Hotel Bougainvillea

Costa Rica , San José / Central Valley
SANTO DOMINGO, 100 metros al oeste de Santo Tomas
Show on Google | Website | Map

100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2026

glen

The bougainvillea has a beautiful garden, 10 acres. Great when you are traveling with children. When my nephew and niece were little they really enjoyed playing in the gardens. Now in my 50's, there is nothing more relaxing then finding a secluded bench at the back of their garden and admire the beautiful garden they've preserved in the middle of bustling City.
The restaurant staff are 5 stars, esp Ivan.
The food is authentic to costa rica and delicious.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2026

Jane

Wonderful restful stay. We were able to check in at 2:15p. Quiet room and beds were very comfortable. Loved the gardens.
We stayed there for the wonderful birding, but felt underdressed for the restaurant and breakfast buffet. Wait staff in shirts and ties and white tablecloths on tables— felt very fancy. Food was good. About 30” to the airport from the hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

04 May 2026

Katya

This is a very well mantained boutique hotel. The waiters are the highlight of the restaurant, specially Guillermo. I would like to come back and relax in the beautiful gardens and swimming pool.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2026

Kandy

Excelente desayuno, todo fresco y rico.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Apr 2026

Robin

Fantastic grounds, a birders paradise. Staff friendly & helpful. Dinner options could be better. Room spacious vet comfortable.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2026

Patricia

Very comfortable room, nice balcony, great food in the dining room or bar. But the reason we always return to this hotel are the gardens. Absolutely stunning, filled with birds and other nature. Beautiful trees, plants. So relaxing and enjoyable. Highly recommend.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2026

Henry

Beautiful Hotel!

8/10

Excellent

29 Mar 2026

Deborah

Breakfast was terrific, fresh and lots of choices, plus excellent coffee. Dinner, drinks and desserts were divine. This is an older hotel with a bit of that “funky” wet smell in some carpeted areas, but that was my only complaint. Pool and grounds were gorgeous and well maintained.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2026

Pete

Another enjoyable stay. Room with Mountain View was slightly nosier than the one that faced the garden. That said good nights sleep with a good breakfast and restaurant. Highly recommend.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2026

Laurie

Spent the night here after arriving from the US. The property is absolutely beautiful. We ate at the restaurant because we were wiped out after traveling all day. The food was good and pretty reasonably priced. The room was clean, staff was friendly. Breakfast had a lot of variety and was very good.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2026

Pete

Lovely hotel. Beautiful location with wonderful grounds. Rooms are a good size with a balcony. Clean and well appointed. Restaurant onsite was good value and excellent food. Breakfast offering was good. Would stay here again and recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2026

Mark

Perfect

10/10

Exceptional

14 Mar 2026

Joseph

Outstanding stay! We came for the gardens, and they did not disappoint. They were beautiful and extremely well maintained. The gardeners were great and helped us locate some birds. We were equally impressed with the hotel. It is a lovely building with comfortable rooms. The restaurant is fantastic and the complimentary breakfast is wonderful. The staff were all friendly and helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2026

Faride

the gardens and birds were beautiful. Breakfast was very complete, lots of choices, delicious

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2026

Terry

All very positive . I three additonal stays planned there in future. My go to in San Jose

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2026

roberto

Nice hotel, a bit older, great staff, good location.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2026

Daniel

Beautiful hotel but very disappointed that breakfast doesn’t start until 7am. Not good when you are in town on business.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2026

William

Hotel garden is an oasis of plants, birds and quiet within San Jose, CR.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2026

Peter

clean room great staff

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2026

Najiah

So beautiful

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2026

Jennifer

Clean room; lovely staff; gorgeous grounds/gardens; they upgraded our room as I requested; delicious food.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jan 2026

Jennifer

We had a problem with the safe and after determining that it couldn’t be fixed, staff very graciously offered us another room: upgraded to a garden view. We were thrilled!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2026

Andrew

I came because this place is famous in the birding community, and the gardens did not disappoint. Breakfast was excellent, but it would’ve been nice to have a light roast Coffee option, besides the dark roast.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2026

Donalson

Los cuartos estan limpios y te atienden bien.
Un poco caro pero no estaba mal.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2026

Reinaldo

Beautiful location with world class gardens, superior, knowledgeable and courteous staff. Delicious food and great original art throughout hotel. Highly recommended.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2026

