Hyatt Centric San Jose Escazu
by the TopOfHotel team
The Hyatt Centric Escazu is the smartest fit in San Jose for younger travelers who want good design, a walkable location, and mountain views from a rooftop pool — not over-the-top luxury, just sharp and tasteful.
The Hyatt Centric Escazu is the smartest fit in San Jose for younger travelers who want good design, a walkable location, and mountain views from a rooftop pool — not over-the-top luxury, just sharp and tasteful.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Open the door and you'll feel right away that this isn't the same-looking chain room you've seen before. The Hyatt Centric San Jose Escazu opened in 2017 in a 12-storey building in the middle of Escazu, designed to echo Costa Rica's rainforest with warm wood tones, moss-green bed throws, and walls hung with work by local artists — different in every room. The king beds are soft and comfortable in the way Hyatt is known for, and the bathroom splits the shower from a dressing area, with Pharmacopia toiletries in a fresh grapefruit-and-ginger scent. What we liked most is the desk corner by the window that opens onto the green mountains, good for travelers who need to get the laptop out. The King with Mountain View on floor 8 or above is the best-value pick — you get the Cerros de Escazú range stretched out behind the city, and plenty of reviews say opening the curtains to that view makes the trip feel like it started in the right place.
Food and amenities
The heart of this hotel is on the 12th floor — a rooftop infinity pool whose edge runs straight into the line of green mountains. Sun loungers and cabanas ring the pool, and late afternoon, when the sun softens and a cool breeze comes off the mountains, is when everyone competes to get in the water. Next to the pool is Cervecería 8ª Calle, the rooftop bar pouring Costa Rican craft beer like Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Company and fusion tapas — seats fill fast every night because people from outside the hotel come up too. Downstairs is the main restaurant, Latitud 10, serving both contemporary Costa Rican and international dishes, including a decent gallo pinto, the classic Costa Rican breakfast plate. The fitness center is open 24 hours with a full set of cardio machines; there's no spa in the hotel itself, but staff can point you to one nearby in Escazu. What impressed us most was the front desk and lobby service — fluent English, quick to respond, and ready to set up a trip to a volcano or the beach on the spot.
Location and getting there
Escazu is the district a lot of people call "the Beverly Hills of Costa Rica" — where younger Costa Ricans, well-off families, and American expats choose to live, because it's safe, modern, and has a full lifestyle on its doorstep. The Hyatt Centric sits on Avenida Escazu, the district's lifestyle street, and a few steps out of the lobby gets you to City Place, a complex with around 30 good restaurants — Japanese sushi, Argentine steak, Mexican tacos, brunch cafes, even gelato — ideal if you'd rather walk to your meals than call a car every time. It's about 12 km from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), a 20–25 minute drive, very handy for short business trips or the first night of a Costa Rica trip when you land in the evening. Central San Jose — the Gold Museum, the Jade Museum, the National Theatre and so on — is another 9 km on, about 25–30 minutes by Uber depending on traffic, roughly $6–11 a ride.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing to weigh is the location: as good and safe as Escazu is, it's a fair way from central San Jose and the main sights. If you're mainly here to do the museums and explore downtown, plan on an Uber almost every day, which costs both time and fare money. This place fits better if your trip is built around business meetings in the Escazu/Santa Ana area, or if you're using San Jose as the start and end point of a volcano-and-beach trip. The second thing reviews flag often is the breakfast buffet — many feel the choices are fairly limited at $18–22 a head, which is steep next to the breakfast spots across the road in City Place that are tastier and better value; consider booking a room without breakfast and walking to a cafe nearby instead. The last is traffic noise — lower rooms on the Avenida Escazu side can catch some rush-hour traffic, so if you sleep lightly, ask for floor 8 or above facing the mountains. One small thing: the Wi-Fi can slow down when a lot of people are on it at once, so keep a backup hotspot if you have an important video call.
Our take
Having read through hundreds of real Agoda and Booking reviews, the Hyatt Centric San Jose Escazu is the smartest fit in San Jose for anyone who wants a modern-design hotel, a walk-to-the-restaurants location, and mountain views from a rooftop pool — without paying luxury rates. Rates from around $149 a night are strong value by Costa Rican standards. If your trip is flying in for meetings in Escazu/Santa Ana, spending downtime working from cafes, sipping craft beer on the rooftop, and swimming with a mountain view at sunset, this place delivers in full — and it's just as good for a first or last night before a flight when you want to sleep well. But if the heart of your trip is walking the museums and soaking up downtown San Jose every day, the Escazu location will cost you a fair bit of transit time, so weigh whether that matters more than the mountain views and good restaurants. Overall we give it 8.6/10 — best for business travelers, younger couples, and design-minded travelers using San Jose as a launch hub for exploring Costa Rica.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Central Escazu location right on Avenida Escazu — the City Place complex of restaurants, cafes and shops is a few minutes' walk, far more convenient than hotels in downtown San Jose.
- The 12th-floor infinity pool has the Cerros de Escazú as a backdrop, and plenty of reviews call it the best spot in the hotel, especially at sunset.
- The interior plays on Costa Rican nature — wood tones, moss green, walls hung with work by local artists — so it feels warm and full of character rather than a same-looking chain.
- The hotel's own rooftop bar, Cervecería 8ª Calle, pours Costa Rican craft beer and tapas, and gets lively enough that people from outside the hotel come up too — handy if you want a drink without going anywhere.
- Rates from around $149 a night are strong value for a 4-star with design at this level, and SJO airport is about 20 minutes away, so it works for short business trips and the first night of a Costa Rica trip alike.
- It sits in Escazu, about 25–30 minutes by car from central San Jose and the main museums — if you're mainly here to see the city, you'll be calling an Uber or taxi almost every day, which costs both time and money.
- The breakfast buffet and main restaurant score only average. Several reviews feel the choices are limited and the prices high compared with the restaurants in Escazu right next door, which are tastier and cheaper.
- Some rooms, especially on lower floors, catch traffic noise from Avenida Escazu during rush hour. Light sleepers should ask for a high floor facing the mountains.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near San Jose
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a King with Mountain View on floor 8 or above — you get the full Cerros de Escazú view and it's quieter than the street side.
- Head up to the rooftop pool around 5pm — the sunset light on the mountains is at its best and it's less crowded than the afternoon.
- Breakfast is average, so walk across to a cafe in City Place instead, like Café Rojo or Bagelmen's — better value and a nicer atmosphere.