Costa Rica's Wide Range of Hotel Accommodations

There is a wide variety of Costa Rica Hotel accommodations, vacation rentals, cabinas and all-inclusives in Costa Rica, ranging from $10 a night to over $350.

Costa Rica's strong suit is its moderately priced hotels. In the $30-to-$50 price range, where you'll find comfortable, and sometimes outstanding, hotel accommodations and vacation rentals almost anywhere in Costa Rica. However, room size and quality vary quite a bit within this price range, so don't expect the kind of uniformity you find in the United States.

If you're even more budget or bohemian-minded, there are quite a few good deals for less than $30 per double room. But beware: Budget-oriented lodgings often feature shared bathrooms, and either cold-water showers or showers heated by electrical heat-coil units mounted at the showerhead. These are affectionately known as "suicide showers." If you find your hotel has one, do not try to adjust it while the water is running.

Bed-and-Breakfasts have also been proliferating. Though the majority of these are in the San Jose area, you will now find B & Bs (often gringo-owned and operated) throughout the country. Another welcome hotel trend in the San Jose area is the renovation and conversion of old homes into small hotels.

Most of these hotels are in the Barrio Amon district of downtown San Jose, which means you'll sometimes have to put up with noise and exhaust fumes, but these establishments have more character than any other hotels in the country. You'll find similar hotels in the Paseo Colon and Los Yoses districts.

Costa Rica has been riding the ecotourism wave, and there are now small nature-oriented ecolodges throughout the country. These lodges offer opportunities to see Costa Rica wildlife (including sloths, monkeys, and hundreds of species of birds) and learn about tropical forests. They range from spartan facilities catering primarily to scientific researchers to luxury accommodations that are among the finest in the country.

Keep in mind that though the nightly room rates at these lodges are often quite moderate, the price of a visit starts to climb when you throw in transportation (often on chartered planes), guided excursions and meals. Also, just because your travel agent can book a reservation at most of these lodges doesn't mean they're not remote. Make sure to find out how you will be getting to and from your ecolodge and just what tours and services are included in your stay. Then think long and hard about whether you really want to put up with hot, humid weather (cool and wet in the cloud forests), biting insects, rugged transportation, and strenuous hikes to see wildlife.

A couple of uniquely Costa Rican hotel accommodation types you may encounter are the apartotel and the cabina. An apartotel is just what it sounds like: an apartment hotel, where you'll get a full kitchen and one or two bedrooms, along with daily maid service. Cabinas are Costa Rica's version of cheap cheap vacation lodging, and are in the $10 - $20 range. They're very inexpensive and very basic -- often just cinder-block buildings divided into small rooms.

Occasionally, you'll find a cabina where the units are actually cabins, but these are a rarity. Cabinas often have clothes-washing sinks or pilas, and some come with kitchenettes, because they cater primarily to Tico families on vacation. Costa Rica Lodging by Region.

If your travelling with friends or family and want more luxury Costa Rica accommodations, you may want to check out Costa Rica Vacation Rentals. More upscale they come with all the conveniences of home. Most vacation rentals, homes or condos, come with swimming pools and all the amenities. 

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