Crowne Plaza Corobici

The Crowne Plaza is hard to miss with its massive 10-story pink-beige exterior dominating a fairly sparse landscape. Built in 1975, the retro-ness is on show throughout, particularly in the expansive lobby, where five levels rise up overhead to an atrium skylight. A tower containing most rooms occupies the building’s southern side. While the architectural style remains intact, a 2013 renovation significantly modernized the interior (and rooms) with contemporary updates, though the decor is still fairly generic in the chain hotel sense. On a quiet day, common areas can be incredibly calm, but when the lobby bar, function rooms, restaurants, and casino are in full swing, the scene (and sound) can become significantly more boisterous. The casino is located up one end of the lobby, and Fuji, with its kitsch Japanese decor, sits another floor up. The main restaurant, El Tucan, sits next to the pool with indoor and outdoor terrace seating. The pool itself is big Olympic-style oblong, which breaks up the neutral surrounds with its fresh, sky blue color. Beyond this area, the health club is an impressive sight with its two stories of equipment -- a hit with locals who frequently make the most of the club. Conference facilities naturally attract a steady stream of business travelers, but stopovers, and leisure travelers also seem to end up here. 

The Crowne Plaza is located at the intersection of always busy highways 1 and 104, and although the setting feels fairly isolated from anything worth seeing or doing, there are a number of sites, plus restaurants and nightlife within walking distance. Sprawling La Sabana Metropolitan Park is about a five-minute walk away, it’s eight-minutes on foot to the Costa Rican Art Museum, 15 minutes to the Paseo Colon shopping area, and less than 20 minutes to Costa Rica’s national stadium. There are also a number of restaurants (including chain options like Subway) and a grocery store nearby. It's around 25 minutes from Juan Santamaria Airport, depending on traffic. The proximity to major arterials makes it easy to access the rest of the city, and there’s plenty of free on-site parking for self-drivers. 

Available in Deluxe and Executive categories, rooms are all exceptionally spacious. Despite the 2013 updates, decor is generic but otherwise practical and comfortable. Executive Rooms are located on higher, limited access floors, and come with access to the Executive Lounge. These rooms are a little more contemporary, with rust-red feature walls and bathrobes, but there’s otherwise not a lot of difference between the two categories. In Deluxe Rooms, cream walls are contrasted with dark chocolate wood furniture such as headboards, bedside tables, and big granite-topped work desks. Guests frequently comment on the comfort of beds which are dressed in crisp white bedding, with more brown in the bed runners, bed skirts, and decorative log cushions. Corner single seater sofas in burnt orange add a welcome splash of color. Tech features include flat-screen TVs, Dream Machine bedside clock radios with built-in CD players, and free Wi-Fi. Rooms are also equipped with coffeemakers and minibars. Closets contain irons, ironing boards, and safes. The Crowne Plaza’s signature sleep kits are a nice touch. Bathrooms are nice and large with wide granite vanities and full-width mirrors overhead, shower/tub combos, wall-mounted hairdryers, and a good selection of Templespa toiletries. Most rooms have views of the sprawling urban neighborhood and highways. 

Features focus on business and leisure travelers. The outdoor pool is a good size and sunbeds are provided. The health club is a hit with locals and guests alike, for its plentiful array of cardio and weight-training equipment, plus classes like spin, Pilates, and yoga. There's an indoor lap pool, whirlpool, and sauna. Located next to the swimming pool, El Tucan is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a mix of Costa Rican and international flavors. Guests enjoy the variety at the buffet breakfast, however it costs extra. The Japanese restaurant, Fuji, comes as a pleasant surprise to many guests, for its authenticity and exceptional quality. The lobby bar serves bar snacks, and dishes can be ordered from the other restaurants. Twenty-four-hour room service is also on offer. The hotel’s 14 meeting rooms cater to all manner of functions and events, from small to large scale with almost 40,000-square-feet of dedicated space. Childcare, dry cleaning, and business services are available, as is free on-site parking and Wi-Fi. There’s an Avis car rental office in the lobby.