Of course, downtown San Jose is not exactly the place to be. Many people who go to Costa Rica use San Jose as an arrival gateway and take off from there, avoiding the capital altogether. Having spent about 6 days total in downtown San Jose, I would have to say there's not a whole lot to recommend it.
By the way, if you just need a hotel for a night, the Hampton Inn by the airport is just fine and probably quite a bit less than the Marriott.
[This message has been edited by dgolds (edited 01-04-2001).]