Hotel Fleur de Lys - San Jose, Costa Rica Review
Calle 13, 50 mts. north from Drs. Echandi Clinic • San Jose, Costa Rica • Central America
(by 1 user)
Sleep Well for Less $$$
budget conscious traveler, leisure traveller, livin' la vida loca, appreciative of good service, expecting good, fair service, off the beaten path, seeker of fun and interesting places, willing to pay for quality
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MAR
20
2008
Hotel Fleur de Lys - San Jose, Costa Rica —
One of the great things about spending some time in San Jose, the Costa Rican capital, is that it can be a surprisingly affordable AND classy experience. The city has a wealth of small, independent hotels and inns, each with their own unique flavor. Most of these are family run properties, with friendly service. Most also cost about half what corporate-run hotels of similar star ratings charge. Nice rooms, friendlier service *AND* cheaper prices: it's not a pipe dream, it's the reality of travel through much of the world, and it plays out in textbook perfection in San Jose.One of the most pleasant hotels I've stayed in there is the Hotel Fleur de Lys. It is an immaculately clean, brilliantly maintained Victorian-era property with a convenient central San Jose location. The hotel attracts a European clientele, which should come as no surprise since the owners are Swiss and the features and services provided feel more European than they do Latin.
The Fleur de Lys is basically a bed-and-breakfast inn, but one with a very good restaurant on-site and a lively front-porch bar. Their only real "perk" is a full-service travel desk that can help you book tours or trips to any part of Costa Rica that strikes your fancy.
I love the feel of this hotel. It's got wide hallways, wood floors, and odd architectural quirks. I especially like their big upstairs lounge area, complete with comfy softa and bookcase lined with pulp novels and Costa Rica travel guides. Great place to just chill for a little while!
A light breakfast --- heavy on the fresh fruits and fresh baked breads --- is included in the room rate and is served in the main restaurant. Dinner sees the dining area transformed into a very upscale dining room with a definitely European menu (after all, the hotels is Swiss-owned and the lion's share of its guests are from Europe). Nonetheless, there are a couple of traditional Central American dishes available. I opted for the pescado caribe, which was quite good, though I don't think I'm ever going to develop a taste for the bland and somewhat tough plantains that Ticos seem overly fond of.
Every room in this hotel is unique, with its own personality and its own sense of style. I just love that kind of human touch in a boutique hotel! It makes them so wonderfully better than corporate-run hotels! Every room in the hotel is named after a flower. Since the room rates were so reasonable here, I opted to take the biggest suite in the house instead of pocketing the savings. My room is called the Flor de Lys, and it's a big master suite with jacuzzi, stereo, and king bed. Love the wrought iron headboard. Love the soft salmon color stucco walls. Love seeing delicate smelling bath oils next to the jacuzzi.
The location is very central, and a tourist can walk to much of downtown. Fleur de Lys is located on Calle 13 between Avenida 2 and Avenida 6. You're about 3 blocks walk to the Teatro Nacional and less than 1 block to the Museo Nacional (there's also an excellent artisan marketplace just across Avenida 2 where you can buy good quality souvenirs at about half what they cost in local shops). The taxi fare from Fleur de Lys to most downtown locations is about US$1-2 (400-1,000 colones), to the Coca-Cola bus station is under $2, to the Juan Santamaria International Airport, it's about $13 (prices accurate as of December 2005, at which time the exchange rate is about c460 = US$1).
Fleur de Lys is a great place to stay. The rooms are quaint and cozy, the food is good, they have Bavaria beer in the lounge, and the overall value is tought to beat. There's a bit too much noise in the morning, when the clanging trolley passes by, but that's always a possibility at older, downtown properties. The atmosphere is friendly, the quality good, and the prices beyond delicious. Mrkstvns sez....HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Last edited on Apr 02, 2008
Hotel Fleur de Lys - San Jose, Costa Rica is recommended by mrkstvns
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