Luis

Great property great garden

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Dec 2025

Jackie

Beautiful hotel, lovely food , amazing gardens , highly recommended, we have stayed 3 times and loved it all

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

24 Nov 2025

Jennifer

Very friendly staff and clean hotel. Good for needing to stay near that area, but nothing to do, see or much dining options in the area.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2025

Emily

Lovely place to stay outside of the city but near enough to the airport that you can get there within half an hour. The garden was amazing (although not open at night sadly). We arrived after the restaurant was closed but the kitchen still did some room service for us which was kind. We didn't have any hot water but since travelling around Costa Rica, I think that was user error and its all to do with how much you turn the tap… We would definitely stay again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2025

Janet

We love the gardens! Beautiful artwork. Nice bar, restaurant, and breakfast. Comfortable bed and linens.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2025

Joni

Lovely gardens!

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2025

Enrique A.

Great place to stay if you’re in the area.

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2025

Maureen

Excellent hotel with wonderful gardens

This hotel is made by the wonderful gardens. I enjoyed just wandering around looking for birds. Garden staff good at pointing things out for you. Food good and breakfast plentyful.
They gave us a kettle for pur morning tea. So good booked to stay at end of trip as well.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2025

Burton

We enjoyed our stay at Hotel Bougainvillea. The room was nice and comfortable, the balcony had a nice view of the front garden, the breakfast buffet was good, the hotel grounds were super, and the staff was fabulous! After breakfast we walked the grounds bird watching and admiring the diversity of plants present. The staff, especially Leta, were friendly and super helpful. We had trouble getting our reserved car from an agency upon our arrival at the airport so we needed help securing our rental vehicle the next day from the hotel. Not being a Spanish speaker, Leta offered her help for better communication with the rental car staff. Leta reduced our stress and helped make arrangements for transportation to the rental car office. Thank you Leta!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2025

catherine

Very clean and comfortable rooms. Good breakfast. Friendly professional staff. Beautiful gardens.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2025

Jorge

Wonderful.

Wonderful stay near Heredia. I can't say enough great things. The food, the staff, the beds...the garden 😱.
Will be back to stay at Bougainvillea again!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2025

Richard

Beautiful botanical retreat. Great breakfast and optional meals if you want to eat in. I would highly recommend this wonderful place.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2025

Mary

Beautiful facilities and gardens with lots of birds.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2025

Jordan

Beautiful large gardens in the back and an excellent restaurant make this a very special stay.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2025

Allyson

This is a very clean, comfortable, well appointed hotel with a very large & beautiful garden that is great for bird watching. The staff are friendly & professional. My only complaint would be that you can hear all the noises of plumbing or people moving around/talking during the night, and of the birds when they start calling very early in the morning. So if you are bothered by noise, bring earplugs.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2025

LeAvis

Pleasant surprise recommendation from a friend.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2025

Marise

it was perfect

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2025

ROBERT

The hotel is beautiful but the grounds are magnificent! Beautiful artwork throughout the hotel. Good bar and excellent restaurant. The hotel is away from the noise of the city but close enough for only a short drive

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2025

David

Beautiful property and amazing staff!

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2025

Nancy

I love staying.there. I wish they had mini frigerators in the rooms.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2025

Richard

Beautiful grounds for walking or sitting enjoying nature. The staff always friendly, courteous & very helpful.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2025

Angela

Wonderful hotel with amazing gardens

I love hotel Bouganvilla. The gardens are like being in a park or botanical garden. Beautiful. Rooms are comfortable, beds and pillows were great. There wasn’t a fridge in the room, which would have been a plus. Breakfast is plentiful and tasty. A little variety after a couple days would have been nice. But very good over all ! Service is wonderful in every area.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2025

Jim

Staff friendly, efficient and accommodating. Beautifully decorated but not ostentatious. Comfortable. Extensive grounds beautifully landscaped.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Dec 2024

Jean

This is a fantastic hotel to get just a little out of San Jose but still be close enough in to get to the airport within 45 minutes. The gardens and birds are spectacular. For those who love birding, look for Eduardo in the gardens who knows where literally everything is. Parking here can be tight so be warned. Staff is wonderful, the beds are great and the shower has actual hot water and water pressure.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2024

Emilie

Just arrived…

Leisure Friends

2/10

Poor

30 Sep 2024

Maria

Poorly trained staff. The hotel is in need of urgent repairs. Window cleaning.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jul 2024

Janet

The gardens are beautiful. The employees very friendly. One of the gardeners showed us some sleeping owls and where to see the frogs at night.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2024

Jacob

A very unique hotel with amazing garden paths and a nice pool.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

03 Jun 2024

essam

Nice place, no AC in some rooms, ask first

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2024

Jill

The huge botanical garden attached to the property was gorgeous and a lovely space to walk in. The lobby and dining room is beautifully decorated, with an incredible display of local rocks and minerals. The hotel ad implied our room would have handrails in the bathroom, but it did not.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Apr 2024

Rita

Beautiful Garden and great food!

