Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Grano de Oro

Two wooden houses have been converted into one of the city's most charming inns, decorated throughout with old photos of the capital and paintings by local artists; head up to your room for the old coffee-plantation feel for which the hotel is known. Each room is different, and although you can't go wrong with any of them, those in the older, 20th-century house are the nicest, especially the Garden Suite, with hardwood floors, high ceilings, and a private garden. Public areas have a glitzy elegance. The sumptuous restaurant, run by a French-trained chef, wraps around a lovely indoor patio and bromeliad-filled gardens, and has become one of the capital's premier dining venues. The hotel's sundeck has a view of both the city and the far-off volcanoes. It all combines to make this our favorite lodging option in the city.