This is more like a 2 star hotel. Quite outdated. The pictures were probably taken several years ago. I would not recommend coming with young kids

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It was an amazing hotel love it

Not the best place to stay. I think they put me in the basement. There were no windows, the AC worked sometimes- I never knew when it would turn on. Very noisy. The hair dryer is from the 1980s and it was melting when I turned it on high!! So I didn’t get to use that. The bed was okay. They advertise 2 restaurant and a bar and coffee all day. Nope. I didn’t have a coffee maker in my room, the only way to get coffee if if I go to the restaurant. So I was very grumpy. There was supposed to be a little “cafe” to get snacks and drink but it was closed and so was the restaurant and bar. I did not feel safe walking around downtown as a female solo traveler. Just don’t go out at night and don’t wear anything flashy. The only thing good I can say is the front desk and staff were very nice and friendly.

Fine for the night after getting in late to San Jose. Our key kept on not working. Front desk was held up and took 30 minutes to check in AND check out and had to wait about as long to get them to come up and fix our door.

I have been staying at this hotel for many years it’s a great hotel but they need to get back the way it was before.breakfast was not good the way it was they had a breakfast buffet back in the days they give you four choices to pick from which is not good also the a/c was not working good not as cold.but all said the location and shops restaurants is great I will stay there again but the management needs to work on the little things.

Front desk service was rude to my father multiple times. Zero respect shown to this customer. Even tried to buy a cole zero at the front desk and was unable to. Watch the camera video as we waited over ten minutes and were never sold the beverage we requested. Also told there was no parking for our 2025 land cruiser. The garage help desk men were nice but the front reception men were the worst we have ever experienced. Will not return to be treated so poorly

Safe hotel. Congenial staff. Service in restaurant was uneven during breakfast. But fine for dinner.

Close to stores, museums, transportation

Nothing more

Great location. One key per room is unacceptable. The lobby staff needs to be more tourist oriented. No real guidance offered.

Adequate 1 night stay.

Perfectly fine for a one night stay but slightly disappointjng after reading other reviews. Definitely not a 4 star hotel , but not charging 4 star rates so given how expensive Costa Rica is, its quite reasonably priced. Staff were friendly enough and the room clean, though I got a disabled room for some reason , with the only window facing the atrium which was a little noisy late on and early in the morning. The wifi also dropped out frequently. The restaurant has a great street front location but few , not tasty, vegetarian options, and breakfast is ordered from a menu with a strict one of 4 options only ( including vegetarian) Entry to the hotel late at night is through the garage by ringing a bell which I found a little odd.

Great location. Excellent staff. Delicious breakfast on site. Only downside, was that the room safe was not working.

Smell of urine in the rooms. Beds are too small. Bathroom is so tiny and tight

The surrounding, near to most museum and staff very friendly.

Great stuff

Very good

Great location, great service

It met all my needs

The hotel was great. The staff especially graveyard valet and a morning valet Saturday was very nice. Whenever we needed something we got it right away. Are room was put together and clean everyday we came back to it. Free breakfast was good and the view was great. The experience will be missed and i wish i was there now. Thanks for everything

Very comfortable property, giant rooms, great water pressure, very quiet interior rooms. The property is under some renovations on the first floor. They have a beautiful bar on the lobby floor but it’s closed. My tv had a broken speaker but other than that I loved my stay at the Balmoral.

I booked the Balmoral because it was in the historic district downtown, so I knew we'd be in the center of the city. I wanted to see the old section and we found the Museum of Costa Rica, which is housed in an old fort, right downtown. There was an restaurant sort of attached to the hotel which was very convenient and perfect for a nice dinner. Our room was very spacious, the bathroom had been remodeled and the was was hot - a must for us! The only thing missing was a washcloth, but I had packed one so we were good. the staff was very helpful, friendly and accommodating. Overall a great experience.

The Baltimore is a wonderful place to stay. It has modern conveniences with local flare. It is central located and has a great restaurant. Thw staff is AMAZING .

