Alice y Juancito Boutique Hotel

Do you like that sunny patio and courtyard in the photograph? Of course you do. Good news: it really looks like that. And the place is as friendly and relaxing as it looks. Esteban and his mom are superb hosts who really treat you like family, as they might, since this is the former family home. The rooms are small but comfortable, the showers are easy to use, and the air conditioning has plenty of power for hot nights. About the kitchen: it has all the cooking equipment you need, and there’s enough food in the refrigerator for a light morning coffee session, but keep your morning expectations reasonable. The food supply won’t satisfy a family or a North American expecting some kind of buffet. If you want a big breakfast, walk a few blocks in either direction to find the grocer or the bakery. Finding the Alice Y Juancito is a challenge. That address is perfectly accurate — it is on Avenida 1 between Calle 5 and Calle 7. The street sign says Avenida 1, but it’s called Avenida Bernardo Soto Alfaro on the map. It’s about halfway along on the south side of Avenida 1 (the right side, if you’re going from Calle 5). But the entrance is so discreet, it’s nearly invisible. I hope my photos of the entrance and the Clinica across the street will help you find the door. That’s where you’ll use the 4-digit code that Esteban sends you in your email or text. Hard to find, but don’t give up. You’ll like it very much.

Loved our stay here! Everything was cozy and clean and it was nice to have our own shower and bathroom attached to the room. We found it very easy to walk around the corner to the grocery store to get ingredients for dinner that we cooked in the kitchen, and we also loved being able to use the kitchen to make breakfast with ingredients provided by the hotel. We had to leave to go to the airport at 6am, and every other place we found with included breakfast didn't start serving until at least 6am or sometimes much later, so this was the perfect place for us to eat a good meal before our full day of travel. We also loved getting to sign the wall and found the common spaces to be really beautiful. The shuttle to the airport worked out perfectly for us too. Would love to come back!

We stayed here after a long flight before moving on the next morning. Esteban was great, he collected us from the airport as soon as we got outside and gave us some recommendations for our next destination. The room and bed were comfortable and the shower was hot, so it was just what we needed. Breakfast was pretty basic and self serve, so people coming and going at all hours are able to access it. The only negative was there was an occasional smell in our room which we believe was from drainage, but it wouldn’t stop us staying again.