Nice and newly renovated hotel from a historical building conveniently located near all centers of actions. The national theater is right across the street, the central market is just a few minutes walk. All things operated to western standards. Won’t recommend the onsite restaurant though, it was our only fine dinning experience in the city so no comparison to other similar options. The view is amazing but we enjoyed the food from central market way better.

The hotel is located in the city center. The only parking option is valet parking. The hotel is in perfect condition and has excellent service.

Great staff and a delicious breakfast. We only stayed a couple of nights but it’s the perfect place from which to walk around San Jose. Comfy room, really clean and very friendly and helpful staff.

Excellent property. Difficult parking

Clean and conveniently located hotel- at the centre of San Jose which is a plus. Separate toilet and shower. Lots of storage space, clean, and the bed is comfortable. Breakfast was included and the service was good. The caveat: my room was located next to the Christmas decorations which flashed on and off and despite closing the curtains, it was a nuisance throughout the night. The flashing lights were tacky too- not something you’d expect in a Hilton hotel. I’d suggest not having blinking LED lights to prevent distraction to those whose rooms are close to the decor.

Average

Room was smaller than advertised, there was no view out of the window. Some staff were friendly, some were not. The breakfast was adequate but not memorable. Accommodation, breakfast and drinks were over priced - next time I would stay somewhere more interesting and cheaper for probably more.

Checking in was a nightmare & the desk clerk was rude & unhelpful. No privacy in our room’s bathroom, music at the hotel made it impossible to have a conversation, concierge was uninterested in his job, they put our family on 2 different floors despite a empty room next to me and my husband. Overall a horrible experience, we’ll never stay at a Hilton again.

Centrally located. Not much to do in the city

Top Property in San Jose

Very nice up to date property. Great location if desiring downtown accommodations.

Nice and clean. Very quiet. Nice and courteous staff.

Best place to stay in San Jose City Center

This historic hotel has been renovated, keeping the original floor tiles in the restaurant, mezzanine, and entry lobby. The guest bedrooms and bathrooms are large, making the lodging very comfortable. The staff is cheerful, helpful and efficient. Rooms are vacuumed, linens changed, and bathroom floors mopped—every day of your stay. Exceptionally clean. The food is excellent, particularly the dinner menus, highlighting fish, shellfish from Atlantic, pacific and gulf, as well as regional specialties. If you are visiting for business-the key banks and government agencies are in this area. If you are a tourist interested in the museums, theaters and churches, this is an excellent location to lodge.

Room was nice, comfortable bed, excellent staff, good breakfast…

Nice hotel

The food was delicious!

Be prepared to spend $31 every night for parking!

Puzzeled when desk clerk said we would be required to open a charge account before using a credit caed to pay for dinner. He seemed to have an issue with the restaurant staff. We were finally able to pay with cc at the restaurant. Puzzling and annoying after being Hilton Honors member for decades.

Friendly staff, group of 14 people and our dinner was rushed. Food cold in the inside. No washclothes in our rooms upon arrival. Otherwise, i would stay there again.

Great location with lots of shops and restaurants

Great location, couldn’t be any better.

Good location but old buildings Food was terrible

This hotel is superb. The rooms are incredible, (the food could be better) however the REAL problem is that area is a non starter. What’s the point of being in a good hotel if you are uncomfortable with the immediate vicinity in every direction. There were multiple cockroaches as soon as I stepped out onto the street every day. If you have to stay in the heart of San Jose then fine but if not, avoid hotel altogether. Don’t say you weren’t warned

Excellent hotel, room, staff, breakfast, gym. The only downside is the location, which is in the old downtown. Not much to do there, no high-end tourist places, no good restaurants walking distance. Would rather stay in Escazu which is where the action is.

Great stay. Easily accessible to everything

Nice Hotel, nice area to walk around, places to visit a walking distance. Easy to get taxis, nice staff I truly recommend.

The view from our room of the adjacent park/plaza was great. The room was adequate. The waiters in the restaurant were phenomenal (Moises, Diego, Pablo, Marcela, Connor, and others. They made our meals outstanding. On the down side there is a minor complaint: the coffee pods were so dried out that they wouldn’t work in the in-room coffee makers. The maid Isera was very attentive. All went well. We will return.

Nice stay!

Very Clean! Big Rooms!

Hotel was great. Nice restaurant for dinner. Loved the area around it. In the middle of many shops. Literally in front of the Opera Theater. Cons- after dusk the homeless/beggars are around and bother you as you are teyimg to sight see. But this is not a con to the hotel but of the area. So wake up early sight see and go back to room in the evening at least by 8pm.

This hotel is centrally located and we could walk, eat and sight see.

The hotel itself was great. The area around the hotel had a lot of homeless and was dirty.

Beautiful historic hotel in the most central Downtown San Jose location.

Great hotel and nice and friendly personnel.

