Overall Ratings & Reviews Hemingway Inn

Location good, but the hotel was closed. Had been closed for weeks. We had a pre-paid confirmed reservation from Expedia. Confirm Expedia reservations with your hotel.

HAD CONFIRMED RESERVATION WALKED THREE BLOCKS WITH LUGGAGE HOTEL BEEN CLOSED FORWEELS.

The room was modest and mattress was uncomfortable.

The owner was very friendly and helpful, the hotel is simple, but has some kind of originality, which also helps to create a feeling of adventure. The location is great, just steps away from downtown.

We like staying in historical places and this one was great. Management was great as was the breakfast. We were on a room next to the street so it was noisy compared to our jungle home in Las Tumbas. The owner was very nice and spent time with us at breakfast. Bed could have been a little softer seems like I could feel the strings.

Room was dark and not quite. Hotel needs renovation. It's just close to downtown. Nothing special then.

Conveniently located to bus stations, supermarket, restaurants, and other shops. Friendly staff.

The Hemingway Inn is a very old hotel. It's value is the architecture and the fact it is so close to Downtown, easily within walking distance. If you are looking for an upscale place, this is not it. The entire place could use a scrub down, and repairs and "TLC" here and there. That said, we enjoyed our stay. The room was clean enough. The morning breakfast was good. Note: I did see that parking is offered and note that it is not a secure lot. You park on the street. Also, a surprise to us, prostitution is legal in Costa Rica and we arrived to the hotel late (after 10:30 p.m.). Along the streets leading to the Inn, you will see women at work. Initially, we thought the Inn must be a flop house in a seedy neighborhood. It's really not. We had entered a different cultural norm.

I have always had good luck with the El Maragato in San Jose, and have gotten my overall trip scheduled with Orbitz.com and have recommended using your services to many many others. This hotel was a complete disappointment and after seeing the room simply could not stay there. I went across the street and booked my week at the Don Carlos which was very nice and I would highly recommend it. The Hemingway was poorly lighted, dirty, throughout, and I simply could not have stayed there. I did not feel I could have done anything more than come back to you with a request for some reimbursement as the stay at the Don Carlos was an additional cost of $425.99. Can I be reimbursed for this stay in lieu of your recommendation?

Beyond basic hotel that hasn't been updated since Hemingway was there.

I stayed one night in the room off of the lobby that faced the street. It was so so so loud. Fortunately, I am a good sleeper that although I wake up, I can go back to sleep no problem. NO ONE should be placed in that room. It should be a public space.

If you don't want to stay in the usual plastic Holiday Inn, this is an excellent choice. It's inexpensive, unique, pleasant, and many of the guests are interesting people. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and can help you get the most out of your stay.

Good! Roughly 3.5 out of 5

The Hemingway is a really cool, eclectic, and comfortable place with lots of charm. The place is run by Dennis and his family and they do a great job making everyone feel like their place is more like home than a hotel. The breakfast each morning is amazing. Great location! Great value for the price! I will definitely stay again!

Operated by very friendly and helpful ex-pat, great value for the room rate. Plenty of Hemingway memorabilia, the rooms all named after famous 20th authors, a comfoting european hotel atmosphere. Breakfast included was a pleasant surprise. Will definitely return if I return to San Jose.

The pictures must be old as it is overgrown, not anything like I saw. The rooms smelly, small gnats from something, perhaps sewer gnats? Housekeeping only twice in my week stay when it said daily. I did get towels daily. Your site said it took Discover, but it did not. I had to pay cash and that cut into trips and food. Toiletries consisted of soap only. I saw payment for an "escort" as I was trying to check in. I was upset so if you have children...... No internet service as stated, though it had weak wi-fi and mostly spanish ts stations. Toilet clogged and I was told that you are NOT supposed to flush the TP, no sign and was not told. You take your used TP and place it in a waste barrel next to the toilet until they come for it. Not all that clean did not eat though breakfast was free. Any more experiences like this on your site, doubt if I book on Expedia know matter the price. VERY disappointed and that was the worse part of my vacation. The place did NOT look like what you show. Get rid of Hemmingway Inn.

Several tourist attractions, museums and shopping, nearby. Hotel is situated in an area close to the Zoo, giving it a semi gentrified feel. Rooms are smallish, but adequate. Bathroom in my area was large and clean. A missing feature was a closet or Anwar, there was no place to hang up clothing. Bed was large and comfortable.

I love this hotel, peacefull, quite and very Hemingwayesque if you like, you can almost feel his presence, I wouldn't stay anywhere else.

no fan that works, ants everywhere even in bed, walls etc,

I stayed at the Hemingway Inn from September 11 to September 26, 2016 which is considered the off season because of increased rainfall but this did not cause me any real problems because almost like clockwork the rain nearly always fell for an hour or two in the afternoon with the mornings and evenings usually clear. Since many of the tourist points of interest in San Jose, such as the jade museum, are in walking distance of the Hemingway I saw no need spend a lot of money taxis. Also if you take the time to familiarize yourself with the public transit you can save a lot of money. For example, you can take a public transit bus from Alajuala bus terminal in downtown San Jose to the Juan Santamaria international airport for 535 colones (equivalent to about one US dollar) instead of spending 15 or more dollars on a taxi. In addition to local attractions in San Jose I took a number of day excursions such a rainforest tours (hiking with rainforest guide, ziplining, aerial trams) which usually included a good buffet lunch and sometimes a buffet breakfast depending on the length of the tour. Other tours such as the Baldi hot springs, the Poas volcano and coffee plantations, or a short riverboat cruise where I saw crocodiles, monkeys and sloths I arranged through local tour operators during my stay in San Jose. All of these day excursions included pick up and drop off at the Hemingway Inn.