1 step holds your booking today.  no deposits, no prepay and 100% cancelable at any time prior to your booking.

Block your date(s) in the calendar, and I will hold them for you and email you to confirm.

You can book or inquire about

  • a room or Casita reservation
  • a car rental
  • an English speaking private driver/naturalist guide with a van
  • or simply ask for more information

To Email a Request CLICK HERE

Let us know

  • which date(s) you'd like (start date/.end date MM/DD/YY)
  • if you'd like a car rental (2WD or 4WD, small/medium/large, manual or automatic and start and end date)
  • if you'd like an English speaking private driver/naturalist guide with a van let us know date(s)
  • or simply ask for more information on any subject e.g. how long is a bit of string (string theory), how do we feel about what happened in Crimea, can we advise on which bit of DNA to snip on your high school CRISPR/Cas 9 machine

If you have urgent requests (bookings for next 48 hours) please call us directly +506-2430-2929 at any time. We are happy to help! Note we are not always connected umbilically to the internet.

General Reservation Information

Some light reading (sometimes known as fine print) follows to keep you amused as you go through the occasionally frustrating experience of figuring out a new country for your vacation.  Need trip ideas try this page on for size.


Join us on the roads less traveled - ask us about it

One of our specialities

We believe in abject accuracy

Dinner for just you 2

Many things you can do with bananas from the garden

Ask us about an anniversary or birthday party dinner

At the fish market

How to do Rio Drake (not our best idea)




NOW A SELECTION OF CARS via Alamo Car Rental


Toyota Yaris 2WD - manual/automatic, gasoline (Toyota Corolla also available)


Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD - manual or automatic, gasoline

Toyota Landcruiser Prado 4WD - automatic, diesel

Toyota Hiace 12 pass 2WD Van - manual trans, diesel



A "write-in campaign to get Emma in



Sophia claims Emma is "like an angel"



and well then there is little Emma herself as a selfie



 

 

 

 

If you are a Costa Rica resident (ask about RESIDENTE RATES)

Ask us about leaving your car in our secure parqueo while you skip back to US, Canada, UK, Germany etc etc.  Car is free for 7 days (then a small fee after that), space is limited.  Also check with us about our special residents rate (available most Casitas in temporada baja).  Email Berni here: Pura Vida Hotel

Our Special Pura Vida "NO WORRIES" Guarantees

  • We do not pre-charge ANYTHING on a credit card. You do not have a confirmed reservation until you receive a CONFIRMATION email from us with a confirmation number. Any questions just email us 24 hours a day - happy to help!
  • We have a 48 hour cancellation policy ("Wot a delightful policy!", gasped Mrs Jones) so we have a chance to rent the room/casita you guaranteed. If you are a no-show we will charge your first night, so do please be sure to cancel the reservation promptly if your travel plans change.
  • If you are arriving on your first night in Costa Rica and your flight is canceled or diverted or otherwise distracted, you will not be charged for the first room night for airlines that you can't control - no worries and Pura Vida! ("Gee willikers!", Mrs Jones who hails from Calgary exclaimed, "no more worries about that one, eh!").

Life is too short to worry 'bout such things.

What Is Included/Free International Arrival Airport Pickup etc

  • Web site rates are double occupancy plus 13% sales tax (rest of info in ROOMS page)
  • Your booking includes an excellent breakfast (or a "breakfast to go" for early exits at any time)
  • a San Jose International airport pickup (for International arrivals only) - Taxis back to the airport are available usually within 2 minutes and cost about $10 (at any time of day or night).

NOTE: our environment is not suitable for young children e.g. 2 large rambunctious dogs, orchids, advanced irony etc. so, we are sorry but we can't accept children 7 or under although we have made exceptions for super kids with ingenious parents and notes from their teachers.

Dinners & Late Arrivals

3 COURSE DINNERS:

Our dinners post pandemic, plagues of locusts and such are smaller private dinners available to some guests.  Note that despite our stellar dinner service reputation we are NOT a serious restaurant.  Sometimes we cook and sometimes we don't. As we buy what we cook each night, we need advance reservations If we do not have enough people for dinner on a particular night, we may cancel and refer you out to a good local restaurant.  Our 3 course dinner is $45/person plus tax and we do not do special diets

LATE OR LIGHT MEALS:

For those who need a dinner and don't want to go out we can provide a late meal or snack but we need reservations by the previous day - just let us know if you have any dietary requests such as "vegetarian" or "no cilantro". Cost is $20 and ranges from sandwich/salad to pasta to veggy plates. Usually served/boxed for arrivals after 8pm.

EATING OUT:

There are no restaurants within walking distance nor any high end restaurants. Otherwise there are a host of rubbishy restaurants in Alajuela and three we like - Jalapenos (Mexican run by a super nice Colombian from New York), Pesqueria da Limonta (great fish place) and Chante Vegano (for our vegetarian friends) - all are a short taxi or Uber ride from here and an easy taxi/Uber return.

