Hotel Bougainvillea

Where: Santa Domingo (Suburb of capital, San Jose), Costa Rica
Website: http://www.hb.co.cr
Phone: 1-866-880-5441 (call from US or Canada); 506 2244-1414 (call from Costa Rica)
Email: info@hb.co.cr

Hotel Bougainvillea is not an orchid garden, but if you are traveling to Costa Rica and need a place to stay relatively close to the capital or the international airport, you would not regret staying in this beautiful hotel with an amazing tropical garden.

I have stayed at Hotel Bougainvillea three times. Every time I see different plants blooming in the 10-acre of lush garden. Besides orchids, the garden also has bromeliads, native trees and shrubs, herbs and cactus (yes you can find cactus in a tropical place like Costa Rica). The garden also has a frog pond and a maze made of of plants.

Besides tropical plants, the hotel also offers tennis court and swimming pool. English-speaking staff is helpful and friendly. Despite the fact that Costa Rica is not exactly the place to find culinary delights, the restaurant provides pretty good food. I recommend trying their lemonade and steak with jalapeño.

Getting there can be confusing, but don’t let it deter you. Just print out the direction to Hotel Bougainvillea before you leave home. Or if you are not driving, a taxi ride from the airport will cost about US$22.