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Hotel overview

Situated in vibrant San José, the capital of Costa Rica, and in the quiet residential area of Uruca, sits the Barceló San José. This recently renovated hotel offers 254 spacious and comfortable rooms, three restaurants, a bar with live music, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness area, wonderful views of the city and mountains, and more. For those seeking a more elevated experience, our Premium Level accommodations offer private check-in, our best rooms with the best views, priority restaurant reservations, personalized concierge service, and more. This hotel serves as a convenient base for exploring San José including La Sabana Metropolitan Park or national museum of Costa Rica, or venturing further to the country’s sandy beaches and lush tropical rainforests. Business travelers can take advantage of up to 17 fully equipped meeting rooms and a convention center with a 1,100 person capacity. Live up to more at Barceló San José.

Location

San Jose
Liberia, Costa Rica - Liberia (LIR)
San Jose, Costa Rica - Juan Santamaria Internation : 15 miles

Property information

Year Built: 1990
All rooms non-smoking: 254
Floors: 8
Total rooms: 254

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Hotel details

Dining

Dining options are available for this property.
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Amenities

Multiple amenities are available at this hotel.
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Activities

This property offers numerous activities.
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Hotel advisories

Advisory *Important Information for Our Guest* As of April 2012, the destination of Costa Rica has gone non-smoking in all public buildings and areas. All hotel rooms are also non-smoking.
Advisory *Important Note* Costa Rica will impose some restrictions for Holy Week. Alcohol is not permitted to be sold or consumed. This ban on alcohol starts the Thursday prior to Easter and runs through Easter Sunday. A few hotels purchase special permits to serve alcohol, but generally it is not available. In addition, most restaurants, shops, and bars will be closed for the same time period. Restaurants in the hotels will be operating. The City Tour will not be operating.

General policies & fine print

Check In: 2:00 PM
Check Out: 12:00 PM
Minimum Check-In Age: 18
General Policies:

Check-in Policy - Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.

Convention Policy - 
Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.

Hotel Spring Break Policy - This hotel cannot guarantee a Spring Break-free environment.

General Information - Room taxes are included in vacation price. Minimum night stay restrictions may apply. Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.

Service Charges - Maid: per room, per night, payable directly to the hotel.
Bellman: per person, per stay, payable directly to the hotel.

Pet Policy Pets Not Allowed

Ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_4.0 2982 reviews
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 2.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Let down by reception staff

    Unfortunately the lack of knowledge by the front desk staff member who dealt with me was disappointing. Their method of resolution was a let down, I had to spend time trying to solve the issue myself.

    Dec 24, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 1.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Beware this hotel will lie to you.

    I was arriving late to the hotel and leaving early the next day to start a tour, so I emailed the hotel saying I would be arriving late and could I pre order a packed breakfast. I got an email back saying I could order when I arrived. Then when I arrived at 22.00 they said it was too late to order the packed breakfast and of course I left the hotel hungry. At the end of the tour we stayed another night at the hotel and I asked to speak to the manager. I was told they had gone home but would contact me in the morning before I left. Needless to say they did not contact me. One other thing about this hotel is the left hand rear rooms face the main road and all night you will hear loud lorries accelerating on the upramp. Avoid these rooms.

    Dec 22, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 4.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Stop off in San Jose

    We used this as a place to stay the day after arriving and the day before arriving/departing from the airport. It is a convenient distance - less than 30.mins by car. The rooms were very clean and spacious and extremely comfortable, with a good bathroom with bath and robes and a nice little "living room area" and desk. There was a bit of traffic noise during one night when we were on one side of the hotel but none when we stayed on the other side - it wasn't particularly loud so unless you are a very light sleeper I don't think it would affect you. Breakfast was great; dinner was well priced but food a little underwhelming (however reasonable vegetarian options which can be harder to find). Well sized pool and nice area around it with hammocks, loungers and a cafe/bar. The grounds were well landscaped and it looked like it had a tennis court although we didn't use it. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Would recommend

    Dec 07, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 2.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Bathrooms aren’t the cleanest

    As the title says, the bathroom was not clean when I arrived and my complaint wasn’t well received. I was asked what I wanted to do instead of hotel staff offering a solution. I requested a new room and was stared at blankly until I caved and said “Or can housekeeping at least come.” Then I waited for housekeeping for about 15 minutes with no one coming and had to go back to the desk to ask if I could then get a new room and it was exasperating. Not a fan. As other reviews said the highlight was probably the breakfast, but it didn’t even come close to making up for anything. Also they should offer express checkout.

    Dec 03, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Quiet comfortable hotel stay in San Jose, Costa Rica

    Barcelo Jose hotel is a very nice hotel for a stay in San Jose, Costa Rico. I stayed there 2 nights. They offer a free hotel shuttle from the airport. There is a set schedule, but the shuttle was 15 minutes late. And the directions for hotel shuttle pick up was a bit unclear. The directions didn't match my experience. Checking in was quick and easy. My room was very large with a nice comfortable bed. It was also very quiet, even though the hotel in near a busy highway. I didn't hear any traffic noise. I also liked the quiet AC system. It allows for comfortable temperature control without a noisy fan that blows cold air directly at the bed. The highlight of the hotel has to be their beautiful public areas inside the hotel, and beautifully landscaped grounds with beautiful plants, flowers and trees. Their pool area is very nice as well. Their buffet breakfast could use some improvement. As it was the same thing every day. However, I loved sitting out on the covered patio surrounded by beautiful plants and fresh air as I had breakfast. They also have two ATMs in the hotel lobby. One will allow you to withdraw USD and CRC. It was a bit confusing at first for a non-Spanish speaking person, but he Concierge at the hotel helped me out.

    Nov 20, 2024