We spent a few nights in San Jose during our trip to Costa Rica and I’m really glad we did. Each night we were there, we stayed in a different hotel, hostel, or Airbnb place and each place let us see a totally different side to San Jose.
Hostel Urbano Los Yoses Review
Location
Hostel Urbano is the Los Yoses neighborhood was definitely one of my favorite places that we stayed in San Jose.
The neighborhood was excellent – quiet and out of the city, but within walking distance to craft beer bars, delicious restaurants, and only about 10 minutes from the city center, too.
There’s a huge grocery store nearby, a Starbucks, a shopping mall, and a few small independent cafes. Within a ten minute walk, you’re in one of the best spots for bars and restaurants, too.
The Room
Luke and I opted for a private two-person room. The private rooms are in a different part of the hostel than the dorm rooms which meant there was a lot less foot traffic around our room throughout the night and in the morning.
Our room had the cutest pink pineapple bedding, so obviously I loved it from the moment we got there. The bed was firm, but comfortable and besides the train, it was really quiet at night. We also had a door out to the back garden which was really nice in the morning.
The bathrooms were shared, but there were plenty of them and we never had to wait to use it. They were really clean and the water pressure in the shower was pure bliss (something we experienced all over Costa Rica actually).
Breakfast at Hostel Urbano San Jose
Breakfast is included in every booking, whether you have a private room or a dorm bed.
We had pancakes, fruit cups, and all the coffee I could drink before getting the shakes. It wasn’t super filling, but it was nice to know that we had something to eat to start the day and didn’t have to buy anything the night before.
The only thing that irked me was that while the sign stated two-pancakes each, there was clearly enough pancakes for people to have more.
Then, when breakfast ended, instead of asking the people who were still sitting around the area if they wanted anymore, they simply threw the pancakes away. I could have definitely tucked away a bit more.
Amenities at Hostel Urbano Costa Rica
There are so many great amenities here, it feels more like a B&B than a hostel.
There’s a free pool table which we played a few games on. The wifi is fast and you can get it from all over the hostel. If you aren’t traveling with a laptop, there are computers that you can use for free.
The kitchen is fully stocked so if you wanted to buy some groceries and cook your meals to save a bit of money, you can cook up just about anything.
The outdoor space is perfection. There are tons of places to sit and chat or do some work on your computer. The views over the mountain were absolutely spectacular.
The Staff at Hostel Urbano
Everyone that I dealt with at Hostel Urbano were friendly, helpful, and quick to communicate. When we checked in we were given a complete tour of the place and told all of the important information like when breakfast was and what the best local craft beer bar was.
Later in the evening we had some questions about onward travel in Costa Rica, so we asked one of the guys at the front desk.
His English was excellent and he even pulled up a map on the computer to show us how to get to where we needed to catch the bus.
Overall thoughts on Hostel Urbano
If you’re looking for a reasonably priced place to stay in a really great neighborhood in San Jose, I highly recommend Hostel Urbano in Los Yoses.
They have mixed and all female dorms with six, eight, and ten beds which costs about $12 a night. The private rooms are slightly more per person at about $33 for a double.
Between the location, the friendly staff, an the water pressure on that shower, I would definitely stay at Hostel Urbano again.
Hostel Urbano kindly comped me this room in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and love for Los Yoses are my own.