I love the location and architecture of the hotel. Staff wass amazing and bilingual, which helped as I speak "un poquito Español"

This is a great location, walkable to everything to see in San Jose such as museums, central market, shops, and restaurants.

Una de las Mejores Carbonaras que he comido en mi vida en El Rest. El Patio!

Our stay was wonderful, nice and quiet place to stay, well kept up with throughout the hotel, food was delicious, staff was so nice and helpful. Definitely coming back

Great staff and great central place to stay!

Just fine, kind of a little bit hard to park anyway

Quite place to stay in dowtown San José

Parking and delicious breakfast included. Staff was kind and helpful. The parking attendants were easily available. The cleaning staff took good care of the room. The restaurant staff was attentive. The location was central to all the hot spots. Perfect location. I would recommend to friends and family.

Not back to before COVID but still a nice and clean hotel. Staff is great, restaurant has good food. I missed the coffee makers in the room.

Easy parking, convenient, safe and walkable areas. Instead of having a refrigerator, you should upgrade to a bigger television. There were issues with your shower head, water was leaking outside of the shower. Need to have an Iron in the room.

Their water pump was not working so we did not have any water to wash or shower. The receptionist said the hotel would refund our stay through expedia , but I have not received any response from the hotel or expedia yet!

Hotel past its prime...

We stayed for 2 nights and did not have water for the majority of the time. The hotel wouldn't move our room and would not give us a refund. The phones were also messed up as were got calls in the middle of the night and tons of messages from the reception/laundry etc that were not for us. What was most disappointing was seeing how the staff at the front desk talked to their cleaning staff. The description and pictures of the hotel are out-of-date, since many of the shops and cafes are no longer in operation. The only good things I can say is that the valet workers were super helpful and the restaurant (including the service) was great.

The property was clean although the room smelled old and affected my breathing. The customer service was below standard. No one communicated about the water shortage for two consecutive frays before I had to find another hotel to stay.

No

We got a doulble room and the shower did not work in one of the rooms. There was no water pressure. At checkouts they told us that a set of sheets were stained and needed to be replaced. We acknowledged the stain and they told us that the cost to replace the sheets would be $395.00

Cada vez que quiero pasar un fin de semana en el centro de San José , el hotel balmoral es mi primera opción a escoger, la locación es conveniente, cerca del barrio chino, y además las habitaciones son silenciosas a pesar de la centricidad del hotel.

The first thing I noticed while checking in was a warning about not going out at night. I guess like any big city, there can be danger. The hotel itself is fine and feels very safe. The front desk staff was adequate, but not overly friendly. The bar was never open during our three night weekend stay. Most of the services/stores in the lobby are apparently permanently closed. The staff in the restaurant were VERY friendly and efficient. The breakfast is limited (4 choices) and not special, but tasty and included with the room. Everything works and the beds are fine and clean, but everything feels like maybe it was repaired inexpensively.

Disappointing stay

This was probably once a wonderful hotel that may have lost its luster over the past few years. Firstly, our mistake to travel here during high commute hours as it is located what appears to be the hustling and bustling city center of San Jose and the streets are one-way so we were stuck in traffic. The parking garage is locked with valet parking which felt safe. The room was at a basic cleanliness but felt old and had the musty smell. The attached hotel shops were permanently closed. We left the hotel at night for a drive and upon returning, the streets had a escorts wandering on the corners. I would not recommend this place for families with children.

Smelly room

Very outdated hotel, bad smell in the room, maybe mold/fungus. Not very nice to have rasas maintenance outside of the window , a man kicking the window with his shoes. Safe didn’t work do to low battery which I asked to be changed, never happens. Super bad service at the brekfast.

Staff was very friendly but the property, especially the rooms are very dated. The hotel was basically empty and we were assigned a room that felt very far away, muggy and the shower needed quite a while to produce any hot water. The sheets were clean but the bathroom was not up to our standards. Location wise this property is pretty good though to see downtown (which can get a little rough at night).

