Selina San Jose
Avenida 9 Calles 13 y 15, San Jose Costa Rica
Lowest prices for your stay
US$72
US$72
US$82
US$63
Booking.comUS$73
PricelineUS$65
StayForLongUS$82
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About
#5 of 127 Specialty lodging in San Jose
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Welcome to the first urban Selina, a hotspot for adventurers, working nomads, hipsters, and artists alike. The art, cuisine, nightlife, and spirit of this city will be an energizing, and enjoyable slap on the face full of nouveau Latin flavor. Stroll with Saturday shoppers through the San Jose farmers market, join the crowds in Parque La Sabana, dance the night away, or visit one of the many museums in Costa Rica’s cultural capital. Tucked away from the city hustle in the trendy historic district of Barrio Otoya is our stylish Urban office. This carefully designed space houses budding startups, freelancers and artists. Our office will allow you to get your work done, network and enjoy all the music, art and culture that has put Costa Rica on the international stage. Selina San Jose is located in Barrio Otoya, one of the oldest and most vibrant neighborhoods in the city. Features like Selina Home, The Playground, the tour office, and CoWork space add the perfect finishing touch. Stay in our dormitories, standard, deluxe, or private rooms. Suites and family rooms available. Start with a walking tour, stop for coffee, and find your new favorite outfit: in cosmopolitan San Jose, there’s a wealth of activities to choose from.
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Property amenities
Paid private parking nearby
Free internet
Yoga room
Bar / lounge
Bicycle rental
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Meeting rooms
Rooftop terrace
Wifi
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Snack bar
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shared bathroom
Shared lounge / TV area
24-hour check-in
24-hour front desk
Laundry service
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Room features
Housekeeping
Seating area
Private bathrooms
Kitchenette
Walk-in shower
Room types
City view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
92Great for walkers
Grade: 92 out of 100
60Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
27Attractionswithin 0.5 km
Avenida 9 Calles 13 y 15, San Jose Costa Rica
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189Reviews3Q+A18Room tips
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We felt that for an upscale hostel, this place was on a whole, a great experience. My only suggestion is that the rooms need more ventilation. Our 4 person dorm room had a tiny window blocked by the beds. Putting a vent fan in the window would solve this issue. Otherwise, for what it is we loved our 2-night stay here. This was at the end of our 3 week trip and had been to many towns and places across the country, I'd say we met the most friends here and had the best time. The cafe could use more larger/common tables but we were able to meet people easily regardless. They have activities and events to encourage interaction as well as a bar and pizza oven. While these amenities are overpriced, they were convenient and similar to other hotel restaurants/cafes. We didn't feel the staff was pushy at all and if we just wanted to hang out in the cafe we weren't bothered and didn't feel forced to buy something. (and probably because of this, we usually did buy food or drinks) The location was good enough - we could walk to the central market / pedestrian mall in 10 minutes. It's walkable (during daytime) from the 7-10 bus station and the Tuasa bus to the airport. The co-working space we felt was a good value, and fantastic. High powered wifi can support video meetings and it's just across the street. Also somewhat social and a good environment to work. The staff and regular patrons were amazing and we felt that we had new friends as soon as we arrived. The place had a warm feeling that I can't quite describe, created by both the staff and the guests. We didn't want to leave.…
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Date of stay: February 2023
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Ginniva Bozo, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 3 Mar 2023
Hey! We're so glad you enjoyed your time at Selina San José! Thanks for spreading the love! Our team works hard to make sure you have the best trip possible, and we're stoked to get your positive feedback. Thanks for staying with us and we hope to see you again soon! Pura vida!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Selina is located in the very convenient part of the city if you want to explore San Jose while staying there. The museums, squares, shops and central market are just minutes away by walking. It feels safe to walk in this part of the city during the day at least. The hostel itself has really cool vibes with friendly staff, cool decor and a lot of comfy nooks to hang out outside of your room. The room itself was a bit of disappointment though. I mean the bunk beds are comfortable with white sheets, comfy pillows and an electric outlet next to your head. They are just pretty simple and blunt compared to the interior of the shared spaces. The idea is to simplu just sleep there and hang out in the common spaces. +nice toiletries in the bathrooms -no towels included in the price of the room It takes between 30 minutes to an hour (in the traffic) to get to the airport.…
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: No scale to weight the luggage available.
