Grano de Oro Hotel

In Costa Rica, the term “Grano de Oro” is used to refer to the coffee bean, their “Golden Grain.” The founders of Hotel Grano De Oro were passionate about the idea that such a small fruit could be so valuable.

Hotel Grano de Oro was created by a Canadian couple who used to vacation in Costa Rica regularly. They fell in love with the natural beauty of the place, the warmth of the people, and the metropolitan city of San Jose. They were impressed by the history of this city, full of museums, arts, parks. Right here, they discovered that there was a lack of a luxury boutique hotel that offered unique and personalized service.

In other words, they realized that a “Grano de Oro” was missing, and with that in mind, they began their search for the perfect home to renovate.

The original Victorian tropical house, which is now known as the Grano de Oro, was a private residence of the Pozuelo family, built in the early 20th century.

Hotel Grano de Oro opened its doors in December 1991 with 21 rooms, a gift store and a modest café. Through dedication and excellent service, the hotel became a landmark in the city, quickly gaining recognition from local and international agencies.

In December 1994, after acquiring another house from the Pozuelo family, the number of rooms was increased to a total of 34 and a terrace with Jacuzzi was added. On this occasion, the signature suite, The Vista de Oro, was also introduced, offering wonderful views of the city.

With this renovation, the restaurant was also enlarged and, following the hiring of French chef Francis Canal Bardot, began to take on an identity of its own. Francis developed new dishes, brought new proposals and revisited traditional dishes in order to offer a particular and high quality menu.

In the following years, the hotel continued to collect successes, confirming itself as one of the best San Jose Luxury Hotel. The restaurant’s fame has grown so much that it has become a must-visit destination for customers, both local and foreign.

Room types:

vista de oro suite
garden suite
family suite
deluxe king
deluxe 2 beds
deluxe patio
superior
standard

Hotel Grano De Oro: private breakfast in room

Reviews

Thank you Riccardo for the incredible Support! We've had one of the best times of our Lives!! Planning a Honeymoon/10th Anniversary is definitely not the easiest ?! We were so excited and keen to get it just right. After extensive research, we came across Voyemo, and decided to give them a go... Riccardo and his team were so knowledgeable and resourceful about the best places to visit. You gave us honest opinions about destinations and even reminded us Hurricane Seasons at certain destinations which could have been a major barrier. You put so much passion in the service you offer to clients and you make each journey person-centered! You were so patient and cooperative even when we got confused and came up with all sorts of ideas ?. We finally went with Singapore and the Maldives! Best decision ever!!!!! Riccardo made sure our transports were prompt to avoid any delays or having to wait at airports. Riccardo was kind enough to offer us list of places to visit and best rooftop bars in Singapore! In short, We've made Singapore a second home in the near future, that's how much we Love SG! The Resort in the Maldives Riccardo advised us to choose was Bliss! We made family with everyone on the Island and had the best Holiday by Far!!! Thank you Riccardo for going above and beyond to ensure we had the perfect Anniversary Holiday! Looking forward to you planning so many other getaways in the years ahead.. Love from Emmanuel and Abi
Abigail Antwi
The Voyemo Team made us an unforgettable holiday experience in Crete. It was a pleasure talking to theses guys and plan things around our long weekend trip. The place they offered was far beyond expectations and we loved the local vinery in that small village. Keep on going guys and talk to you soon for our next journey around September!!
Hajo
Voyemo’s Retreat in Zanzibar was a perfect combination of doing and being, but right doing and right being that energized and refreshed me. My professional life in the past year had been intense. I had the impression of having little time and no energy to engage my body in a dynamic way. When I did have time, it felt difficult to self-motivate and to choose by myself a suitable, consistent program. In the days of the Voyemo Retreat, I accomplished more than I expected. Under the highly-trained expertise of Dennis both as a yoga instructor and as a fitness trainer, my body grew stronger, more flexible, more dynamic. The deeper tensions in my body were softened by the therapeutic massages of Larissa. There was also time to enjoy the beauty of Zanzibar. The body loves attention, movement, relaxation and adventure. Voyemo’s Retreat delivered it all and gave me a boost to make my own path to better health.
Lisa
Voyemo // Riccardo were absolutely fantastic in my search for a wellness escape. I stumbled across their site via Google. After sending Riccardo some details of what I was after I had a shortlist of incredible options in no time. Riccardo was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and so easy to deal with. I had the most beautiful stay in Mallorca and couldn't have asked for anything more.
Edwina McLeay
欧州は6回目ですが、初めてのイタリア旅行でしたし、イタリアは特にかなり見どころ満載でガイドブックだけでは判らない事が多かったので、思い切ってネットで見つけたリカルドさんにお願いしてみました。見知らぬ人でしたし最初は少々不安でしたが、やり取りしているうちに人柄が伝わって安心してお任せ出来ました。ベニス、ベローナ、フィレンツェそしてローマでの2週間滞在のホテル、電車での移動、車の送迎、ツアーガイド、オプショナルツアー、PCR検査の予約まで、航空券以外は全て手配していただきました。特にホテルは立地の利便性、サービスなどは実際その場に行ってみないと判りませんし、リカルドさんのお勧めは全て大正解でした。その他にもレストランのお勧めもして頂き、フィレンツェ滞在中は郊外のワインテイスティングも体験しました。それとベニスとベローナでは、それぞれ日本滞在経験のあるイタリア人の方々による日本語でのツアーガイドも手配していただき、素晴らしい体験でした。リカルドさんはヨーロッパ全体に広い知識と経験をもってらっしゃいますので、次回はギリシャ、もしくはポルトガル旅行をまたお任せする予定にしています。