If you are going to the theatre district this is place for reasonable rates. Parking is a breeze, the front desk is very helpful, rooms are clean, AC is great, beds are in good condition. Breakfast is in an area opening onto walking street which is open with a nice breeze, omelet is incredible!

The photos here do not match the actual property. Please view other photos online or google maps street view before booking. The staff was very helpful and the location is very convenient.

Staff friendly but food for breakfast could be better

El hotel excelente. Cerca de los .useos todo bien la Señorita Aslhey muy atenta nos ayudo en lo que necesite

The hotel is in the heart for the city, in walking distance of the central market. This is an old hotel, so don’t expect too much. The restaurant is just below and is conveniently located. The food is nothing to write home about. It’s like Taco Bell’s quality and a premium price. I had better food at a soda.

Very friendly staff.

We liked the in-house restaurant which was very good! The staff in general was excellent. We liked that we got a breakfast bag when we left for the airport at 4 AM . The hotel also helped us find a good cab driver to the airport. The only negative thing was the area surrounding the hotel. It was not very safe, especially when it got dark

Los muchachos en el hotel son amable y hablan ingles y espanol. No demoran pa hacer mi Check-In, y eso me gusta, porque no quiero esperar en una fila larga. El desayuno fue rico. Lo que no entiendo es por que no hay una Caja Fuerte en la habitacion??

Jose is the best

You’re right downtown within walking distance to everything. The rooms are quite dated. The hotel entrances are either through the garage or the restaurant

Enjoyed the stay. Staff were very helpful and accommodating. Ground floor restaurant was excellent. We would stay there again.

Very accessible to the downtown sites. Good restaurant.

The bar area was closed the complete trip. Only one elevation stopped on the lobby floor so you had to walk up a floor to get to the front desk. There was no face towels. Staff was great and breakfast was good. Parking attendants was great also. Most of the stores in the hotel were vacant. Otherwise the stay was okay.

This hotel is exceptionally located (walking distance from museum, theatre, market and lot of shops and restaurants). The restaurant (and the breakfast) is very nice. It was a little hard to find the entrance, and the exterior makes no justice to the interior, which is very clean and comfortable. I will use this hotel for my future visits to San José.

Great location

A great location very close to the museums and spots to see in historic San Jose. We walked just about everywhere and felt very safe. Breakfast was wonderful and relaxed. My only complaint is that we had to ask for extra towels every day because they only left us two and there were four of us in the room.

The location was the best thing about this hotel. The hotel and rooms are in serious need of an upgrade. Bed sheets had an odor as if it was not changed from previous stay and ants were all over the place. So glad we were only there for 1 night!

The hotel is centrally located and near walking distance to all major places in San Jose. The staff is wonderful and the breakfast is very good.

Nice Tourist Hotel in Good Central Location

It was odd that the buttons on the elevator were very difficult to press. Why is that? Otherwise, it was the nicest hotel we stayed at in Costa Rica, very well located in San Jose. The restaurant was OK but not great; it was a little better than the restaurants in the surrounding area which were all rather low quality fast food or street food, but if you want truly good quality food such as tourists are accustomed to, you really need to search out a different neighborhood of San Jose, outside of the commercial district.

Located in the center of the city made all the landmarks accessible. Food, sightseeing, shopping all at walking distance. Hotel was clean and the rooms were spacious. Having a restaurant within the hotel was a plus. Complementary breakfast was good. Beds were not comfortable, mattresses should be updated. Overall, great experience. Would stay there again.

Balmoral

Hotel Staff were very professional, however, Hotel needs updating and renovation. There was no functional window with a view outside. Air conditioning unit (on second stay at hotel) did not function correctly. Breakfast was not hot and bland. Felt uncomfortable in entire area historical district. Too many street beggars etc.

Good hotel, slightly tired rooms and decor Staff good and restaurant good and good location to explore the city

Very friendly and helpful. Good breakfast/restaurant available.

