Name: Hotel 1492
Address: 31-33 1st Ave #2983, Barrio Escalante, San Jose, 4988-1000, CR

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2026

Rudolph

This is a well maintained boutique hotel filled with charm. It's not polished and reflects flavor of Costa Rica. Money well spent. But you can also hear the commuter trains in the morning.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2026

Robert

Nice little hotel. Room was clean and comfortable. I had assumed breakfast was included, but it was not. You had to pay of breakfast. Staff were all friendly and helpful.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2026

Jacqueline

Cute hotel with friendly and helpful staff for a very reasonable price! Great restaurants and bars within walking distance.

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

25 Apr 2026

Chelsea

Good location, Room was fine for one night. Our room was next to the front door, facing the main road, so it was a little noisy. Not great amenities and even when I asked for them, I didn’t get all I needed. Wouldn’t stay any longer.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2026

Beatriz

Great hotel! Also good location

Family

8/10

Excellent

13 Feb 2026

Eddie

Great location and very reasonably priced.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 Feb 2026

Pablo

La habitacion es muy ruidosa por el tren que pasa.

Business

4/10

Poor

16 Jan 2026

David

Room was okay but I had to walk through a construction project to get there. No hot water. Train honks a very loud blast when if passes starting at 4:30 am.

2/10

Poor

30 Nov 2025

Janni

a small hotel with rooms, poor amenities, you get what you pay for.

4/10

Poor

29 Nov 2025

Todd

The hotel is in a safe neighborhood and walking distance in to city center (and the attractions).

The breakfast was good and cooked to order with good choice.

The room we had was next to the main entrance and beside the reception. You could hear everyone coming and going, everyone talking at the reception (including the receptionist on her phone at midnight).

The room was on the small size, and in need of updating.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Nov 2025

Richard

Internet was fine, room was nice. Breakfast was good.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Oct 2025

Claire

Staff were excellent - couldn’t have asked for better service!

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2025

Gary

I always stay here when I’m in the area

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jun 2025

Cecilia

Honestly you get what you pay for. Its a good place to stay if you want to be near the airport but don't want to pay a lot of money in a hotel for a night, but the staff does not talk to each other i checked in with a gentleman in the afternoon (which took forvever because he said he had errands to run) confirmed my car service for the airport and in the morning a new gentleman was at the desk and when i tried to confirm my car he had no idea what i was talking about.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2025

Mary

Very cute place. Great location. This is an old home converted into lodging. Small room. Pillows very thin. Friendly staff. Would return.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2025

Janice

The staff is friendly and welcoming. The rooms are large, bright, and clean. Lots of great seating areas within the hotel and gardens. Security is excellent. Very walkable neighborhood with lots of dining options. Been here before and will return again!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2025

GREGORY

Hot water! The shower could use a new shower head though. It's located in a quiet neighborhood but 15 minutes walk to the National Museum. Great cluster of restaurants in a five minute walk inJardin de Lolita. Nice vintage hotel. Great, quiet sitting area.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2025

Juan

Great place great people I loved it

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2024

Kandice

24 Hour front desk with helpful and accommodating staff. They have a lovely breakfast available with coffee and juice. I have food allergies and they very kindly made my breakfast GF. There was more hot water available in the evening for showers than in the morning.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Nov 2024

LILIANA

Cute super vintage place. There is a small police station on same street so you feel extra safe. Dining is walking distance and many options. Room smelled old and bedding sheets looked old so did the furniture. Hot water in shower worked for a few seconds then turned cold. It wasn’t horrible but if your looking for something other than a quick night stay probably not your place. You also have to be ok with the creepy vintage stuff lol.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2024

James

Old property.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2024

Thomas

Nice place

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

09 Aug 2024

James

Train tracks very close to the hotel.

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2024

Tamara

Very hospitable staff and close to all the amazing restaurants

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2024

Ashley

Great place, super accommodating.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

24 Mar 2024

Verified traveler

The staff is extremely accommodating and made us feel at home. Morning breakfasts were delicious and a nice variety of choices. The common areas and our room were very clean.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2024

M

Very pleased!

Very attentive service. Hotel had character—in a good way! Train did not disturb me at all. It’s a bit worn—a broken tile here, faded blankets…but we were safe and comfortable and enjoyed the neighborhood. The free parking was what sold me on the place. Very pleased, will stay again when in San José.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Feb 2024

Kate

Excellent location, wonderful staff, small rooms but with all that you need. Hotel is very near a noisy railway, so bring earplugs! My biggest problem was a snoring neighbour who was so loud he could be heard from three rooms away. His poor wife...

