Stray Cat Hostel

Great value. Clean facilities. Nice murals, decorations, books, things available for purchase. Traditional rice and beans breakfast, it was pleasant. Friendly, attentive staff. Bohemian feel but lot of attention to detail for comfort. Many bathrooms, and showers. Area seemed reliably safe during the day, did not go out at night but I know a group did nearby around 11pm without incident. I'd recommend!

Jennifer is such a lovely host! Full of energy and super happy to help in any way she can. The rooms are fine, spacious bunks without curtains. The hostel is definitely more of a transit hostel with most people only spending one night before heading on to their next destination. I stayed two nights and had a really good experience. Don’t expect too much from the free breakfast, it’s quite small, but it’s free and a nice snack to start the day! The lobby is a nice place to hang out and the hostel is full of travelers still wanting to meet new people even though most aren’t sticking around. Also there’s a free walking tour that you can sign up for, I’d highly recommend it to learn more about San Jose and the history of Costa Rica!

Very nice hostel. Nice decor & staff. Visitors have painted cat pictures on the walls. I booked a 10 person dorm, and to my surprise there were max 5 people there at a time (i stayed 4 nights). Seams like people favor the smaller dorms. Staff very nice & gave good directions. Beds 3/5, okay quality. Very clean hostel overall. Only big minus is that it is not in a safe area (barrio mexico), and we were advised to not go out after 6 pm. Of course you can still take uber etc. Some guests almost got robbed in the streets. Shower water was mild temperature.

The door is a bit hard to find for this quirky hostel. The murals are a giveaway, and you just need to ring the doorbell on the steel door on the left. The staff were super helpful with the bus system. The bus station is a few blocks away too. There are a few stray cats here, they roam around the hostel. Definitely add character and charm to the place. Despite the cats, my bed was clean and there wasn’t much cat hair around. They have a kitchen, laundry and a free, small breakfast. There was also a shelf of sunscreen and toothpaste for common use. The dorms were great and open, but the beds do not have curtains.

Such a lovely place to stay. I stayed here a total of 3 nights spread out over 3 months. The staff is very friendly and if u have any questions about transport etc they will give u all the information necessary! They even told me that it would be way better to take the bus rather than take private transport that they can arrange for guests. Very honest and friendly :). The cats are also very cute and despite the three cats everything is very very clean. Couldn’t recommend this hostel more.

We came to the Stray cat hostel on our first trip in 2023 and the kids insisted we stay again when we returned in July 2025. They have a few small bunk rooms so we just book one out so we can all stay together. There is breakfast in the morning and a small shop that sells excellent chicken just around the corner. The bathrooms are shared but have high walls and private stalls. You can see how clean everything is in the photos. The artwork and friendly staff make for great memories.

The staff are really friendly, having the cats around creates a really warm atmosphere. A couples minutes walk to get to the main road, probably won’t walk it at night.

Perfect Stay in San José Loved the Cats! I absolutely loved my stay at Stray Cat Hostel! The location couldn’t be better just a short walk from the main bus terminals, which made getting around Costa Rica super easy. The staff were welcoming and always helpful, and I really appreciated the early breakfast options from 5 am, perfect for catching those early buses. And of course, the highlight: the CATS! They’re friendly, adorable, and add such a cozy, homely vibe to the hostel. If you're a cat lover, you’ll feel right at home.