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2024

Stephanie

Beautiful gardens with a wide variety of birds. The lobby has a mineral museum. The front desk receptionist Brian was very friendly and knowledgeable about the local wildlife. The breakfast was delicious. The room is spacious with views of the mountains and trees.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2024

Charles

We had excellent advice from the front desk after a medical incident that needed attention. They called the medical services, and an EMT group arrived within 20 minutes and attended to my injury. They were courteous, detailed, and thoroughly professional, and did not charge for the visit. We were thankful for the advice, and appreciate the medical system in Costa Rica.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2024

Serena

The hotel has very beautiful backyard, and the food served at the restaurant is also excellent.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2024

Kevin

Beautiful clean place with gardens that must be visited

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

22 Jan 2024

James

It’s an older hotel so it’s somewhat outdated. I see where some will find charm in that. It’s a nice property with a nice garden area for walking. I paid for a Mountain View and honestly it was a parking lot and a roof visible from in the room. If you went outside and leaned around the corner from the balcony you could see downtown. It was quite Misleading in my opinion.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2023

Michelle

A haven of peace and beauty with attentive staff

This is such a beautiful and peaceful place to stay, from the artwork on the walls to the artefacts on shelves wherever you look. It’s also a geologist’s dream. The staff are really friendly and attentive, esp in the hotel restaurant. And the gorgeous gardens, the pool… we spent Christmas here and it was a perfect choice for peace and beauty.
I can’t recommend the Bougainvillea enough .

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2023

Richard

Hotel Bougainvillea has been here for decades and knows exactly what most of its patrons want. The rooms are clean and spacious, with fans rather than A/C (which is fine at this altitude), though the showers are getting a bit old fashioned. Probably the best garden you’ll see in a Costa Rican hotel, and a reliably good restaurant which is favoured by non-residents. I always stay here when in the area.

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

16 Oct 2023

Martha Ann

We had to pay for air-condition for the two bedroom. I would never stay there and I would not recommend this hotel

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2023

Verified traveler

ida para mi cumpleaños

estoy muy feliz con el trato del hotel la comida todo estivo genial

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2023

Jennifer

Still my favorite hotel in Costa Rica for 15 years

Business_and_leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2023

Adriel

Very nice hotel in the area and the staff was super friendly. The food that came included was also really good. The only issue I had was the difference in floor if you want to have AC or not. They gave me a second floor without AC and when I asked I was told that only the 3 floor has AC and it was extra if I wanted a room with AC. Going from Florida I don’t see why I have to pay extra to have AC. Hopefully they can fix that

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2023

JONATHAN

Amazing gardens, great room, all very clean, excellent food, friendly staff, highly recommended!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2023

Karishma

Very interesting decor and lot of art work throughout. Huge garden in back with opportunity for birdwatching and walking... Very pretty oasis...

Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2023

douglas

Lovely gardens, outstanding dining.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Jan 2023

Christine

Nice. Good food.

There wasn't a refrigerator in the room but if you ask for one, it will be provided. Not sure about microwave availability but there wasn't one in the room. It was great that there are windows that open so there was fresh air all night.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2022

Christopher

Loved the botanical garden grounds and the general classy decor. A lovely place to stay.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2022

Ana

Excellent staff and hotel with beautiful botanical gardens

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2022

JoAnne

This hotel is set on a large wonderful garden that is full of birds, including a Mottled Owl, Lesson's Motmot, Hoffman's Woodpecker. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2022

David McKinney

The gardens alone are worth the stay. The staff is exceptional

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2022

Graeme

The perfect stay

Beautiful gardens, comfortable rooms, friendly staff and a great breakfast. Highly recommended.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2022

William

Looking forward to our fourth stay.