The room aircon was very noisy. Very bare minimal toiletries. The staff from reception to cafe service staff are very pleasant and friendly, service is good and cheerful.

No view of anything, not even the street. Elevator didn’t go to the lobby. Needs refreshing- old.

Has nothing to do with pictures on the website. No proper entrance, outdated hallways and rooms, windows in the room facing some metal rods. TV does not work.

Don’t like to property nor the staff

Very easy check in. Rooms were clean and staff were so nice! Dinner at hotel was delicious.

The hotel location is good, right in the central, and thats about it. The building is quite run down. The standard room is very average and no window and no bathtub. So be careful not to book a standard room is you want window and bathtub. The safe in my room does not work and /I told the staff but no change after 4 days. The building used to have an ATM and a bar, both are gone. The area is fine and you can find ATM few blocks away. The restaurant close at 9pm. So have your dinner early and almost everything close at 10pm, if your flight is late, nothing to buy nor eat in the area. Be prepared. Also, even though breakfast is included, but its not buffet. There are only 4 choices: traditional casado, omlette, pancake and yogurt with fruit. It also includes 1 drink only, choice of coeffe or orange juice. If you want both or something else, you need to pay out of pocket. Overall, standard room won't look like the pictures, I am disappointed. Breakfast is a huge let down. The surrounding area is walkable to many attractions but you almost have to Uber/Taxi to everywhere else.

Mmm mediocre. Desordenado. Incómodo. La entrada del hotel llena de vehículos dentro, eso da mal aspecto e incomodidad, al llegar tuvimos que pasar por entre medio de muchos vehículos con maletas y todo. Sin restaurante y nada habilitado para comer. Solo en la mañana el desayuno y este muy pobre. La zona alrededor es fea y sucia. Uff puedo seguir escribiendo. Nunca más. Precio elevado para algo así.

The Balmoral is on Central Ave. which is a pedestrian walk way. If you take the free walking tour that you can find on line it will help you get a lay of the land. You can then explore the historical sites and public market with ease. We felt very safe during the day. Down at the plaza by the clock, we sat and ate our icecream cones and watched the water fountain and activity. The hotel staff were wonderfully helpful. The room was spotless and there were seating areas that were nice. There were closed shops in the building probably due to the pandemic. This place is a 5 for people looking for history. If you are looking for a pool and massage you should stay somewhre else

I had to cancel my trip because I was diagnosed with influenza. I was unable to stay at Balmoral because of illness.

Great service here!

I would have given much higher scores except for 2 things. First the front desk person Eddy was very rude. I had to wait 4 hours for my room. And was offered compensation for the wait then Eddy did not honor that. He was rude the rest of the time. I want you to know that the rest of the staff were very pleasant. Secondly, half the amenities listed we’re not available. They were closed. Should be adjusted in the description of the property.

Do not stay here. This property is old and unkept. Front desk staff is unresponsive and difficult to deal with. I asked more than 5 times for a hair dryer and was told my class of accommodation did not include a hairdryer. That is ridiculous as on their website there is no class of room that does not include a hairdryer. It was so bad we left early.

It was a nicer hotel in the area. Staff was exceptional. Food was very good as well.

Staff is rude and dismissive. Very displeased

I stayed there for business. The chair was so low and the desk so high. I got neck and back pain every day. The hotel did not change the chair after several complaints. There is few staff in the restaurant and I had to wait one hour to be served. I would suggest to offer buffet at breakfast.

Old hotel, our room and bed smelled strong vinegar, AC not working well. No towels. I would not recommend.

Mixed feelings. Overall it was a good stay. There was a mix up with transportation from the airport. I had followed directions and arranged with Balmoral 2 days in advance. Now, a month later I’m having to call and ask them to refund the $100 credit card charge for incidentals. They should have done that the day we left. IDK. I might would stay there again. The restaurant on the first floor was terrific! I highly recommend them.