Towels are extra paid.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Ginniva Bozo, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 18 Feb 2023
Hello Monika, Hope you're doing well! Thanks for the shout-up! We love city/location too. It makes us extremely happy that you enjoyed your stay with us and the city vibes. It's extremely important for us to create comfortable common spaces for all our guests. We really appreciate your feedback and we will definitely keep improving the room experience as we grow. We hope to see you again soon!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fell in love with Salina Hostel except when ordering food had to deal with a rude abrasive waitress that doesn’t have a clue. Sorely needs training on how to deal with patrons, Absolutely no social skills. Ruined my stay.. other than that rooms spotless, all the hot water you want, comfortable bedding and other staff hospitable and kind . Clientele great, no bums and if you are lucky can attend an art lesson with the wonderful and talented Vicky! She has a way of making everyone feel like they special and loved. I found something in that class with her that i lost.. My deepest thanks to her if the owners read this review. I will continue to recommend this great hostel to everyone friends and strangers alike. But PLEASE get rid of that idiot waitress!
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Breakfast w/ coffee 15.00 and up
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Ginniva Bozo, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 19 Jan 2023
Hello JCP! Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We sincerely apologize if the experience was not the expected, and we understand your frustration. We try to maintain the highest standards of service and that's why we are working hard to train our staff and be able to provide the best service to our guests. Other than that, we are so pleased to know you found our location and the activities to your liking! Hopefully, you can visit us again and see the improvements. Safe travel, pura vida!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I arrived late in the late night to check in and there was only 1 staff to check a big line of people (not the staff's fault) so I had to wait almost an hour to get into my room in the late evening. I booked a suite+ room and while the room matched the description, the room was little underwhelming. My view was of a broken sink in the back. I don't know what they did but the floor was so slippery that I almost slipped several times (even while barefoot). The bed was comfortable and it was nice to have a large TV in the room. This was the first time at a Selina where the staff made a conscious effort to let me know of activities, I really appreciated this since so many people traveled alone and the staff made it easy for them to participate in activities. I had book a co-working space but I was very upset to find that when I went into the co-working office (across the street) it was locked, and it was not worth the hassle to get them to open it. I had to spend a whole day working in my room which was very uncomfortable. The included breakfast was excellent and the staff in the restaurant were all great. The staff at Selina are excellent as always, but I was not too happy with what happened with my account. The shuttle was easy but expensive for what it was. The driver was great. Be mindful of having your credit card on file. I was very upset to find that they charged me for the use of the mini bar and purchasing items from the shop when I did not. They did not mention this during check out. It left a sour taste in my mouth even though Selina rectified it immediately (they usually have excellent customer service). I would have to think carefully about going to another Selina in the future.…
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Ginniva Bozo, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 6 Nov 2022
Hello, there! We hope you are doing good! Thank you so much for taking the time to give us your honest feedback, we really appreciate that you're helping us to continually create a better experience for our guest. Taking your comments into account we will make sure to keep improving the room and overall experience as we grow. We are also happy to hear that you were well attended and included by our staff, as our main goal is to make sure you have the best trip possible! We would love for you to visit us again so you can see the improvements. Pura vida!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
The room we were given was not as advertised. Selina used pictures of their Artisian Loft (higher calibar room) to advertise their bedrooms. The room we were given was drastically different to the one we booked. It had two extractor pipes outside which kept us up all night. There were termites and dead flies everywhere. We alerted reception staff to these issues and they ignored our concerns. We have had to take up official proceedings with Airbnb because the host did not respond at all during our stay, to us or Airbnb. Even after Airbnb gave them a 5 hour deadline. We were itterupted by reception staff at 8:30pm, while we were in bed due to a long travel, who demanded entry to complete a stock check of the mini fridge in the room, as this hadn't been done prior to our check in. We refused him entry because it was late and we were already in bed. He was very persist and rude when we refused. He then came back the next day and said that we both had to be honest with him if we had taken anything, it was completely humiliating and insulting. You also have to run the shower 10 minutes before you get hot water and the drain does not clear easily, so we were only to have very quick cold showers to avoid flooding. Something we raised with reception, to which they shrugged and said it is normal. We intally tried to contact Selina and reception to request that we were moved to the room advertised, however, our requests were ignored by both. Selina has not responded to a single message we or Airbnb have sent them. AVOID It was a real Instagram vs reality moment!…
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Ginniva Bozo, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 28 Sep 2022
Hello, Amy! We hope you are doing well! Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the service you received. We try to maintain the highest standards of service, but it’s clear we fell short in your case. We’d like to make sure mistakes like these don’t happen again as it was far from our intentions to allow the situation to escalate further than it did. In regards with the room not advertised the system accommodated your reservation in a Deluxe room given that at that moment the room in the picture had just been booked by a long term stay, we will make sure to fix any information that gives away wrong advertisement for our guests. We are working really closely with our team to make sure we provide the best trip possible to our Selina family. We apologize one more time for the situation given and we will keep improving every detail as we grow. Pura vida!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I loved staying here! They have so many tour options and ways to meet different travelers. I loved meeting new people here and doing the activities offered by the hostel. Food was also amazing. Drinks were excellent. Very social atmosphere with good music. I also liked the many options for rooms. Books quick though!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Go ziplining! It’s like half an hour away and it’s so fun. Only $50 for three hours of zipping...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Ginniva Bozo, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 20 Jul 2022