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2024

Janice

Unique hotel and friendly staff. The location is convenient and walking distance to restaurants and you can walk co city center…a bit of a walk but very doable.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

11 Feb 2024

Kate

Great location for city centre and local restaurants, bars and coffee shops. But pack ear plugs - it's close to the rail tracks and tooting starts at 5.30 but it's not unpleasant.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2024

kent

Been coming to SJO for twenty years, this is the best bargain in town. Beautiful property run by very nice folks. Kent

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2024

Qinglin

I like this property because of its location, boutique, quiet and reasonable price. It is a large house and felt more like a home than a hotel. The small garden breakfast area was nice. The staffs were all kind, smiling and helpful. The airport pickup service took a lot of worry out for my late evening arrival with a price similar to a taxi. Uber is not legal in San Jose, therefore airport pickup is troublesome. I used Uber at other times without problem. The location of the hotel is excellent with walking distance to tourist spots in downtown. The neighborhood is upper-middle class and felt safe. They have different sized rooms according to your needs. I found out later that Hillary Clinton stayed there in 2005. The wife of the owner was a painter. She gave Hillary a flower painting. I would recommend it.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

24 Jan 2024

Maribel

Escalante 1492

El lugar tiene muchísimo potencial, pero requiere más atención en el cuidado. La habitación se percibió un poco descuidada el primer día, particularmente el baño. Los días subsiguientes estuvo mejor. Tiene un patio interior hermoso, pero necesita mantenimiento. El desayuno es un poco limitado, pero la empleada que lo confecciona es sumamente amable y servicial. Al igual que ella, Juan, el Front desk que nos recibió, también es muy amable, servicial y ofrece alternativas. De inmediato nos coordinó uno de los tours y fue muy eficiente.

En términos de la ubicación, es espectacular. Es tranquilo y en una cuadra te ubicas en el área gastronómica y turística de Escalante. También te ofrecen asistencia para coordinar transporte hacia el aeropuerto. Eso da gran tranquilidad y seguridad. En general, yo recomendaría considerar las áreas identificadas y lo recomendaría.

Gracias.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Sep 2023

Kerrilyn

This place is great - good price and walking distance to the fun strip with lots of restaurants and bars. No complaints and we will be back!

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2023

Marina

Hotel 1492

It’s a gem in the heart of SJ. Small colonial style hotel, with nice spacious rooms, comfortable mattresses. Walking distance to Central ave, Jade museum, National museum, National theater etc. Behind the corner from Bario Escalante where you can enjoy all types of restaurants and night life.
Quiet neighborhood, birds woke us up. Freshly made breakfast served in a nicely decorated dining room.
It is best if you want/need to spend few night in the center of SJ.

Business_and_leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Sep 2023

Ronald

My wife and I stayed there for five nights in a standard room in the back next to the kitchen. The hotel is old but very clean and attractively decorated. At the back of the hotel there is a garden and kitchen with a microwave and kettle for the guests to use. The front desk was attentive. It was generally quiet except for a couple of mornings at 6:00 AM. The only negatives were the extremely weak internet (being at the back of the hotel), the small rooms and the very large legs of the wooden bed frame which I kept hitting with my knee. But the positives outweigh the negatives and we would return.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

11 Sep 2023

Tomer

Good location, friendly staff. Unfortunately it was very noisy. Couldn’t sleep the whole night. The door bell kept buzzing and people were loud after midnight. Reception didn’t do nothing about it.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2023

Fabian

Muy bonito el hotel, limpio, silencioso, muy amables con el servicio.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

09 Aug 2023

Isabella

Beds only had fitted and top sheets no bed covers, mysterious stains on all the covers and pillow cases. Staff was very rude telling us we were crazy for thinking there needed to be a second bed cover underneath, towels were disgusting and stained, walls were stained and there seemed to be a footprint on the ceiling of the bathroom.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Apr 2023

Janice

The Hotel 1492 has a welcoming staff. The decor is bright and cheerful, and there are many spaces to sit both inside and in the beautiful garden. The building is old, but has character. Delicious breakfast, convenient to many restaurants. We'll be back!

