24 Great Places to Stay in Costa Rica

The best hotels in Costa Rica's interior

Our Costa Rica hotel recommendations for:

• San José
• Alajuela
• La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano)
• Santa Elena (Monteverde)

Our top accommodations in San José

Hotel Casa 96

Hotel Casa 96 is our favorite place to stay in San José. It’s a small, family-run hotel in a central location. You’ll find a good selection of restaurants and bars nearby, and it’s about a 20-minute walk to the city center.

The rooms are really cozy and lovingly decorated — colorful and full of Costa Rican character. In the morning, you’ll enjoy a great breakfast with delicious coffee, one of Costa Rica’s specialties.

Hotel Presidente

The absolute reader favorite among 22places visitors in San José is the Hotel Presidente. You’ll stay in bright, spacious rooms right in the center, next to San José’s main attractions.

For us, the standout feature is the stylish rooftop bar with a seriously great view over the city. Breakfast featuring local dishes is available to book as an add-on.

Accommodations in the city of Alajuela

Alice y Juancito Boutique Hotel

Another real favorite among 22places readers is the Alice y Juancito. It’s one of the most beautiful boutique hotels in Costa Rica — and the most affordable!

The design is minimalist and super chic. The hotel is ideally located for a day trip to Poás Volcano National Park — or as your first or last stop on your Costa Rica trip, since it’s less than a 10-minute drive from the international airport.

Hotel Cortez Azul

On our first trip to Costa Rica, we stumbled upon the Hotel Cortez Azul. The rooms are simply furnished and we had to share the bathroom, but the owner was incredibly warm and the breakfast was really delicious.

Honestly, we can’t understand the relatively low rating on Booking.com. We’d definitely recommend it — it’s extremely affordable for Costa Rica.

Hotels in La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano National Park

Hotel Roca Negra Del Arenal

One of the most popular hotels in Costa Rica among our readers is the Hotel Roca Negra Del Arenal. You’ll stay in cozy bungalows with a large pool, and the location — just outside La Fortuna — gives you a great view of Arenal Volcano. North Fields Farm, the most popular coffee and chocolate tour provider in La Fortuna, is just a 15-minute walk away.

Arenal Observatory Lodge

Another truly great place to stay is the Arenal Observatory Lodge, with beautiful rooms set right inside the protected area. You’ll have volcano views and access to its own hiking trails, which you can explore for free with a guide each morning.

The lodge is somewhat secluded, but since you’ll need a car anyway to visit the various highlights around Arenal Volcano National Park — the hot springs, the La Fortuna Waterfall — we’d absolutely recommend booking it.

Hotels in Santa Elena near Monteverde

Camino Verde B&B Monteverde

The Camino Verde B&B Monteverde is the absolute reader favorite in Santa Elena. You’ll stay in modern, really cozy rooms — and there are great family rooms with cool bunk beds, too.

The highlights are the large rooftop terrace with views over the cloud forest and the à la carte breakfast with delicious coffee. The central location makes it perfect for excursions to the Monteverde Reserve or the smaller Santa Elena Reserve.

La Guayaba Monteverde

A great, more budget-friendly alternative is La Guayaba Monteverde. It’s a small, family-run place with just four rooms — minimalist but really cozy.

You get a great rainforest view, a central location, and a delicious included breakfast. The value for money is honestly unbeatable.

Hotels on the Pacific coast

Our Costa Rica hotel recommendations for:

• Santa Teresa
• Montezuma
• Manuel Antonio National Park
• Uvita
• Corcovado National Park

Hostels and hotels on Santa Teresa Beach

Hotel Casa Cecilia Beach Front

Our top pick is Hotel Casa Cecilia Beach Front. For us, it’s one of the most beautiful beach hotels in Costa Rica. You can relax in hammocks among the palm trees with an ocean view, and the atmosphere is super family-friendly.

All the cozy double rooms are just a few meters from the water, and in the morning you’ll enjoy a delicious breakfast with fresh fruit.

Hotel Luz de Luna

A more affordable option in the popular surfing town of Santa Teresa is the Hotel Luz de Luna. You’ll stay in cool bungalows — some with their own small kitchen — and breakfast is always included.

The beautiful garden grounds have a pool, the beach is just a 5-minute walk away, and in the morning you’ll be woken up by howler monkeys. Seriously awesome.

The most beautiful accommodations in Montezuma

Casitas Sollevante Boutique Hotel

A truly great hotel in Montezuma is Casitas Sollevante Boutique Hotel. The rooms are spacious with a very modern, clean design, and there are also great apartments with a kitchen.

The highlight, though, is the stunning ocean view — right from the pool. The sunrise here is breathtaking. You can add on a delicious, traditional breakfast.

Hotel El Jardin

For a more affordable stay right on the beach, check out Hotel El Jardin. The rooms have a minimalist design, and at the front desk you can get free coffee, bananas, and cookies all day long.

You can unwind either in the large pool area or right on the beach. The value for money is excellent, and a sea view costs only a little extra.

Accommodations near Manuel Antonio National Park

Hotel Plaza Yara

Our favorite hotel near Manuel Antonio National Park is the Hotel Plaza Yara. The rooms are super spacious, individually decorated, modern, and bright — and from the pool, you can watch monkeys and sloths go about their day.

The hotel sits in the middle of the jungle, between the town of Quepos and Manuel Antonio, about a 10-minute drive from the national park entrance. A delicious breakfast is served every morning.

Hotel Villa Prats

For a more affordable option closer to the park entrance, stay at Hotel Villa Prats. The lodging is a bit more basic, but you’ll pay just 85 per night.

