SJO is a city, in a valley, in the center of the country; so resorts are not a strong business here. What you can find are luxury hotels or houses in AirBnB. Some preferred properties are:

- Intercontinental San Jose (Escazu) :-::-::-::-::-: : Luxury executive city hotel, located in commercial area, 4 miles from downtown. Has spa and medium size pools. President Barack Obama stayed here in 2013.

- Marriott Costa Rica (Belen) :-::-::-::-:: BEAUTIFUL thematic (spanish colonial) luxury hotel for premium tourists, located in suburb area, 7 miles from downtown, close to airport. Has spa, medium size pools, small golf course. President Bill Clinton stayed here in 1997.

- DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari :-::-::-::-:: Regular to premium hotel for regular tourists/business travelers, located in suburb/commercial area, 5 miles from downtown, close to airport. Has spa, small and Olympic pools, tennis courts, ENORMOUS golf course. Presidents Ronald Reagan and and George H.W. Bush stayed here in 1983 and 1989 respectively.

- Wyndham Herradura :-::-::-::-:: Regular to premium hotel for regular tourists/business travelers, very close to the DoubleTree Cariari. Has spa, a big pool, nice restaurants, including Hard Rock Cafe. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain stayed here in 2004.

- Hilton Garden Inn San Jose :-::-::-::-:: New modern premium hotel in tower for regular and young tourists/business travelers. Located in downtown, across La Sabana metropolitan park. Is in a very convenient area, has bars and good restaurants.

The only property in SJO that is considered RESORT is Martino Spa and Resort Hotel La Garita :-::-::-:: Small hotel, for couples and relaxation. Located in semi-rural area, 7 miles from airport, and 17 miles from downtown. It suffered a fire that partially damaged the property some months ago, so I'm not sure about the current condition.