Business_and_leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Apr 2023

Thelma

Very cute and quiet place. Yet there is a loud and constant running train that runs behind the hotel beginning at 5am every day.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2023

Daryl T

A Good small hotel, that meets my basic needs for my short stays in San Jose. Small Clean rooms, good cafe with the breakfast, reasonable priced and in a secure location. Bonus for being in the trendy neighborhood of Escalante. Which may make it the biggest bargain in this trendy area that is know for it galleries, restaurants and bars... Glamorous it is not, but comfy it is, in this old architectural gem.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Nov 2022

Myriam

Beautiful place, very well located. The common spaces are very nice, room are small but very clean. It's a great way to stay in a \"typical\" costa rican house at a very low price. Employees are nice, excellent service, although almost none spoke English or French. But they were very helpful and did everything to help in every situation. The environment is nice, great neighbour, lots of nice restaurants and bars, down-town 15 min walk. Fully recommend.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 May 2022

Caroline

Charming, sweet, historical. Superb location. Delicious breakfasts. Helpful staff. Laundry available when we arrived with soaking wet clothes from adventuring in the rain forest. I’d pick this hotel again and again. Book it!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 Apr 2022

mohamed

I like the outdoor seating area, the room was small but clean. I like the free WiFi, there was no business center, I needed to print my Covid test result had to find the nearest office to do so. Overall the place was good for the price.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Apr 2022

Damian

As of April, 2022, the property is in a transitional period. This property is an old house converted to hotel, and is currently showing it's age a little. But it is being modernized and refurbished. In the meantime, I think it is a good value for the money, as the rate will surely increase in the future. The location is convenient, and walking to downtown takes about 15 minutes. The staff was attentive and efficient. Currently, breakfast is offered, but not lunch or dinner. There are lots of dining choices within easy walking distance. According to travel websites, it is a 3 star, and I agree with that. If you want a quiet place, on a street with few pedestrians, and a comfortable room, this is a safe bet.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2022

Ruth

Everyone was good

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Jan 2022

Sidney

This was inexpensive and convenient.

8/10

Excellent

05 Oct 2021

Joseph

The staff is very friendly, and the property is in a great location.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2020

Suzanne

Great for short stay

Pretty little house with basic but adequate facilities. Good value for the city. Service very good, you need a little spanish though, especially if you have an Irish accent 😉

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

25 May 2019

Verified traveler

Location is great
Ceiling fan too noisy to use and sleep
No bath mat for shower
Hot water a trickle, then barely warm
Bed marginal

Business_and_leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Apr 2019

serguei

Hotel 1492

It was good for money I payed!

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2019

Steven

Family run, clean handy location,some english

location is perfect. breakfast is made to order with coffee and OJ for 5 bucks.
Third stay here as I visit Costa Rica to see the dentist and friends//// love this small family hotel and it is perfect for 40 bucks plus per night

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2018

Steven

Great location..close to bars and restaurants

great location.....noisy trains but they stop at night....Nice family hotel and home made breakfast and sw=owned by a family that cares I do not speak spanish but they were fine with understranding me and getting to right places. Just stay here no a/c and not necessary

6/10

Pleasant

28 Dec 2017

Bill

For budget travellers They are nice people but the bed.is last century and the area desolate.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Aug 2017

Steven

Great stay at perfect location

My second stay here and this place is great. Perfect location, some noise from train close to hotel, but ok because it does stop. overnight. Many restaurants, good cooked breakfast and nice people. great part of town and close to everything.

8/10

Excellent

24 Jul 2017

Verified traveler

Great area, small rooms, good value

The location was perfect with a lot of fun restaurants within walking distance. The staff went out of their way to help us and resolve the issue of not giving us enough beds for our reservation. I do think breakfast should be included. We had to pay extra for breakfast and then they ran out and we had to buy breakfast again at another location. We were there for a work event, so our main purpose was to sleep there. There was not a usable safe in our room, but I felt the hotel itself was very secure. I would not want to hang out long in the small rooms, but it served our purpose and the price was good for what we got.

8/10

Excellent

07 Jun 2017

Erika

Unfriendly owner

I had the pleasure to meet the owners and Maritzza was an Angel but her husband is not nice at all and for that reason provably will not stay there and will not recommend this hotel, Zoila and Jorge were very nice people.

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2017

Verified traveler

Nice hotel in a safe area of the city.

This trip was a vacation and stayed at this hotel on our last night in San Jose before returning back home. Great restaurants within walking distance.

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

Friendly staff. Good location to the attractions. Good breakfast at a reasonable rate.

