Staying in a hostel is different than staying in a hotel, but we prefer to stay at places that allow kitchen access, and generally we find the advantages of staying in the more personal small hostels to outweigh the differences with hotels.
As Hostelworld says 'No place is perfect,' but for our needs, this one pretty much is.
This time last year we spent 5 1/2 weeks in Costa Rica. As we did last year, we stayed at the the wonderful Alajuela Tropical Hostel again, was great to see Alonso in his new location! Many reviewers find the experience to be like staying in the house of a Cosa Rican friend, and we do as well.
Alonso is a local, a 'Tico,' is bilingual, and knows his country and his business very,very well.
If you would like give it a try, book it online with Paypal here: Alajuela Tropical Hostel Once you book you must email your flight info to arrange for the included free airport pickup.
Early to rise....
We got up at 5am in Austin for our 8;20 flight, brother Reggie kindly gave us a ride to the Austin airport. We had an hour layover in Houston, arrived in SJO at 2:00pm, and were a little tired, so it was so great to see Alonso's familiar face appear rather than having to run the gamut of taxi drivers at the airport door.
Alonso's new location (a walled suburban house) has a comfortable shady front patio with a very nice tropical garden where time to time we could here parrots screeching. Everything we need to prepare for the rest of the six week trip --banks, food stores, pharmacy, camping supplies, etc -- are all in walking distance. The entry to the subdivision has security guard and his place is on a dead end street so its fairly quiet. As you walk up the street to his house you can see the old red cathedral dome in the distance.
Former park ranger Alonso picked us up at the Airport in his antique yellow Land Rover, which he uses to conduct tours of the Poas volcano, animal refuge, winery (!) and other attractions of the local area. He had a Netherlands couple waiting in the Land Rover who he was dropping off at the Ojo de Agua, an old established spring fed swim park . 
The day was a partly cloudy cool day in the central valley. The cloudy sky was nice, added drama to the surrounding green mountains.
Big trees and tropical flowering plants line the trees of this upscale area of Alajuela, so makes for pleasant walking.
What his guests can't find on their own, Alonso is more than happy to assist them with. Alonso is truly committed to excelence.
Thanks, Alonso! See you at the end of the trip!
