I was in Costa Rica for a week and I stayed at Hotel Centro Colon the last night in order to be closer to the airport. The kindest thing I can say is, "Ugh!".

The reservation was made by travel agent friends of my sister-in-law (who is a Tica) and I can only imagine that they've never actually seen one of the rooms or eaten at the restaurant. (This travel agent made transportation arrangements during our trip, all of which were fantastic.)

After some minor issues with check-in, I went to my room which was rather cheesy and was only moderately clean. There was a safe but it was locked. When I went to the front desk to ask for the key, they said there was a $3 fee to rent it plus I had to leave a credit card for a deposit. I raised a little hell and got out of leaving the deposit only because the travel agent knew my sister-in-law. There were only 2 towels for 2 people and no other supplies other than a tiny bar of soap. The carpet was greasy/dirty so I didn't walk barefoot in the room. There was hair and dirt on the bathroom floor (whose door didn't stay shut). The mattress was ok, but the bedspread and blanket were as clean as the carpet. The shower was large and at least there was ample hot water.

With the room we got a coupon for free breakfast but clearly it's free only because no one would actually pay for such horrible food. I had just spent a week in Costa Rica, enjoying delicious fresh fruit and pinto gallo in several places around the country so this was really a letdown. It was unfortunate that the food the last morning I was there literally left such a bad taste in my mouth.

The travel agent chose this place because it was a little less money than the hotels closer to the airport. I would have preferred to spend a little more money to have a better experience. Thankfully I was only there for one night.