ABOUT 5 YEAR OLD EMMA

Sorry we do not take kids 7 or under as we have 2 large yet friendly dogs that may bowl them over at high speed. Well then there was Emma . . . what is an Innkeeper supposed to do?

EARLY EXITS AND THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

If your flight leaves early, we'll be up with you to hand you your "breakfast to go" and call you a taxi at any time you like . . . 4am if you need it - just let us know the night before. Taxis are here in 2 minutes. The International airport is 10 minutes away. You do not need any more than 2 1/2 hours at the airport for your departure. We are the best option for your last night (well OK IMHO :-). NOTE: we have now 4 domestic airlines - SANSA is next to the International Airport as well as other "airlines" flights from Pavas airport.

SENSE OF HUMOR, TYPE A PERSONALITIES ETC

If you can't occasionally laugh at or with us or yourself, please think about the Hampton Inn. At the Pura Vida Hotel you can expect clean and nicely decorated rooms or casitas, coffee makers, comfy pillows, a beautiful tropical garden, welcoming hosts and helpful staff all delivered with a slightly off kilter British sense of humor. When visiting places we do not know about we like some help getting around in a language we speak. Be happy to help you with this stuff! Type A personalities may find our little country frustrating but, before letting it get to you, check out the smiles on the kids walking to school every morning.

CAR RENTALS

Car rentals are available with hotel delivery and pickup from Alamo at competitive prices - request quotes for an:

  • Economy 2WD - the Toyota Yaris or Corolla
  • Small and Medium 4WD - the Suzuki Vitara and Grand Vitara and Toyota RAV4
  • Larger 4WD - the Toyota Fortuner or Prado Landcruiser
  • Van - 12 passenger Toyota Hiace manual trans only

We work only with Alamo with flawless results. When checking car rentals make sure cars can be delivered and picked up here and that the cars are late model - as you don't want to spend a day of your vacation chasing car issues. A GPS or better wifi phone as hotspot should be offered when the car is delivered (optional) but best to book ahead.

We can provide a quote from Alamo Car Rental who also delivers to your breakfast table. To request a quote, please let us know the following:

  • 2WD or 4WD? (email us your route if you are not sure and we can advise)
  • manual or automatic transmission?
  • size e.g.
    • small (e.g. Toyota Yaris 2WD or Vitara 4WD),
    • medium (e.g. Suzuki Grand Vitara), or
    • large (e.g. Toyota Prado Land Cruiser) or 12 passenger 2WD van?
    • the date you would like it delivered to the hotel and the date you want it picked up?

Some Pura Vida Extras with Alamo Rent a Car: our guests now get 1 extra driver at no cost, free delivery and pickup anywhere in the area, free car seat (if you drop at an Alamo office in country). 

GENERAL RENTACAR INFO

  • Ask that rentacars be delivered to the hotel the morning after your arrival at the breakfast table and picked up on your last night if you like. You can hand us the keys. In the morning we call you a taxi at any time - it is usually here in 2 or 3 minutes.
  • For all quotes in Costa Rica make sure they include the mandatory basic insurance (a government requirement for all rentals - all insurance in Costa Rica is provided by the government-run INS agency). The above price can be reduced if you take CDW coverage on your credit card. Check with your card company if your credit card covers CDW in Costa Rica.  Bring proof of coverage if you want to use it.
  • At the end of the rental you can just leave the car in our parking lot, leave the keys with us and all will be taken care of (no messing with car rental desks for early exits). Alternately you can drop the car near the airport or almost anywhere else - just let us know where.
  • If you want to remove the deductible (amount depends on car rented) and do full insurance you can decide what to do at the time the car is delivered. The English speaking agent delivering the car can help you with any insurance options.
  • There is another option for so-called "full insurance" - if you have an American Express card, ask them about their "premium car insurance" program. You may save yourself a bundle on full insurance - you have to have Amex cover you ahead of arriving in Costa Rica. Between 70 and 80% of our guests opt for full insurance. Be aware there are some limits and issues. Should you have an accident the amount of the damage will be carried on your Amex card while they sort out the details.

PRIVATE VANS/ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDES

We can book local reliable drivers we know well - they are knowledgeable "Ticos" and speak fluent English. They can take you to anywhere in THEIR country in private vans. They operate on your schedule and we can find ways to "turn transfers into tours". Email us the request ahead of your arrival and we'll have a knowledgeable Costa Rican driver with excellent English, a great attitude and a late model, insured, air-conditioned van ready for a trip of your choice at breakfast your first day.

This is a great way to start a trip with "a local perspective sitting in the driver's seat" while you start your relaxing vacation. Check our TOURING menu for more info (like you needed more :-)).

Recommended: on your first day as an "A Trip to Poas and La Paz Waterfall". Email us for a quote or use the reservation form.