In the absence of a major first-class hotel in the country, the Constitutional Congress of the Republic of Costa Rica enacted law number 34 on November 22, 1928, which was actually a contract subscribed on October 3, 1928, by and between the first owner of the hotel, Dr. Luis Paulino Jiménez Ortiz, and Cleto González Víquez, President of the Republic. It granted a series of fiscal benefits to the contractor, in exchange for the construction of the hotel. There was also a provision according to which the Government was granted for twenty years the right to have at their disposal for free two apartments at the hotel for lodging foreign diplomatic representatives of extraordinary nature.

In March 2016 a complete transformation started to revitalize the hotel with state-of-the –art guest rooms with sophisticated furnishing, upgraded amenities and the most up-to-date technology. The brand-new lobby and welcome experience as well as all meeting space, executive lounge and a brand-new restaurant concept will be open and fully completed early 2018. The hotel will be affiliated through a franchise contract with Hilton Worldwide to the Hilton’s CURIO Collection brand.