Set among 10 acres of lush gardens, the unique and comfortable Hotel Bougainvillea is a place where guests can truly experience the world famous beauty of Costa Rica, just 15 minutes from San José downtown and 20 minutes from the airport. The hotel's large and bright rooms harmonize with the tastefully decorated lobby, restaurant, and common areas. Original pieces of Costa Rican art complement the stunning landscaped tropical gardens dominated by tall trees, plentiful flowers, ponds and mountain views. Hotel Bougainvillea offers you the chance to enjoy Costa Rica from the first minute of your Costa Rica tour. Don't lose your precious time! Rooms Located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica, Hotel Bougainvillea features 81 hotel rooms within a short 20-minute ride from the San Jose International Airport. Amidst the typical coffee farms of Santo Domingo, the hotel rooms are distributed in 4 Junior suites and 77 Standard Mountain View rooms. Hotel Bougainvillea has the charm of a family owned and operated hotel. Every detail of the hotel and restaurant is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen, who brought his experience and style when he came to Costa Rica in 1961. A real value for family vacationing, honeymooners, business men or special interest groups alike, Hotel Bougainvillea's home-like feeling and staff warmth make a harmonious combination of relaxation and office extension and a wonderful way to begin your Costa Rica trip. Hotel Facilities Well deserving of its reputation for top standards, guest services and an eye for detail, the Hotel Bougainvillea truly sets itself apart from the rest. Featuring 81 rooms, facilities include an inviting lobby and an extended aura of delicate European charm. Restaurant and Bar Just off the lobby, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers you the graceful charm of our Vitrales Restaurant and Bar; serving continental, international, and Costa Rican cuisine to the delight of its guests. The atmosphere is unperturbed, with friendly and superb service. The maitre d' seats guests in a tastefully decorated dining room, either at a front window table or at a table with views of softly-lighted paintings of traditional Costa Rican scenery—on tile, in oils and watercolors. Before you read the menu for the larger meals of the day, the hotel would like you to know how carefully it considers the health of its guests by taking into account the nutritional value and balance of the meals they prepare. The quality of clean water is regularly monitored by a laboratory. The hotel can assure its guests that the water at the hotel is completely safe to drink, as it is drawn from their own well some 150 meters (nearly 500 feet) deep originated in a forested watershed area. Breakfast: Enjoy the buffet breakfast while looking at many spectacular native birds right outside the window facing the gardens. The buffet breakfast offers a wide variety of tropical fruit and local Costa Rican delicacies. You can also order à la carte one of the local specialties: gallo pinto, (being this the traditional dish for Costa Ricans breakfast, consisting of rice and beans) or huevos rancheros. (ranch-style eggs cooked in a rich tomato sauce and served with warm corn tortillas) Renowned, fresh, Costa Rican coffee comes in three different varieties: Regular Dark Roast, Espresso, and Decaffeinated. Lunch: At mid-day the hotel offers its Menú del Día, which is a 3-course meal. Nonetheless, there is also lighter fare as the Bougainvillea salad or hearts of palm salad. Fresh salmon is flown in from Chile, while corvina (sea bass) is a favorite Costa Rican fish. Bougainvillea chefs enjoy preparing Costa Rican food like the regional vegetable dish called Casado Vegetariano. (Rice, black beans, tomato, avocado, and plantain fried in vegetable oil, two types of vegetables and a tortilla topped with beans and white cheese) Desserts: All the desserts are delicious home-made confections exquisitely served. Take pleasure in tasting a cake or cream of maracuyá (passion fruit), or a light ice cream or sherbet. Dinner: In the evening, ceviche is a light and popular dish which can be served as an appetizer: delight in this corvina marinated in fresh lemon and cilantro. Local beers, Chilean, American and European wines go along perfectly with your meal either at you table or in the adjacent bar. You may also find Costa Rican Güaro among the best recommended liquors. This local spirit made from sugar cane can be drank straight or mixed into a güaro sour. After coffee, you might enjoy some golden cream liquor Café Rica, made from Costa Rican coffee. Swimming and Tennis Courts Offering finest hotel accommodations for the leisure traveler or business man, Hotel Bougainvillea's landscaped and manicured grounds beckon you to soak in the fun and sun activities of our outdoor areas. Relax and unwind your inmost feelings by reading a book or taking the sun by the beautiful pool area, surrounded by representations of local landscapes in tile. This outdoor area also includes a sauna for your enjoyment, to soothe your body and prepare for another fascinating day in Costa Rica. Adjoining the pool area, there are the two lighted tennis courts for those who enjoy playing a match. There are tennis rackets to borrow, so if you want to play a couple of sets just make sure to bring the tennis balls! (Tennis balls get lost at a rapid rate; please bring some along if tennis is your game! They are also for sale in our gift shop conveniently located in the lobby. Gardens The gardens at the Hotel Bougainvillea make the hotel one of the most beautiful places to stay in all of Costa Rica. The hotel is located in the quiet and mountain studded of Santo Tomas in Santo Domingo, Heredia, surrounded by coffee fields and enjoying cool mountain breezes. Many guests have stated that the gardens are such an attractions that they would willingly pay just to see them. With its 10 acres of carefully tended and landscaped tropical gardens, the Hotel Bougainvillea's green oasis feature a plethora of over 50 species of bromeliads, Costa Rican native trees, and numerous species of orchids, herb and cactus gardens; and naturally, “coffee frog” ponds. Guests find the gardens an inspirational paradise where they can relax and discover the beauty of countless endemic Costa Rican plants or birds. The famed, radiant humming bird and butterflies, typical of the Central Valley of Costa Rica, are easily recognized from bird watching points. Additionally, the hotel offers a haven of protection for “Coffee Frogs” in an effort to save them from extinction. Gift Shop In the well appointed lobby of the Hotel Bougainvillea, you will find the lovely gift shop Acacia Rosada, either for last minute souvenir shopping or for any personal items you may need during your stay. The gift shop has more than 75 t-shirt styles in stock for you to browse through. It also carries a nice variety of world famous, Arabica Costa Rican coffee and sweets, guidebooks, local newspapers and other reading materials. Additionally, it also stocks post cards and stamps, film for cameras, batteries and personal items for your convenience. Acacia Rosada gift shop offers a wide variety of handcrafted Costa Rican souvenirs including ceramics, jewelry and charming items in fine and rare woods. All of which embody perfect presents for yourself, family or friends. Please feel free to drop by and browse. Hotel Bougainvillea's gift shop is open from 7 am to 9 pm daily and the staff looks forward to assisting you with excellent prices and attention. Internet Access Executives and businessmen find Hotel Bougainvillea to be the perfect extension of their office. A modern Internet Cafe is located in the lobby for your convenience, where you are able to check your email, print documents, download digital pictures and more. There is a wireless network throughout the hotel, making it possible for all guests to have Internet access using their portable computers. Currently, more than 80% of the total areas of the hotel are online including the swimming pool. Currency Exchange Hotel Bougainvillea's front desk will be happy to assist you with any money matters you may encounter during your stay with us. Please ask at the receptionists' desk about exchanging United States Dollars or Euros for Colones at a very competitive rate. The maximum amount we can exchange per day, per room is US$ 200.00 or € 160.00 The Colón is the official currency of Costa Rica, which is based on the decimal system of 100 cents to each Colón. Notes come in denominations of 10,000 - 5,000 - 2,000 and 1,000 colon bills; while coins are in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 25, 20, 10, and 5 colon coins. You can also exchange money at the nearest banks. State bank hours are 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, while many private banks have offices open until 7:00 pm. Banks are closed on weekends and national holidays.