Note: I’m currently traveling and may not be able to respond to comments/emails immediately.
Last month, my family stayed 2 nights at Alta Las Palomas, a Small Luxury Hotel (SLH) of the World property that was previously affiliated with World of Hyatt. This hotel is in the San Jose, Costa Rica area, and we stayed in the area to peruse potential future retirement housing.
I booked one room with Hyatt free night certificates from our World of Hyatt credit cards and a second room with two beds plus a sofa bed for my teens on a cash rate. (Note: Hyatt ended its relationship with SLH a few days before our stay and now Hilton is partnering with SLH, although this hotel is not yet bookable with Hilton points).
Arrival at Alta Las Palomas
We arrived close to midnight since we had a late flight to San Jose. Because it was already dark, I took these photos the next morning:
The hotel has the feel of a private mansion, not a standard hotel. It’s situated in a hilly area outside of busy San Jose. Gorgeous!
We had no issues at check-in, and the concierge gave us a welcome drink (non-alcoholic) and cookie:
Our Rooms at Alta Las Palomas
My husband and I had a room with a king bed and balcony:
My kids had a room with two queen beds and a separate sofa bed on a different floor:
View at night:
View during the day:
Exploring the Hotel
The next day, we had a chance to explore the hotel. The architecture and decor of the hotel are stunningly beautiful.
Restaurant
I was pleasantly surprised that breakfast was included with our stay. The restaurant is also easy on the eyes:
Our breakfast included fresh-squeezed juice each morning (watermelon the first day, blackberry the second day):
I had the typical Costa Rican breakfast, which tasted great:
Service at the restaurant and the front desk was impeccable.
Shortcomings of Alta Las Palomas
Despite the beauty of this hotel and the great service we received, I can’t recommend Alta Las Palomas for most people looking for an overnight in the San Jose, Costa Rica, area.
- The air conditioning wasn’t working during our stay. The hotel gave us portable AC fans for our rooms, but they were loud and didn’t quite do the job.
- All of us agreed that the beds were very hard. And, the sofa bed my son slept on had a sharp spring near the surface.
- The hotel has tons of steps inside and is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues. Even my kids’ room, which was on the same floor as the lobby, required some stairs.
- The hotel is situated on a busy road with no sidewalks, so we were not comfortable walking to restaurants in the area.
- For most people, the location is not convenient for a 1-night stay in San Jose after or before a flight. There are many hotels more convenient to the airport.
Have you stayed at Alta Las Palomas? What are your thoughts on this hotel?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
I’ve stayed here and it is one of my favorite hotels in Costa Rica. But then the AC worked when I was there!
There are many stairs, but there is an elevator, and there are rooms on the ground floor by the pool for those with limited mobility. My elderly parents were able to navigate this hotel with no issues.
Views are spectacular. Restaurant is amazing, especially for dinner. All produce comes from their local farm project. Restaurant brings in lots of expats for dinner, so you feel like you are part of the community here. You definitely need a reservation.
It is not convenient to the airport, and not easy to get to in the dark! The neighborhood is very nice, there are great restaurants a short drive away. There’s also an interesting animal rescue center nextdoor to the property that you can walk to.
I like this location as a stopover if you are heading from one side of the country to another. We stayed here to break up the trip from Manuel Antonio to Arenal (you can drive this in a day, but it’s a long drive).
I’m glad you got to experience it, but I’m sorry it did not meet your expectations.
@Lisa I’m glad you had a great experience there! It’s really beautiful. Maybe it the air conditioning was working we’d have slept better.