Hotel Pibi Boreal0

With a 15 minute drive distance from San Jose airport, this is a great place to be! I can't overestimate how much I liked Pibi Boreal, and the staff. The owners are super nice, helpful, caring and would serve with any information you might need. Talking to both of them is an extra treat as they know surroundings very well. This is a very intimate hotel with 5 rooms only, a large garden to walk around, thousands of butterflies and birds, as well as an unobscured view of the rainforest, which basically comes into your place. Breakfast is served to your room, and you can have it sitting on the terrace, watching the nature around you. Rooms are of a decent size, I really liked a bathroom. It is very clean. But first and most of all - the owners make this place so special! Thank you!

Nothing comes to my mind, truly.

Everything. I’ll be as descriptive as possible. The hospitality is #1. The owner did not need to pick me up at the airport, I was prepared to take an Uber or taxi, but she did and she even checked in on me and waited despite an overly delayed customs/immigration process (I waited about 2 hrs in line) because it was just full and possibly understaffed. Having them wait or check back in with me on my ETA was so appreciated. It felt like a friend was picking me up. The recommendations on places to go via the confirmation email was amazing. I went to all of them and they are the best recommendations. Now for the place, the gated entrance is huge and on a cul-de-sac. It is very private, quiet and beautiful. The grounds/garden is beautifully manicured and maintained with wonderful trees, flowers and plants throughout. Their house and office space is just as pretty (I wish I had one of my own). As for my room (#1) was simply the best. The craftsmanship and design, the small touches that were aesthetically interesting and functional. Loved the dry rack in the bathroom, the rainfall shower head, reliable hot water, stable internet, mini coffee station, water jug and mini fridge. Also the fan came in handy. The black out shades, the bed - perfect! Lastly, the terrace and the view. Omg. I could sit there forever.

Having to leave. Also people mention the noise, and yes it’s not sound proofed because it’s a small property and the rooms are connected. The terrace is beautiful and the bamboo fencing adds privacy, but not a sound barrier. I didn’t mind this! It’s great to have neighbors who are already mindful of this and read reviews and are conscious of their noise levels. I think this unit is best for solo travelers, friends, couples and even honeymooners. As for families, sure but just be mindful that noise carries and everyone wants to enjoy the serenity.

Trust Waze app - it will get you there even if it is a lot of turns. Hotel was indeed close to the airport, but felt much prettier, safer (gated property) and more in nature than the surrounding area and other areas near the airport. Owners were very kind and helped me map to the rental car return, figure out what time we should leave and gave us restaurant recommendations. We left for the airport too early for breakfast, but enjoyed waking up to beautiful tree tops. Great place to stay on our last night (or first night if you get to SJO late) in Costa Rica. Would stay here again. Pura Vida!

Hotel Pibi Boreal's description and reviews are accurate. Some have commented about airplane noise, but in the evening and morning it is limited and after all, it is a place that is convenient to the airport, so some plane noise should be expected. It's a fine lodging on the outer edge of San Jose, away from most of the noise and congestion of the city but close to enough to good restaurants and shopping in Alajuela. Rooms are spacious and uncluttered, with huge views and a patio overlooking a forest; bath is immaculate; breakfasts are tasty and plentiful, hosts are kind and helpful. It is a great value for all they offer in this area.

Bed was quite firm compared to what I am used to.

This was our second time staying here. It's a cute little place owned by a family. Breakfast and coffee is delivered to the door at 7:00am. The property is lovely with a little garden and walk. The owners are friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. The facility is super quiet and peaceful which was well appreciated after driving over the mountain roads and then through San Jose!

The linens had a VERY strong perfume (dryer sheets?) smell. It made it a bit difficult to sleep. Otherwise no complaints!

Thank you Pibi Boreal for the lovely stay! This hotel is a charming place to stay when flying in or out of San Jose airport. It’s owned/operated by a family of the nicest people. The service was very warm and helpful, for the price point, which is quite affordable. We showed up after 10pm after a long day of flying. We were so hungry and the thought of finding a restaurant that was open seemed intimidating. The woman in charge whipped up tasty grilled cheese sandwiches and salads for us so we didn’t go hungry. It was so thoughtful! Breakfast is a light and refreshing spread of toast and jam/butter, and plenty of fresh local fruits as well as coffee and tea. The only downside is that the walls and floors are paper thin, so be extra courteous of your volume and footsteps, and cross your fingers that the rooms nearby do the same (and maybe bring some ear plugs/a noisemaker in case). All in all, a very charming place to start or end your Costa Rican adventure for a very affordable price run by an absolutely adorable family.

A great experience. Kept in touch with us via whatsapp. Were incredibly helpful when our flight was late and we thought we'd be unable to pick up our car rental.......were ready to arrange taxis/transport though it wasn't needed in the end. Such great customer service. Breakfast was great and the owners did absolutely everything to be helpful. A great start to our trip to Costa Rica and we will stay with them on the night before we fly out.

The hotel is not "luxurious", but very well appointed and functional, very clean. It is located in the middle of a forested area in the outskirts of San Jose, surrounded by upper scale properties. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with a deck and an exceptional view to the surrounding forest. The breakfast served was very good, and the staff bent over backwards to accommodate our "extra wishes". The location was chosen because it was already on the route to Volcano Poas NP and La Fortuna, thus avoiding the heavy city traffic to leave San José, and this proved to be a very wise decision. If this fits your travel plans, I strongly recommend staying there.

This is not a shortcoming per se. I would not stay here if my goal was to visit San José itself - and it was not. Besides this, I cannot think of anything to be unhappy about.

This is a beautiful place. The room is super clean an spacious. Bed is comfy and Nidia is just wonderful and the view is amazing. The pickup from the airport is the icing on the cake. It is quiet, except some airplanes and you feel like you were in the jungle

I wouldn't recommend staying here if your goal is to visit San Jose and you dont rent a car,since the ride downtown is quite long and pricey (at least for a solo traveller)

I booked this place for my mother-in-law who was traveling alone for the return journey from Costa Rica back to the States. We dropped her off on our way to the airport and fell in love with the place which was located in quite hillside neighborhood. We wish we could have stayed there too! I had communicated with Mathieu about arranging transport for my mother-in-law early the next morning and he was extremely responsive. He met us upon our arrival and I can't say enough good things about how personal he was. The next morning, he was outside her room bright and early to have her at the airport on time. I would highly recommend the Hotel Pibi Boreal and would love to stay there in the future if we find ourselves back in Costa Rica