This is the third stay in a row in the hotel. It keeps its amazing service and its beautiful gardens in excellent condition. Rooms are comfortable, neet and clean, and the restaurant offers a fine menu at very convenient prices. We fully recommend the place. We look forward to our next stay

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2022

John

This is such a classic place. The grounds are beautiful and fun to walk around in. We also enjoyed the amazing artwork throughout the place. The staff was very friendly and helpful and made our stay lovely. They let us use the pool after checkout while we were waiting for our flight. I stayed here 15 years ago and would stay here again. It is about 20-40 minutes drive from the airport.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2022

Phyllis

We loved the garden and the birds that enjoy it. We were sad that the swimming pool was closed during our stay.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

03 Feb 2022

Vibiana

Quick one nighter

Always enjoy staying here!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2022

Samantha

Chose this hotel for the beautiful gardens - had a walk around taking photos of butterflies on the first morning of my trip. On the outskirts of San Jose, a little oasis.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2021

Verified traveler

Birding Costa Rica

Beautiful hotel. Beautiful grounds. Great WiFi. Wonderful restaurant. Great breakfast. Comfy bed. Delicious drinkable tap water. I loved staying here.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2021

Glenn

Short stay

Excellent hotel with very attentive staff, high quality facilities amid outstanding surroundings.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

Very nice hotel. SPECTACULAR gardens out back. We only stayed ~12 hours. Water pressure in the shower a bit weak. Restaurant was good. Front desk folks very helpful.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2021

Verified traveler

Quiet, peaceful, beautiful experience.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

The hotel is set in a beautiful garden, just like a Botanical garden, many different trees, shrubs, flowers, that attract birds and butterflies. At breakfast you can sit and look out at part of this exotic garden and see orchids, birds on a feeder and flowering shrubs. A delightful way to start the day!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2020

Liz

Loved the bougainvillea

The grounds were spectacular. The room was clean and staff was professional and efficient. Restaurant was excellent.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Everything was excellent. Clean water, comfy rooms, complimentary breakfast, friendly and experienced staff.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Sep 2019

JosephBaldi

This is an incredibly beautiful hotel and the quality of service exceptional!

The hotel's garden on the extensive property was named the most beautiful in Costa Rica.

The grounds, lobby, hallways and rooms are filled with local artworks and sculptures.

All staff members were extremely responsive and courteous.

Room cost includes an excellent comprehensive breakfast, and lunch and dinner meals were of high quality.

The value for the money is outstanding. Cannot recommend the hotel more highly!

Joseph and Maria Baldi

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Incredible property

This is an awesome hotel. We live in Sarchi, Costa Rica and have always wanted to stay at this hotel. We stayed 2 nights and would highly recommend to anyone. The property is beautiful, close to 10 acres of some of the most lovely tropical and local plants and flowers we have ever seen. It has so many trails going through the gardens and it is very walkable. Everything was perfect, service, restaurant, gardens, bed, etc. We visited Sibu Chocolate and restaurant, fantastic experience only a few miles from hotel. We also did the Saturday Féria and it too was close and remarkable. Bought lots of fruits and Veggies. Overall this was a great experience. Hard to describe how beautiful the property was how friendly everyone was. I highly recommend Hotel Bougainvillea to everyone visiting Costa Rica 🇨🇷 and for those of you lucky enough to have this in your backyard. One hour drive from Sarchi.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

excellent

excellent place and way to start a Costa Rica birding trip.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Jul 2019

john

Nice stopover

Friendly welcome and the room was clean and pleasant - shame we were only staying one night and didnt even get chance to walk around the large gardens.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2019

Verified traveler

I enjoyed my entire stay. I have been staying at the Bougainvillea since 1994.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2019

Amy

Our stay was only 6 hours since we arrived after coming from the emergency room.
However, we enjoyed our very first meal here when we arrived the week before. My son lives down the street, so it was very convenient. I'd definitely book a room here again when I return to CR.
Please take some time to enjoy their beautiful garden out back.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

It's a wonderful setting decorated as it is inside with paintings of local flowers and country views and with the botanical gardens behind. I also love that one can drink the tap water, which comes from the hotel's own well. One drawback is that the the hotel provides no snacks for purchase, With no local store within walking distance of the property, one must go to the main restaurant or bar just to get something light to eat. That's expensive and inconvenient.

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Mar 2019

Sarah

Retro paradise!

Absolutely gorgeous garden! Also the bed sheets were the softest I’ve ever felt. I hope to stay longer next time!

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2019

Mary

The gardens are amazing, and it is so nice to be able to eat at the hotel.