Breakfast buffet was really good. Rooms where clean and quite . Staff was nice and polite . Walking distance to museums

Everything was excellent

Reception team, Jayson and Francisco were amazing, also the lady that made my breakfast was so friendly and kind. And that's it, I felt uncomfortable or disrespected as I interacted with the other restaurant folks and the folks in the 1st floor, seems like a corporate culture issue. Also, when I asked to see management they told me there is no management on Sudays, ans on Monday morning they were in a meeting so zero interest to listen to my issues.

everything was great

Nice hotel and the staff were great. Had a great time and would go back to the Gran for sure in September. The guy at the front I think his name was Marco was great. Thanks for the nice stay.

Very hospitable

Run Away

You do not want to stay here. The location is abysmal, the food is TERRIBLE, and the valets (there’s no self-parking) are surly. Our shower flooded our bathroom every time we used it.

Very well located. Plenty of shopping around. Very open and convenient.

Good

Very friendly and attentive Costa Rican staff... the 19th Century Prestigious Hotel (facade) has been wonderfully updated to the 21st Century...facilities and room...but the best is the Costa Rican staff...typical of Costa Rica, the most outstanding jewel of Costa RISA is the Costa Rican people, "Pura vida, tuanis."

The hotel is very nice and is in a great location in San Jose. We walked to many attractions downtown. The staff is friendly and helpful. Valet parking is fantastic.

My husband and I stayed here for part of our anniversary trip and this is a great property. It's in a great location, close to everything you would need during your stay. There was a convenience store maybe a 3 minute walk away that we were able to get snacks and water for the room. The staff was great as well. Romy at the front desk and Marvin, who helped with our bags, were both friendly and helpful. I really cannot say enough great things about this hotel. We're already planning our next trip to Costa Rica and when we go back, we're definitely staying at Gran Hotel!

Close to museums and National Theater

Did not like the area.

Not what I had hoped for. The rooms were very clean and new and everything worked, but the area is spotty around it, and the Food was sub par, small portions, and expensive.

The hotel staff.was extremely helpful and friendly. They were always keeping an eye out for us and making sure we did not roam in areas that were not safe.

Great location

View questionable

The hotel was generally nice, clean, modern with a colonial feel. Little disappointed with the view, it over looked a tiled area facing all the other rooms so it generally felt quite dark in our room.

Centrally located

Great location, comfortable and all the “western” comforts and amenities we expect from Hilton. The bellhops- men working at street level were awesome. Front desk staff/girls were pretty clueless. But thanks to the guys downstairs we got everything we needed.

Great atmosphere and staff was amazing!

Staff is outstanding. Had to wait about 10 minutes to check in and the front desk staff comped breakfast for my wife and I. A $50 value. They are all about service...

Good hotel in a good location

Great location. No terrace to relax. Poor view from room. Had to leave 2 days earlyhotel willing to refund but needed expedias OK. Expedia would not respond to multiple requests

Hotel is beautiful and staff are fantastic and friendly. I would recommend. Only negatives are the walls are thin noise can be heard easily from other rooms, also dining there with limited options and expensive.

Best place to stay if you want to explore the downtown. Walking distance to everything.

The staff is so helpful, from the valet to reception. Breakfast has many options including delicious granola. Bed was very comfortable The only thing I’d like changed is to have a real door on the toilet instead of the frosted glass door. Would definitely stay here again when we visit San Jose

Almost Perfect 2 Day (3 night) Stay

Perfect property in central San Jose. Easy to walk everywhere. No car needed. Exceptional breakfast buffet which was included in our stay (to our surprise). The reason for a 4 star instead of 5 is that I reserved a Junior King room which is an upgrade to a regular king as it has an additional separate seating area. This room was on the interior of the building and the windows looked out into a small courtyard with rooms all around. We could look directly into other roomsand at people checking in at the front desk on the 5th floor (we were on the 4th). There was very little light coming in and even so we could not keep blinds open unless we wanted to be exhibitionists. I have never experienced a room like this. I would have preferred a room looking out onto the street. It was midnight and I was too tired to change. Fortunately we stayed out of the room most of the day and evening. It would have been nice to know the location beforehand (there is no mention of this online) and that it did not have an exterior view. Stay away from this type of room and you will have a 5 star experience here.

Front desk staff not as knowledgeable as they should be. Also their english is not as good as it shouldbe

Beautiful hotel right in the city center. Excellent service from check in to check out, including transportation assistance.

Our room had glass mirrors and a glass enclosure for the toilet and shower, so it was a voyeuristic experience. Great location but if all the rooms are this way, whoa. An employee said the rooms all had the mirrors and glass but I didn't verify. Maybe not since the reviews don't mention it.

What a gorgeous hotel. The room was giant and clean, I stayed for 2 nights and the concierge was more than helpful giving me restaurant recommendations and helping me find my way around. The breakfast was delicious and the bartenders super nice. Very quiet and nice stay. Highly recommended.

Very clean, friendly staff!

I like everything!!!

Attractive façade, shared with a Quizno's. No restaurants around except fast food franchises and one unappealing sports bar. Only one - expensive - restaurant in that hotel. Fifty US$ breakfast, not included. For some reason, only local TV channels were available. Cheap mattress. Giant pillows that felt like bags of concrete. Not even a bathrobe. Amazingly, the "view" from our small room was towards an interior poorly lit "courtyard," similar to what you would expect in a penitentiary, where prisoners are allowed for their daily walk. A depressing sight. We requested to switch but they explained that all rooms are like this! So much for the Hilton experience... We left after the first night and were lucky to switch to the Barceló hotel, which offers free airport transportation. This is not an attractive neighborhood.

