Name: Pura Vida Hotel
Address: de A, Montecillos, Alajuela Province, Alajuela, Costa Rica, Alajuela, Alajuela, Alajuela, 20101, Costa Rica
Rating: 10

Elevator/lift

Currency exchange

Smoke-free property

Express check-in/check-out

Garden

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Fridge

Hairdryer

Shower/Bathtub

Shower

Wardrobe/Closet

Rooms

Ironing

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Coffee/tea for guests

Diet menu (on request)

Restaurant

Bottled water

Kettle

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Car rental

Airport transportation

Transfer

Spanish

English

French

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Parking

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Conference Hall

Business

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Room amenities

Juan Santamaria International Airport

Tobias Bolanos Airport

Fortuna Airport

Guapiles Airport

Pura Vida Hotel

Alajuela

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

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4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

The Pura Vida Hotel is always our first stop in Costa Rica.  It's a short taxi ride from the airport.  We are able to pre-order late meals, which is nice after a long day of travel.  I love waking up to the sound of birds and being visited by one of the resident dogs.  The gardens are relaxing and so beautiful.  Breakfast is always delicious.  What I really appreciate is the convenience of having my rental car delivered to the hotel.  Berni gets me a great rate and I'm able to sign my contract in the open air dining area.

A welcoming stay in Alajuela.

Our time at Pura Vida was perfect.  It was a short trip from the airport which was much needed with late flights and was a special place for us on our arrival to and our departure from Costa Rica.  We had stayed there when Bernie and Nhi had begun their innkeeper's career several years ago and were so glad to make a return trip once again. The property is delightful with a lovely garden, witty and whimsical touches all throughout, and a wonderful breakfast (kids LOVED the bread pudding, and the fruit plates were beautiful and delicious). We also enjoyed Nhi's fantastic dinner service.  She even served a flourless chocolate cake for us (I am gluten sensitive) that we devoured.   We especially appreciate the space in the Casitas as it creates a lovely place to rest and relax after a busy day seeing the sights.  I tried to read as much of the hotel guide during my rest times as they were filled with Bernie's highly entertaining writing.  Also getting the rental car through the hotel was a breeze. I appreciated the help and convenience. We highly recommend Pura Vida Hotel!

Pura Vida - a delightful place!

A hidden gem in the outskirts of San Jose. We only stayed the night after our arrival but this place is just awesome. Lovely garden with so many different plants. They attract different birds, butterflies etc. It’s was the perfect start to our Costa Rica family adventure. I highly recommend Pura Vida Hotel. Berni as a host is one of a kind with so many good stories and recommendations. He is really a character and you feel welcome from the first second. Foods is top notch and our son still asked for the receipt of the chicken sandwich!

A hidden gem in the outskirts of San Jose

The Pura Vida Hotel is a great place to start and finish a trip to Costa Rica. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable, the gardens are lovely and  the food was excellent. Berni and Nhi were very helpful and had lots of useful advice re our trip. Highly recommended!

A great place to start and end the trip

Seclusion in paradise.  
Our friends has stayed at this hotel on their previous trip and recommended to us. 
We booked our stay the day prior to our departure home since it’s close to the airport.
The hotel was so peaceful, secluded small apartments with a lush garden in between
The apartment is well furnished, with a hammock outside to relax
The owners are great and make the stay. 10/10. He will give you advice for dining and visiting other areas when you’re in Costa Rica.
Him and his wife served a very good breakfast with fresh fruit, yogurt and banana bread. 
If you have an opportunity would recommend dinner by his wife. 
Will definitely return in my next trip to costa rica

Seclusion in paradise

Like so many before us, we give Hotel Pura Vida a whole hearted 5 star review.  We stayed at Pura Vida at the beginning and end of our big family holiday to CR at the end of December and at the beginning of January.  We were 12, and spread ourselves over 3 of the little casitas.  I will start by saying that the expert advice provided by Berni before and during the trip was beyond helpful, and totally on point.  Berni suggested a coffee trip to the El Toledo, coffee farm which we all agreed was one of our favourite days of the trip, likewise Berni helped us order food to the hotel which was delicious, we purchased sandwiches on the first night that were so needed and yummy, and the drivers Berni connected us to were excellent.
The casitas were even nicer and larger than they appear in the pictures.  We arrived after a long day of travel through the Toronto airport, and to be honest a difficult December at home, and stepping behind the gate into the Hotel Pura Vida was like flipping a switch, everyone agreed it was a magical moment. The temperature was cooler overnight, and we were able to open the windows and enjoy the breezes through the screens and sleep very well.  This is a gated hotel, and we felt totally secure,  although I must say we also felt quite safe everywhere we went in Costa Rica. We brought some non-aerosol bug spray, which we used here and elsewhere in the evenings when sitting outside and enjoying the garden.  There are so many lovely plants to look at when you walk around Pura Vida, it truly is an oasis.  We stayed in the Rain forest casita, and it had a large tiled shower, a hair dryer, and fantastic reading lights  over the bed.  Luxury meets the fresh air. There was a small coffee maker, and a fridge, and comfortable beds. 
Our group gathered outside the other travellers' room, the Mariposa Casita, it had such a nice space for sitting outside and an outdoor kitchen area.  The fridges in the casitas were handy for our drinks and snacks.
Everyone agreed this spot was a great choice, honestly we stayed 3 nights but would likely have bumped it to 4 nights because there seemed to be a lot to explore in this area as well as so much to see generally in Costa Rica. This is a smaller hotel, with limited spaces, so book early and you will be happy you did.  

Simply the best

Berni and Nhi have created a little paradise on the outskirts of Alajuela. The cottages are arranged in a beautiful tropical garden. They are nicely decorated and perfectly equipped. The entire property is gated, including the parking lot - we felt more than safe.
The breakfast is gorgeously arranged and comes with lots of fruits. We were lucky and could also enjoy a superb, freshly cooked dinner on the lovely patio.
Berni is the perfect host and provides tips on nearly everything – tours, restaurants, routing – and helps making reservations. And everything is garnished with a great portion of British humor – you gotta love it!

A perfect start into our Pura Vida experience

I can't think of a better place to start and end a trip to Costa Rica. Comfortable and spacious casitas, nice gardens to enjoy and always good service and advice! I would also recommend renting a car through Berni over the airport. 

A place that sets a good mood  

Pura Vida Hotel is wonderful. The rooms are very spacious and comfortable, the grounds are beautiful, and Bernie is an exceptional host. We enjoyed our time here immensely and would definitely stay again. 

Beautiful stay

Pura Vida hotel in Alajuela has been a truly wonderful experience. Behind the wall Bernie and his wife have built a little paradise. The cabins are set in a beautiful garden with hummingbirds flying around. They with all have their own name and character. Our 'Toucan' was beautifully decorated. In the morning we had a breakfast that did not only tasted great but also looked like a small piece of art. Although we only stayed for one night we had the opportunity to enjoy a bit of Bernie's very special sense of British humor.

Pura Vida Hotel

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