InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall

I had a really pleasant stay at the Intercontinental. I love the layout of the open lobby, restaurants, pool area. It feels very airy, and it is well-furnished with lots of little seated nooks and comfy couches. I had dinner at the Market at an outdoor table which was really wonderful. The rooms are cool, well-equipped, and the bed was comfortable. It was convenient to walk over to the mall which has a grocery store. The fitness room is well- equipped with plenty of cardio machines and weights. The water was not working my first day, due to a construction project, so I had to take a shower in the spa, which was big and beautiful with heated towels. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I would definitely stay here again.

Our family stayed at the Intercontinental for several days while exploring the San Jose area. The hotel is typical IHG Intercontinental quality with beautiful furnishings and quality touched throughout. The breakfast and the Club happy hour were fantastic. The center pool and park area were fantastic and well maintained. Hotel is adjacent to a mall which makes getting essentials and or dining relatively easy.

After reading some of the reviews stating this was a old property. I was surprised at how much I liked the grounds and room. It has character, it’s the older classic style and some people prefer that. However the biggest let down is the quality of the service. The thing that should cost nothing. It’s not a stretch to say the service at the intercontinental was the worst I experienced in Costa Rica. Where if it’s living up to the brand it should be the best. On the way in I stayed at fellow IHG property Crowne plaza and despite that property not being as nice of a building or space, the service there was far superior to the intercontinental. I had to explain to the check in staff the entitlements of an intercontinental diamond ambassador. Thankfully all benefits were honoured in the end. Wouldn’t let me sign room service to my room unless I came down and gave them a credit card - why wasn’t I asked for one at check in when I told them I’d be ordering room service? Told me nothing about the hotel, and just finished “do you know where the lifts are?” Why would I thought to myself “That way” Generally staff around the property just seemed inattentive and unfriendly. Disappointing and not up to brand standard. Some other things of note -: Super comfy beds Aircon in room was poor, it only dropped the temperature even if you set it to 26 degrees and dry. Overall it’s a nice city property being let down by poor service and lack of preparation to loyalty. I wouldn’t stay here again.

We dressed up and made a special trip on Thursday, April 17, to dine at Pimento, a restaurant we had genuinely enjoyed during our extended two-week stay at the hotel in the past. We enjoy the restaurant and the food there and were excited to come back, we could have gone to Andiamo La instead - at least there, they know how to treat their guests. We started with a drink at the bar and then we headed to the restaurant and there at the host stand was Jose, who introduced himself as the sommelier and also the manager. When we arrived at the restaurant around 7:15 PM, there were at least five open tables and only two reservations on the books. We didn’t have a reservation, but it was clear that space was not an issue. So, it truly caught us off guard when we were told, “Sorry, tonight is reservation-only.” No didnt even try. No suggestion to wait or see. Just a flat "No." - he told us that we can dine at the other 2 restaurants which frankly irritated me more the way how it was delivered because we are not there just to eat, we are there to intentionally dine at this particular restaurant. The body language was such in a hurry and ready to walk away and go back to the floor. From a hospitality standpoint, this was deeply disappointing. We were already on property, dressed for dinner, and clearly ready to dine. As returning guests who had previously supported the hotel and its dining venues including events, it felt incredibly dismissive to be turned away despite the availability of multiple open tables. To make matters worse, as we walked back to our car, confused and disappointed, we checked OpenTable and easily found a reservation for 7:30 PM, with plenty of availability showing. We made the reservation, turned around, and walked right back in. It was frustrating and honestly a bit embarrassing. Jose came back and was surprised that we were able to make a reservation. Instead of apologizing and just rectifying the issue right away, he made more excuses and it just made us more upset. Embarrassing that we had to argue with him while the guest was arriving. We couldn't understand why the manager would choose to let us walk away instead of simply seating us. His explanation was that the tables were being held in case hotel guests decided to come down but even he wasn't certain those guests had any intention to dine. So essentially, we were turned away for guests who hadn’t shown up or committed. At that point, we decided why will give this restaurant our business? they clearly don't want us, so we walked away instead and we will never come back and not just that, we will share to our friends our experience. This experience didn’t reflect any hospitality — it reflected someone who was following policy over guest experience. Hospitality is about reading the moment, not just the rules. We were there. We were ready. The tables were available. The message we received, instead, was “You’re not important enough to seat unless you’re on a list.” That isn’t what hospitality should ever feel like.

Good hotel in a strange location - this IC is no-where near downtown, and whilst there is a big mall next door it's not a particularly interesting area, and still about a 20 minute drive from the airport (if traffic is good!). The hotel itself is pleasant, if a bit tired in places. I had a nice corner room with a very soft bed. The shower had good pressure and temperature and otherwise the room was fine if uninispiring. Breakfast was provided in the lounge area and was OK. Not the biggest selection but most of the basics are covered. Staff thoughout were friendly and helpful. The pool area was pleasant and there were plenty of sun loungers at 9am!