school, so I would book it for the location and pool rather than the decor.