I visited Costa Rica 3 years ago, and deliberately avoided San Jose as I wanted to spend all of my time in the rainforest and near the beaches. My most recent trip, however, required me to stay near the city for business reasons. I still marvel at how lucky I was to have found Karla and her delightful guest house, Kap's Place, near the heart of the city. From the moment I arrived, I felt like part of a large extended family. Karla welcomed me personally with a fresh cup of tea. With 3 beautifully decorated guest rooms within the main building, each with their own spotless bathroom, cable TV, comfortable beds, and telephone, I was astounded to find such good value for my money. Each of the rooms open into the common living and dining area, and kitchen (with microwave, toaster oven and large refrigerator) that is available at all hours to guests. Coffee and tea are always on hand, and within a few blocks you can find any number of reasonably priced cafes and small local grocery stores (a list is provided by Karla, along with lots of practical information about San Jose and its services and attractions). In addition, there is a separate apartment that has its own kitchen facilities, that opens up, as does the guest house, onto a lovely covered patio area with lots of sunlight, flowers and hammocks for relaxing or taking an afternoon siesta. As for cleanliness, the place was spotless, appearing as a little oasis in the midst of the busy capital city. Although Kap's Place is located in the barrio of Aranjuez, it is less than a ten minute walk to the center of downtown San Jose, and in a safe neighborhood for walking day or night. Being rainy season while I was there, I found myself walking to town in the mornings, and returning "home" to Kap's Place in the late afternoon when the rainstorms usually hit, often spending the rest of the day settled in a hammock reading, writing, or just enjoying the sound of the rain hitting the roof above. Kap's Place may be one of the best kept secrets in San Jose, mostly due to the friendliness and helpfulness of Karla, its bilingual owner, who provides a wealth of information about San Jose and its environs. On top of all that, she is more than happy to assist in local travel arrangements and other adventures in most any other part of the country. I highly recommend Kap's Place without hesitation, to both young and old alike, and personally look forward my next opportunity to return.

Kap's Place was a great place to stay for our family of five. The apartment was roomy enough to spread out, but inexpensive for five. It's a bit of a walk to downtown--not something we wanted to do more than once a day--but it's located in a nice neighborhood with good Tico restaurants, banks, groceries, etc. We found it pleasant to stay outside of downtown--it was a bit of a shock to see all the tourists in the downtown core. Karla was exceedingly helpful. She truly wanted to help us with all our questions. Our son enjoyed playing with her young son in the courtyard-they invited my son into their home one evening for family games and he had a great time! Highly recommended!