Great Location & Good Breakfast

The Balmoral Hotel was clean and the staff were friendly and accommodating. They helped arrange our pickup from the airport. Our room had an issue with the lock pad, so we had to switch rooms and they upgraded us. The overall hotel room was basic and not updated. The beds were not comfortable. The breakfast was delicious. It was a great location in central downtown San Jose.

Good for what we needed

My family and I (2 adults, 3 kids) stayed at Balmoral recently. The hotel itself was good. Clean, friendly staff, rooms were comfortable enough, AC was great. The cons: The parking garage is difficult but the staff definitely does their best to be quick and efficient getting your vehicle out for you. -Food service is SLOW. Although, I believe that might just be a Costa Rica thing? We found that to be the case anywhere we ate. But seriously, make sure you have no less than an hour for any meal you eat there and that might be a generous time estimate. Overall, this place was what we needed for two nights upon arrival and departure into and out of CR. MAKE SURE you give yourself lots of extra time to get to the airport. Even though on paper Balmoral isn't far from SJO, traffic is always a nightmare.

The staff couldn’t have been more helpful.

Classic hotel in the rough

A classic hotel in need of renovation. Staff was friendly and helpful .

Great place to stay

It was amazing place to stay at

They have to start from beginning Beds are from 90s you can listen everything from restaurant and next room stuff was doing job if yo ask

The inclusion of the El Patio restaurant was a good plus. I had been there 3 yrs ago to the restaurant but didn't know of the hotel The secure electronic key cards were a good feature.

A great option in the downtown historic district. Walkable to most sights as well as shopping and dining options. It’s in downtown San Jose so would recommend not being out passed 8pm. Staff at hotel were friendly and helpful. Room was clean and spacious. Breakfast was included and very tasty.

Downtown San Jose right on the walking mall a straight walk to the museums and theatres I was not there long but enjoyed my short time in the area

Over all my stay was so-so, the hotel is way dated, very small rooms and dated items in it. The bed was made when I arrived but had hair on it and some bugs. The lamp was broken and even though I reported the issue, and was promised they will take care of it, it was never fixed. The cleaning stuff came into the room while I was away even though the door was marked as DONOT Enter. The door lock kept locking from the inside every time I left the room and had to ask for help. The breakfast was great but limited options. The only positive thing about the hotel were the workers, they were very polite and over all at least seems to care for mine and other concerns. Would I recommend this place? For the money they charged, definitely not. This facility should never charged more than $50 per night on the condition the building and rooms are. Costa Rica is an amazing place, so if you happen to come to San Jose, better off pay a little more and stay in place you’ll get your money’s worth.

Very impressive, comfortable stay with friendly staff & as good a location as imaginable. Good breakfast too!

Staff was very helpful and friendly. Great job to them.

Very dirty property Staff is very Rudd Had bed bugs in our beds which don’t want to take care When I told them I will put this in my review The front desk person name Pablo said he don’t care Very bad service for breakfast

Nothing was right Had bed bugs mascito Staff was very rude specially front desk person name Pablo

Ok stay, location was sketchy at nighttime

Room was clean and the staff were friendly and helpful. Area of town was a bit sketchy at night but overall good price for what we got.

We only stayed for 1 night and that was the perfect amount of time. The location was great and the accommodations were fine. Transparently, I wouldn't have wanted to stay for much longer - electricity in the hotel was funky, bathroom felt pretty dingy... we had a "patio" type area but the windows didn't close all the way so we didn't use it in order to use the A/C. But highly walkable around San Jose and the breakfast was great!

We enjoyed our stay at Hotel Balmoral. It was a great place to wind down our time in Costa Rica before heading home. It was right by a pedestrian shopping/eating sector. We would stay here again if we are in the area.

The hotel was amazing, we checked in and had a leak problem in the bathroom, they did not hesitate to come up and check it out, and when they saw the problem they immediately upgraded us to a room without any fuss. the rooms were clean and properly maintained. the space was gorgeous. The food was not the best, but it was okay.

Good location… free parking. Pleasant staff. Some rooms a bit worn