Overnight in San José: Gaudy’s Hostel
When flying in to San José from your home country, most arrival times are in late afternoon or evening. Or they are delayed for hours (read the MartinAir story here). Independently where you’re heading first, you will stay at least one night in the city or close-by. In this series we will describe places where we went personally, our experiences and our recommendations.
The last time I stayed in San José I decided to stay in Gaudy’s Hostel. I found it in the web and found it appealing enough to book a night. As the flight was delayed and arrival was at 4.00 am San José time, we had to cancel the night. I mailed the cancellation hours before we arrived (we knew already before we took off in Amsterdam) and Gaudy’s management answered with a “no problem”. I will have to check my Mastercard receipt yet for any charge, but so far this was very uncomplicated.
The second opportunity to stay at Gaudy’s was the day before a flight back to Europe. We arrived at 8.30 pm at the Coca-Cola bus terminal with a bus from Mal Pais (read here about the ferry services and here about the bus connections). The taxi drive didn’t know about the place, but I gave him the address and the phone number. As he took off into the wrong direction, I told him that the hostel is in the west, not in the east of the city.
Tip: bring a city map with you (including the location of your hostel) and show it to the driver if he is not sure about the location.
Finally, we made it to the hostel. Heavy secured (like all other buildings in town) by iron bars we passed the entrance and found a friendly staff. In five minutes, we arranged everything including cash payment in dollars. The night for a private double with own bathroom was US$ 20. During the weak seasons, prices tend to be lower (more about November in Costa Rica read here).
The house itselft consists of various “houses” and seems to be expanded from year to year. You’ll find open spaces in many corners and floors, an (free) Internet access desk, a kitchen (free coffee in the morning, but no breakfast services) and a living room with TV. You can expect to hear the TV and lively discussions until 11 pm everywhere in the hostel, even in your room - the walls are thin.
The double room was a little disappointing - very small, the window into the patio could not be covered (we felt like in a showroom), but we had hot water, which is not a standard in town. The bed was fine enough for tired guests like us.
The management will call you a taxi for the airport or they will arrange a pick up from the airport when arriving. Fare is around 15 US$.
Our recommendation: it’s fine for a night, but don’t expect too much.
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