Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Buena Vista Chic Hotel, on the coffee slopes above Alajuela

Buena Vista Chic sits up in the hills of Alajuela, on the road toward the Poas Volcano, about 10 km from the San José airport and a 15-minute drive from Alajuela city center. It is a Spanish colonial style hotel with arched windows, balconies and courtyards, set among coffee plantations, and it suits travelers who want a calm first or last night close to the airport without sleeping in the city.

Why we choose it

• Close to the airport, out of the traffic. You are near SJO for an early flight, but you wake up to mountain air and coffee fields instead of a highway.
• Views from the higher rooms. The Superior Balcony rooms look out over the mountains, the gardens, the pool or the volcano, so ask for one if the view matters to you.
• Room for a family. The Family Junior Suite takes two queens plus a twin, which keeps a family of four or five in one room.

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Rooms and views

The Deluxe Rooms come with a king or two queens and look onto the garden or the pool. The Superior Balcony rooms add a private balcony and a wider view, toward the mountains, the garden, the pool or the volcano depending on where you are. The Family Junior Suite has two queens plus a twin and looks toward the mountains, the pool or the volcano.

At the top of the range is the Luxury Villa, with two twins and a sofa bed and a view across the mountains, the Central Valley and the lights of the city at night. The rooms are rustic and spacious, in soft colors, and the balconies are the place to be with a coffee in the morning.

On the property

The grounds are part of a coffee plantation, with gardens full of flowers and courtyards where you can sit and look out over the valley. There is a pool for an afternoon in the sun. Meals are at METAMORPHOSIS Restaurant and Bar, and breakfast is served every morning. The hotel also runs its own shuttle to the airport, which makes arrival day and departure day a lot simpler.

Location and getting there

Buena Vista Chic is on the slopes between Alajuela and the Poas Volcano, a short drive from the airport, and close enough to make an easy morning of the volcano crater, La Paz Waterfall Gardens or a coffee tour in the area. It works best at the start or end of a trip, before you head out to the beaches or the rainforest, and as a base for a day around Alajuela.

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