8/10

Excellent

20 Feb 2017

Susan Salem MA

Small hotel with great staff

Hotel 1492 is a nice place to stay with great staff. Rooms are small but quite nice. Very good price!!
It is a bit far out to walk places, but with Uber or their cab connection, easy to get wherever you want to go.

6/10

Pleasant

22 Dec 2016

Verified traveler

Not the best hotel

We stayed only a night and it was very loud: there is the train just behind the hotel.
There are lot of restaurants and bars around.

8/10

Excellent

13 Dec 2016

Verified traveler

Nice hotel for the price

good location for restaurants,a little far but walking distance to center of town

6/10

Pleasant

09 Dec 2016

Frederick

Fine traditonal and great value.

Very friendly. Train made some noise. Shower was not working but they fixed it. They are replcing old small TV's soon.

8/10

Excellent

05 Dec 2016

Crystal

Safe, Comfortable Choice near Barrio Escalante

I would definitely stay here again, although the first impression from the front desk clerk was a little to be desired. All the other members of staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. The included breakfast in the morning was DELICIOUS and the room was simple and clean. The interior has a nice courtyard area and I can see feeling very comfortable here for a long term stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2016

Ellen

CR Hotel not the Marriot

For those who want a hotel with COSTA RICAN charm, art, leisurely breakfast, this is your place.

8/10

Excellent

07 Jul 2016

Arlene

Beautiful hotel in San Jose

This was a beautiful hotel with a very clean bedroom and bathroom. The hotel is a private house which is very tastefully done up and has a pretty backyard. It is in a quiet, posh neighbourhood, just 15 mins from San Jose city Center. I'd highly recommend it!

6/10

Pleasant

25 Apr 2016

business travel

Nice hotel well locared nice breakfast

Everithing in standard..for the star it has..too near this train that make a lot of noise...but during night does work..thia train FORTUNATELY

8/10

Excellent

18 Apr 2016

Verified traveler

Simple hotel close to main sites

A small and quiet hotel in a residential area that is good value for money.

8/10

Excellent

15 Apr 2016

Jorge

Nice and centric and secure area

Comfortable and safe, a very warm place and people. A place to stay

2/10

Poor

14 Feb 2016

Jim

This hotel was nothing like expedia showed it.

Expedia showed pictures of hotel 1492,the hotel is in a very bad area,steel bars razor wire on all buildings,even police station across street.the locals do not go out after dark.unsafe.train about 50ft away,air horns from 5-11:30am.and 3-9:30pm. Every 5-10min. No trains on sunday. No bus or train schedules available,anywhere. Prices 4 times more than USA. Cabs 30.00-100.00 anywhere from 1492. No refrig in rooms,2 eggs,beans&rice,fruit bowl is breakfast,with coffee. You have to be buzzed in and out,24/7,through security gate,only one, Expedia should refund my money,because of how they described this place,no pool,no refrig,small rooms bed and bath,bugs,air pollution so bad I wish I had oxygen.

8/10

Excellent

16 Jan 2016

David

Good hotel next to restaurant row.

Hotel and staff were quite good. The hotel is located a bit away from the center of San Jose, but only a block away from some very nice eating establishments.

6/10

Pleasant

04 Aug 2014

Verified traveler

Noisy

The railroad tracks run right behind the hotel and our room.
No a/c. No ceiling fans.

6/10

Pleasant

16 Dec 2013

Alex

Noisy, but quite OK

The hotel is rather good. Near to the San Jose downtown, more or less quiet street, the stuff is very helpful.

The minus is 2 sources of noise: a TV set in the lobby (sometimes till late night) and a train nearby. Not even the train itself, but the fact that it's horning when it passes nearby, to warn people not to run across the trails.

But if you have earplugs for this case, the hotel will be quite OK.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Dec 2013

WeeLozz

Ok for purpose. One step up from a youth hostel.

This hotel was recommended to me by the Samasati Nature Retreat, which was my final destination. I stayed in this hotel for 1 night before an early pick-up. There is a very loud and frequent train that passes close by the hotel. The neighbour also has dogs that bark loudly and frequently. My room opened onto the main lobby so I heard every noise of people passing by. My room was not very clean (there were cobwebs on the picture above my bed) but since it was only for one night, I didn't see any point in complaining. The Hotel 1492 was very overpriced for what was offered. I would describe this hotel as one step above a youth hostel. If I was in San Jose again, I would not stay at this hotel. The people who worked there were friendly but it is not good value for money, unfortunately.