Carmen stay.Within a 10-minute walk of this Carmen hotel, you'll find Plaza de la Cultura and National Center of Art and Culture. National Theater and National Park are also within half a mile (1 km).
What's nearby
National Theater - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
National Park - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
National Museum of Costa Rica - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
Central Park - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
Mercado Central - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
Getting around
San Jose Atlantic Station - 11 min walk
San José (SYQ-Tobías Bolaños Intl.) - 20 min drive
Restaurants
Restaurante El Mirador - 2 min walk
Restaurante Silvestre - 2 min walk
Saboreaté y Cafe - 2 min walk
Restaurante La Criollita - 2 min walk
Café Rojo - 1 min walk
About this property
Santo Tomas Hotel
3-star family-friendly hotel near Plaza de la Cultura, connected to a shopping center
Santo Tomas Hotel offers its guests a full-service spa, a waterslide, and an outdoor pool. There's a restaurant on site. Free breakfast is available daily. A computer station is on site and WiFi is free in public spaces.
A hot tub, a fitness center, and a rooftop terrace are also featured at the family-friendly Santo Tomas Hotel. Limited free parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This Victorian San José hotel is smoke free.
1 building
30 guestrooms or units
2 levels
Built in 1908
Local cuisine breakfast (free)
Breakfast available (free)
Terrace on the roof
Poolside lounge chairs
Dry cleaning
Self-service laundry
Front desk (24 hours)
Express check-out
Staff is multilingual
Storage area for luggage
Front-desk safe
Tour and ticket information
Concierge
Library
Garden
Outdoor picnic space
Computer for guest use
Television in lobby
ATM
No smoking on site
Microwave in a common area
Dining venue
Santo Tomas Hotel offers 30 accommodations with laptop-compatible safes and hair dryers. Select Comfort beds feature premium bedding. 37-inch LCD televisions come with premium cable channels. Bathrooms include showers.
This San José hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access, with a speed of 50+ Mbps. Business-friendly amenities include phones along with free local calls (restrictions may apply). Housekeeping is provided daily.
The onsite spa has couples treatment room(s). Services include facials, body wraps, and body treatments. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including hydrotherapy.
Free local cuisine breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM
A restaurant
Things to do
Full-service spa
Gym
Hot tub
Library
Outdoor pool
TV in common areas
Waterslide
Accessibility
No elevator
Room amenities
Entertainment
37-inch LCD TV with premium cable channels
Bedroom
Free crib
Premium bedding
Select Comfort mattress
Bathroom
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Shower
Towels provided
More
Ceiling fan
Dryer
Free local calls
Laptop-compatible safe
LED lighting
Phone
Water-efficient showers
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 11:00 AM
Express check-out available
Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
Access methods
Staffed front desk
Pets
Pets and service animals are not allowed at Santo Tomas Hotel
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome.
Kids stay free! One child 10 years old or younger stays free when using existing bedding.
Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
Free cribs (infant beds)!
Property payment types
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and outdoor lighting
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, and cash. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and outdoor lighting in each accommodation.
We should mention
Pool access available from 8 AM to 9:00 PM.
One child 10 years old or younger stays free in the same room as the parent or guardian when using existing bedding.
Registered guests are the only ones allowed to be in guestrooms.
Pets and service animals are not allowed on site.
Property is also known as
Hotel Santo Tomas
Hotel Tomas
Santo Tomas Hotel
Tomas Hotel
Tomas Santo
Santo Tomas
Hotel Santo Tomas Costa Rica/San Jose
Santo Tomas Hotel Reviews
Reviews
8.6
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Perfect for us! We wanted a boutique, unique hotel experience in the heart of San Jose, and the hotel Santo Thomas delivered! The place is beautiful, quiet, and very welcoming. The staff was exceptional, and went out of their way to make sure our stay was as pleasant as possible. We plan to return to San Jose in a few months, and will definitely stay here again!
The people there are super nice and they helped me print some information I needed. The only downside was the hot water was warm and not really exceptionally hot. I'll stay there again for sure.
The owner Thomas came up and introduced himself the first day. The hotel had a charming appeal and the staff went above and beyond to make sure your needs were met. If you're looking for a cockie cutter IKEA hotel this is not it. The hotel has character and would stay 10/10 times again.
Todd
Stayed 9 nights in Apr 2025
6/10 Okay
FRANCISCO
Travelled with family
Apr 28, 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
FRANCISCO
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025
8/10 Good
David
Apr 28, 2025
It was lovely to eat breakfast outdoors by the lush pool area. The staff was friendly and helpful. The room was nice with a very comfortable bed.
It would have been wonderful to have ice for drinks.
The only real issue we had was that there are no grab bars in the shower. This makes it very difficult to shower safely - especially since the shower floor is slippery.
Nice stay in this facility. Staff were very pleasant and friendly. Breakfast was good. Lovely old building. Room was clean. Location was ok for downtown SJ but extra care needed in area very close by. Wouldn't want to stray too far in the wrong direction after dark ( or early Sunday morning as we did !) would recommend this place.
Very close to a nice area of San Jose. The property itself is nice and room wax clean and quiet. Kiddo loved the pool and the small waterslide that connected the hot tub on top to the pool below.
Santo Tomas Hotel was a very nice stay for my family. The hotel is in downtown and is nicely gated. The desk is well manned and the gate opened almost immediately upon our arrival, even after we went out and came back very late. Comfortable beds and nice hot showers. We had our own toiletries but good to mention there was only small bar soap in the bathroom. There is a fridge and microwave in a common area. No ac but the room had a great air flow including ceiling fan. Breakfast was amazing and made to order right in front of you. Friendly staff. Would visit again!
A Charming Historic Gem in the Heart of San José
I recently stayed at this hotel and had a wonderful experience. Built in 1908, the property has been impressively maintained and carries a charismatic, old-world charm that makes it truly unique. Though located in a slightly shady part of downtown San José (known for its legal escort scene), I felt completely safe during my stay.The front desk staff were attentive, ensuring monitored secure access to both the front door and parking garage at all times.
The hotel is central and convenient for exploring the city, and what really elevated the experience for us was the opportunity to chat with the owner, Tomas. Breakfast was small but fresh, and Thomas—an expat who moved from the U.S. and has lived in Costa Rica for over 30 years—was an absolute delight. He’s full of local insights and stories, and I could have easily spent the whole day talking with him. He even offered to let us leave our car parked at the hotel after checkout, knowing we had a bit more time to explore.
There are a few minor drawbacks—like the lack of complimentary coffee or water in the room,and some of the red towels and bedding could use an update. Having said that we did not ask for new towels and if we did, I feel the staff would have happily obliged. Still, those issues didn’t take away from the experience for me. While they might be noticeable to others, they were small trade-offs for such a charming and welcoming stay.
I’d absolutely stay here again.
Akshay
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025
8/10 Good
Julie, Rochester
Mar 25, 2025
Small and cute hotel. Owners were very friendly. Breakfast was a nice touch. The property itself could use updating.
Wonderful-the hotel, breakfast area, rooms and pool are so Clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. We enjoyed a full week here and look forward to returning. Definitely 5 stars! Also conveniently located close to the mall and central market.
Very very nice staff, very helpful .very clean rooms. Very central location, walking at night is not that safe. Towels were bit old. We will definitely stay there again if we go there. breakfast was good.
Check in was very easy and the gentleman checking us in was very pleasant and helpful. The rooms (we rented 3) had everything we needed and were very clean. The beds were comfortable and the breakfast was delicious. The outdoor facilities were beautiful and had a nice dining area.