Beautiful old property right in the heart of San Jose. Perfect location for walking around to get a flavour for the city when time is limited. On-site restaurant has a panoramic view of the city. Pro’s: location and the property itself Con’s: wifi connectivity was terrible and I was told that this problem is unique to iPhones. Restaurant is expensive. Food is good but the dinner menu seemed to include squid ink on the meals we were interested in. Not a fan. Overall: The pro’s outweigh the con’s and I would stay at the Gran again.

Perfect! 👍

Great hotel! Great service

Best place to stay in San Jose Downtown

Best hotel in downtown, excellent conditions, walkable to everything - dinning, shopping, museums, theaters, and 中国街for Asian food and souvenirs.

I loved being in such a landmark for the city of San Jose, seeing the city awake and having the gorgeous National Theater as a view was a treat. They had the best Costa Rican Pinto Ive had in a while. Furthermore, the tamales were delicious.

Modern, nice hotel in a convenient location for some of the museums and other sights. Helpful, nice staff.

The hotel is fabulous, the rooms are spectacular with an awesome bed. Staff are super friendly and atentive. The food and drink are spectacular EXCEPT for the breakfast wich is awful. Also the internet is only so so which was frustrating

Best hotel in San Jose, great room, attentive staff, great food & drink.

We spent the last night of our anniversary trip to Costa Rica at this hotel. What a perfect choice. I had let them know we were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary and they made us feel so special. The hotel is clean, comfortable, and we’ll located and the hospitality staff are first rate. Will definitely be back!

Historic location, first class interior and great service

This hotel was beautiful and we appreciated all the friendly staff.

Very nice hotel, good overall services, near the national theater. Great food

Centrally located, walking distance to most attractions. Spacious room.

Gorgeous property, exceptional staff upon entry and check in.

Do you want to be in the middle of historic San Jose? Then you must avail yourself of the luxury and historic ambience of the Gran Hotel. The staff from the gentlemen meeting your car and always being available for information, to the housekeeping that cares for your room with such attention to detail, to the Restaurant hosts in the Sky Lobby, you will find yourself well cared for, comfortable and feeling as though you are their only concern. I can't think of a better choice for being right by the National Theater, museums,

Great hotel, very clean, comfortable bed and pillows and great service. Also the hotel breakfast is delicious!

Great location, center of the city. Everything is within walking distance. interior and rooms are perfect size. Staff is pleasant and helpful. Would recommend it. Cons are: Breakfast is too expensive and tasteless. Also, it says it is a Hilton, but Hilton does not give points for your stay at there (?!).

The area around the hotel is very busy. It reminds me of NYC. Once I realized how to get into the hotel drive way everything else was a breeze.

Great

The hotel is as centrally located as possible. LOCATION, LOCATION LOCATION. The hotel is 5 star. The rooms are spectacular m. The restaurant and Bar is top noch. Don't stay anywhere else in San Jose

Always enjoy staying at the Grand !

WiFi provided was incredibly slow, (no more than 4 Mbps on a good day). Everything was good aside from that, but upon checkout and waiting for our Uber, an attendant attempted to scare us into getting a Taxi rather than an Uber since they are technically illegal in Costa Rica. I explained that the issue is that I tried to schedule a taxi to the airport but no one would let me reserve, even though I was able to do so from the airport to the hotel earlier that week. We were running late, so I just scheduled an Uber. This attendant was very persistent and scared my partner until we arrived at the airport. I think the behaviour of the attendant was extremely unprofessional and soured the stay at the hotel.

I expensive food and over charging for parking 32$ a day they charge to keep your car at the hotel.

Construction on Main Street blocked entrance to hotel.

Nice place costly food

Hotel was good and nice place. But food was very high priced for what we received at breakfast would recommend going outside the hotel for food and drink.

We only stayed one night, but the hotel was very nice and clean and the staff is fantastic!

Nice rooms.

I was generally pleased with this property. The beds were a bit small but overall the room served its purpose and was good for a temporary stay after my family arrived to SJO and headed to the North for our trip.

.......

Great location for stop before the airport from Manuel Antonio. Walls are PAPER THIN. Otherwise lovely stay

Great property, in a very central walkable location. The room was very comfortable and the hotel is very nice. The staff was very friendly, and the breakfast was really good. It worked well for my family. My only caution is the shower is frosted glass, NO privacy, same with the door to the toilet. It worked ok for my family but if you are traveling with someone you are not very close with I would look for another option.

Lovely hotel, great location

We Loved the staff. Extremely kind and always willing to help. Also excellent English skills which was comforting for one who knows almost no Spanish. We did not like so many mirrored walls with glass walled shower and toilets or the constant drone of the air system.

AMAZING

Amazing Hotel!! Salvador and Anthony set the bar for customer service. Above and beyond!

Great location for exploring the city. Right next to the National Theater, which has a great cafe and a few minutes walk from the National Museum of Costa Rica.