Hotel Presidente - San Jose, Costa Rica
A roof terrace above the Gold Museum quarter
About this stay
The roof terrace is the reason to book this one: it puts you above the noise of the museum quarter with the Central Valley ridges closing the view on every side, and it is the only outdoor space the building has. Three minutes below, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum sits under Plaza de la Cultura, and Restaurante El Patio Del Balmoral is a minute away when the in-house restaurant and bar are full. Rooms are unfussy rather than designed, with air conditioning, room service and free Wi-Fi throughout. Free parking is included, which matters on these narrow one-way streets. The listing covers accessible rooms, a business centre, full-service laundry and an airport shuttle, and pets are welcome. Breakfast is available on site at an additional charge.
- Roof terrace with valley views
- Restaurant and bar on site
- Airport shuttle and business centre
- Free parking and free Wi-Fi
Our take
I would choose Hotel Presidente for the terrace and the position. The roof terrace looks over the museum quarter, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is three minutes on foot, and the restaurant and bar sit below the rooms. Free parking, free Wi-Fi, room service and an airport shuttle make arrival easy, and the airport is thirty-four minutes by taxi. The rooms are unfussy, so travellers who want charm in the room itself should look at older barrio houses instead.
- ✓Take breakfast or a drink on the roof terrace, it is the only outdoor space here and the ridge views are best in the morning.
- ✓Book the airport shuttle rather than a taxi, the transfer runs thirty-four minutes and the street outside is one-way and awkward.
- ✓Walk three minutes to the Gold Museum first thing, it sits underground beneath the plaza and fills up after ten.
Why we love it
- Roof terrace over the museum quarter
- Three minutes on foot to the Gold Museum
- Free parking on a one-way downtown street
- Pet-friendly rooms with air conditioning
Why guests love itHotel Presidente is a four-star hotel whose roof terrace opens over the museum quarter, three minutes on foot from the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. Rooms are unfussy, above a stylish restaurant and bar, with free Wi-Fi, free parking, air conditioning and room service. Kid-friendly rooms are listed, along with an airport shuttle. I recommend it to families who want a central, walkable base and care more about the terrace than the rooms.