Costa Rica’s most popular national park is right on your doorstep, and the beach is just a 5-minute walk away. There’s a pool, and a light breakfast is included.

Accommodations in Uvita

Tamandua Homes

In Uvita, we stayed at Tamandua Homes, in one of the three self-catering cottages. Each has its own terrace, and there’s a great shared pool on the property.

The location is also spot-on: central but quiet. Within walking distance you’ll find restaurants, a supermarket, and even a bakery for breakfast. Highly recommended!

Ibiza Tropical Beach Villas

One of Costa Rica’s best beach hotels is also in Uvita: the Ibiza Tropical Beach Villas. The name says it all — the beach is easily walkable.

The rooms have a genuinely beautiful, colorful, tropical design. You can book a delicious breakfast, and there’s also an on-site restaurant.

Accommodations in Drake Bay

Hotel Finca Maresia

The Hotel Finca Maresia is seriously chic. The cottages are modern and incredibly cozy, each with its own veranda and hammocks where you can properly switch off.

The property is surrounded by nature, and the owners are wonderfully warm and welcoming. Breakfast is included, but dinner here is also worth trying.

Casa Jade

Before and after our tour of Corcovado National Park, we stayed at Casa Jade in Drake Bay. Our room was small but cozy, and right outside we had a large veranda with a little kitchen and a breathtaking view of the bay.

There are also small, cute bungalows with private bathrooms — perfect if you’re watching your budget.

Accommodations in Puerto Jiménez

Danta Corcovado Lodge

If you’re driving to Corcovado, our top pick is the Danta Corcovado Lodge in Puerto Jiménez. The lodges are uniquely decorated and really cozy, and the whole resort sits right in the middle of the jungle with its own trails.

It’s about 30 minutes from Puerto Jiménez, but the setting and the delicious breakfast buffet more than make up for it.

Cabinas Jimenez

For a more affordable, central option, check out Cabinas Jimenez. It’s a simple budget hotel, but it’s right on the beach — with a beautiful ocean view thrown in.

Many rooms have a small kitchen, and you can borrow canoes and bicycles for free. There are a few good restaurants within easy walking distance.

Hotel recommendations on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

Our Costa Rica hotel recommendations for:

• Puerto Viejo
• Tortuguero

Accommodations with Caribbean flair in Puerto Viejo

Cabinas Montesol

Our top recommendation for the popular beach town of Puerto Viejo is Cabinas Montesol — this is where we stayed. The value for money is really good, the rooms have a minimalist, modern feel, and the owners are super welcoming. We got some great tips for the whole area, including Cahuita National Park.

Hotel Indalo

Puerto Viejo also has some genuinely chic places to stay, like the Hotel Indalo. Large, bright double rooms, a stylish look, and a beautiful pool area — plus free coffee and tea all day long.

You get to enjoy the location right in the middle of the rainforest, with the beach just a 5-minute walk away. Really great!

Hotels in Tortuguero

Budda Home

For your time in Tortuguero National Park, our top hotel pick is Budda Home, right on the Tortuguero River. The rooms are decorated in a truly unique style and there’s plenty of space.

Some rooms also have a small private kitchen, but the food at the hotel’s restaurant is delicious too — and the river view from here is wonderful.

Mawamba Lodge

Mawamba Lodge sits right on the ocean in Tortuguero. You’ll stay in really cozy bungalows with a tropical-modern design, set in a beautiful garden with a pool and its own trail through the national park.

A delicious breakfast is included, and there’s also the option of full board — which is super rare in Costa Rica.

What types of accommodations are available in Costa Rica?

There are quite a few different types of places to stay in Costa Rica — really something for every taste and budget. From deep in nature to pure luxury, and from budget-friendly to seriously splurge-worthy.

We personally love small, locally run places. Lodges are also very common — typically small properties in special natural settings, found mainly on the edges of Costa Rica’s national parks and reserves.

When searching for a lodge, you’ll also come across many eco-lodges, where the focus is on sustainability.

How much does a night in Costa Rica cost?

Accommodation prices in Costa Rica vary widely, depending on both the type of lodging and the location.

In San José, you can find a nice double room from around 60 euros. In the popular surf town of Santa Teresa, prices for the same room category start at around 100 euros per night.

Weekends sometimes come with a price bump. Rates also climb during the dry season, which is the most popular time to visit Costa Rica.

If you want to save some money without sacrificing comfort, look for hotels just outside the main towns. Rooms tend to be pricier the closer you get to Costa Rica’s most popular attractions.

What to look out for when booking

On our trip, we usually booked our lodging just one day in advance — because we were planning our route spontaneously.

But that wasn’t exactly relaxing. We spent hours on the phone sorting things out. Not fun.

That’s why we strongly recommend planning your Costa Rica road trip well in advance and locking in your hotels early.

The payoff: it’s way more relaxing, and you can spend your vacation time on things that actually matter.

We book our accommodation through Booking.com — it’s easy to navigate and the selection is really good.

Here are a few tips on what to look for when booking:

• Only look at properties rated Very Good (8) or Exceptional (9+).
• Always read through some of the latest reviews — and definitely check the worst ones too.
• Filter for rooms with a private bathroom if that’s important to you. Shared bathrooms are very common in Costa Rica — not just in hostels.
• Check whether breakfast is included or costs extra. It usually adds 6–10 euros to the total, but you can filter for it easily.
• Hotels in Costa Rica rarely serve lunch or dinner — usually only breakfast. If you don’t want to eat out every night, look for places to stay with a kitchen. Sometimes it’s shared, but it’s still a big plus.