Hello Rebeccah, It makes us very happy to see that you really enjoyed your stay with us and that you like Selina so much in general. Thank you very much for leaving us a review. We are very glad that you liked our activities and the food. We would love to see you again to continue creating unforgettable memories together. Safe travel! Pura Vida!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Check in is at 3pm, which is a bit late, made even worse by the fact that the rooms were delayed by more than an hour so ourselves and several other guests couldn’t check in before 4-4:30pm. There is little to nothing to do, just people waiting to get into their rooms. After getting our room, suddenly 2 other guests unlocked the door and came in, saying it was their room, while we laying in our room. Seems the hostel has sold the same room to 2 separate bookings. Super unprofessional and inconvenient as a customer to have your door unlocked from the outside and others coming in.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: We only used this for a one night stay while waiting for the next shuttle. Wouldn’t recommend...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Selina Management, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 9 Jul 2022
Hi Meander, We offer you a great apology for your experience, without a doubt, we will continue working so that every detail is perfect for you and for the other guests. Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us your comments that will help us to be better. We assure you that this will not happen again. We hope to see you again very soon Pura Vida!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Came here with 6 friends for 2 nights. On our first night we came back to our dorm only to find that all of my friends belongings had been removed from her bed and put on the floor and other peoples stuff was there. We went to reception and found out they had double booked that bed and said that the girl would be along to collect her belongings. She did indeed do this but it was at 12.00 at night which was a bit inconvenient considering we were all asleep. Despite this we had a very pleasant stay at Selina and thoroughly enjoyed our free breakfasts in the morning. The restaurant there was actually very nice, a bit overpriced but the food was good. The shower was also hot which was lovely! The beds were also quite comfy. The hostel is also very modern and very aesthetically pleasing!…
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Selina Management, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 14 Feb 2022
Hello Dizzle! We are really sorry about the mix-up with double booking your bed, we really appreciate your review so we can catch issues like this. We are really glad that everything else went smoothly while staying here with us! We hope you will visit us again soon, and safe travels!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bar/restaurant were good. We were a group of 7 and stayed in an 8 bed dorm. The room was small but beds were spacious, contained a locker (as well as a separate locker each) and a curtain to maintain privacy. Location was perfect and very central. Would stay here again.
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Don’t book through Hostelworld! We paid a deposit thinking it was to the selina but told u pay a...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Selina Management, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 10 Feb 2022
Hello Ollie! We are glad that you and your group had a fun experience staying with us! Your review is so important to us to help create a better experience for current and future guests looking to stay with us. We hope to see you again in the future here at Selina and safe travels!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Like every Selina Hostel there is love in every detail - decoration, lights, good furniture. We had the deluxe room with a lot of space, a table, a sofa, own bathroom and good comfort. The bed was very cosy. We had no warm water for 2 days in our room, but the staff reacted instantly, tried to fix it and we got a free breakfast and some money back. Clean kitchen, enogh fridge space and a cool sofa space in the living kitchen. In total we had a nice and relaxing stay amd would definitly recommand this hostel.
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: San Jose is not a very interesting city
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Selina Management, Owner at Selina San Jose
Responded 21 Dec 2021
Hello, Lynns! We are so happy that you enjoyed your stay with us and that you liked the city vibes, we work hard so our guests have the best trip possible. We really hope to see you again soon, pura vida!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$23 - US$83 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of San JoseSan Jose MetroSan Jose
NUMBER OF ROOMS
45
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Frequently Asked Questions about Selina San Jose
Which popular attractions are close to Selina San Jose?
Nearby attractions include Jade Museum (0.5 km), Galeria Namu (0.4 km), and Museo del Jade y la Cultura Precolombina (0.5 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Selina San Jose?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and meeting rooms.
Which room amenities are available at Selina San Jose?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, a seating area, and a walk-in shower.
What food & drink options are available at Selina San Jose?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at Selina San Jose?
Yes, paid private parking nearby and paid public parking nearby are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Selina San Jose?
Conveniently located restaurants include Restaurante Silvestre, Pizza Oliva, and La Criollita.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Selina San Jose?
Yes, guests have access to a yoga room during their stay.
Are pets allowed at Selina San Jose?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Selina San Jose?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Are there any historical sites close to Selina San Jose?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Teatro Nacional Costa Rica (0.7 km), Ruinas de Ujarras (1.9 km), and Chepeteando/ San José a pie (0.7 km).