The Hotel Grano de Oro is located on a shady street just off Paseo Colon in San Jose, Costa Rica, only 20 minutes from the International Airport. San Jose rises 3,770 feet (1,150 meters) above sea level and shares an ideal climate with the rest of the Central Valley, averaging daytime temperatures of 75 F (24 C). The rainy season (or green season, as Costa Ricans prefer to call it), begins in May and lasts until late October. During the day, sunny skies prevail until afternoon showers quench the vegetation for a few hours and freshens the air. The rest of the year generally brings hot clear days, and cool fresh evenings.

The city is the political as well as financial & business center of Costa Rica, and the home of several fine universities and museums. Any trip to this busy city should include a visit to the Jade Museum, which houses the largest pre-Columbian jade collection in the Americans; the National Museum of history; the Gold Museum with its pre-Colombian treasures; and the Children's Museum, situated in a former penitentiary. A thriving Central Market, parks and pedestrian malls add to a visitor's enjoyment. Grano de Oro has been converted from a Tropical Victorian mansion still maintaining the warmth and comfort of a private home. The hallways have period photographs and original art can be found through out the building with lush tropical flower arrangements and lush plants at every turn. The hotel has Italian tile fountains graceful intimate atriums, ensuring that guests are never far from the soothing melody of falling water.

The gardens at Grano de Oro are both inside and out. A rooftop terrace offers a relaxing Jacuzzi and a spot for secluded sunbathing and stargazing. Service is paramount and the friendly staff of the Grano de Oro welcomes guests home time and time again. The hotel has 32 rooms in Tropical Victorian styles wrought-iron beds and rich damask fabrics in three jeweled color schemes - navy, burgundy and forest-green. The art and furnishings are handcrafted by Costa Rican artists. No two rooms are alike. Private baths are blue and white Italian tile adorned with gleaming brass fixtures. All rooms are designated as smoke-free, with smoking permitted in the restaurant, gardens and common areas.