Hiroya Sato
We had an experience of a lifetime. Ricardo looked after every detail leaving us to enjoy a wonderful time. We look forward to using Voyemo on our future trips to Europe. Also our photographer, Christian, is a must.
Patty and Kurt
We just finished what turned out to be an amazing 2 week stay in Florence and the surrounding areas. Where to begin…Riccardo made our time there a true Italian experience without any glitches. We were able to discover a few real treasures of the Florentine and Tuscan offerings. It was like opening a gift around every corner and every day. Riccardo was able to help us plan every detail so that we had no stress…for us everything flowed so easily…although we know Riccardo was hard at work ‘behind the scenes’ ensuring that all our expectations were surpassed! He was courteous enough to meet us at the airport in Florence with a private transport to our luxurious hotel in the Oltrarno district where we found a beautiful bottle of Chianti Classico waiting for us, a perfect way to unwind after the long journey. During our stay, Riccardo was the perfect blend of host, friend, and expert adviser. He allowed us our space and let us choose how busy or not we wanted to be. In Florence, he organized a tour of the Vasari Corridor (so interesting!), an evening of fine wine and aperitif, a sunset tour by private car to piazzale di Michelangelo and San Miniato al monte, an evening opera outdoors at nearby Fiesole, and a day trip to San Gimignano (also by private car). In San Gimignano we had dinner at an amazing Tuscan Osteria and we were able to stay in the town late into the evening, eating gelato, walking, and talking. I highly recommend this, because San Gimignano is magical after the dinner hour…all the crowds of tourists leave by bus and you can really feel the true spirit of the town in those later hours. He also introduced us to several (non-tourist) bars, gelaterias, and restaurants in Florence, all the while entertaining us with the history of all that we were seeing. He is so knowledgeable and we loved to listen to him speak Italian as we are trying desperately to learn this lovely language. He also speaks perfect English for those that need it! We are so happy that we had these two weeks and that we had Riccardo’s assistance. With his help our two week vacation was truly maximized because we avoided the time consuming and sometimes expensive blunders that we usually make on our own, and we learned so much about Florence, the art, the history, the food, the wine… We feel as if we floated through time into another world. We returned home completely relaxed and we are dreaming and planning our return!
Angela R.
My girlfriends and I took part to the tennis camp organised by Voyemo in Sicily and loved it. The organisation was impeccable, the hotel gorgeous, the food delicious and the David, our tennis couch, outstanding. Highly recommended.
Saverio Taverna
Riccardo was absolutely great to work with. He planned an amazing adventure for my sister and myself through Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. All the details were sorted and we had absolutely nothing to worry about on the trip except to have fun. I definitely recommend working with his expertise when planning any adventure!
Molly Amin
We, two friends in need of some time off and relaxation stumbled across Voyemo in our search for a wellness/fitness holiday. We had both extensively looked for days and hours, trying to find a retreat early June, when Europe was only just slowly opening up. We provided Voyemo with our wishlisht on Friday late afternoon and had two proposals over the weekend, on Monday morning, meeting all of our wishes. On Zákhynthos we enjoyed a tailor-made program with daily yoga, tai-chi, pilates and fun private guided sports tours such as Kayak and SUP to the island's landmarks, yet avoiding the big crowds. We were so very well looked after in every step of the way! I wish we had known about Voyemo sooner! Highly recommend this agency!
Chayenne de Witte
I contacted Voyemo to design a small getaway I wanted in October. In the midst of Covid outbreak, they found the perfect solution close to my home, in an amazing hotel, with top services (massage, personal trainer spa) at a super good price. They were caring all throughout the process and answered every question I had with reactivity. I cannot recommend enough. I even already booked my next trip with them for next year.
Baptiste A.
I had a great time in Peru with the help of Voyemo. The itinerary design and local guides are very professional. This is an outstanding travel design company and I would like to book my future trips with them.
Tianjun Mao
I was looking to go away for a week to for some much needed restbite. I came across Riccardo's website. I gave him a call and he offered several suggestions that may be suitable. He was travelling during these times but this didn’t stop him from getting back to me and emailing me the relevant details when he was able too. I chose the island of Ios in Greece and had a wonderful time. They staff were very friendly and helpful. It was a lovely hotel and resort. Riccardo arranged my ferry and made sure I had all the right details and was at the end of the phone if I got stuck. I did need to message him a couple of time whilst I was there with some queries and he always got back to me quickly and efficiently. Riccardo is friendly and helpful and the organisational skills of his company have been very helpful and a blessing especially during COVID new rules and regs. I would recommend using Riccardo if you just want to go somewhere and leave the details up to him.
Andrea Moore
Thank you, Voyemo. I had a fantastic time in South Africa and Zanzibar because of you. After a first proposal, Riccardo took time to understand my style of travel and planned it for me. The choice of hotels was exquisite, and the travel design was on point. All along with my trip, Riccardo made sure I was enjoying it and that everything was ok. Do not hesitate and travel with Voyemo
Leonard H.
Riccardo and his team at Voyemo are top class travel experts. They created the most wonderful tailor-made honeymoon through Italy for us this summer which included the most beautiful hotels and many fun and memorable activities as well. They made sure all of the hotels looked after us well and provided us with lots of tips along the way to make sure we didn't miss out on any good spots. The customer service is brilliant, nothing is too much for the team. We are so grateful to them for helping us create the best memories possible. We would highly recommend them for any luxury travel needs and will definitely use them again. Thanks so much! Anna and Marc
Anna McIntosh