A short history of the hotel and locale

The hotel is located in Barrio Amón, a landmark neighborhood of great European architectural beauty and strong Victorian influence.

In one of the most pleasant sections of the capital city of San José—a historical area dating back to colonial times—Britannia Hotel opens its doors to visitors without losing sight of Costa Rican culture and hospitality.

Barrio Amón traces back to the end of the 19th century when a French businessman, Amón Fasileau Duplantier, came to Costa Rica to work with the “Tournon Company”. He set up a large coffee plantation which exported coffee to Europe. In 1892, after considerable success he turned his attention to urbanizing the area of what would become Barrio Amón. Later the wealthiest Costa Rican families would come to build their elegant houses in the desirable styles of the time—Victorian and Neoclassical.

The house was built in 1910 by the immigrant Cipriano Herrero del Peral, an industrial coffee producer in Costa Rica. The house was designed using different European styles by one of Costa Rica’s most prominent architects at the beginning of the XX Century, Jaime Carranza Aguilar. The house would later be home to such prosperous and well-known families as Rohormoser Lahman, and Aguilar Muñoz.

In 1992, the remodeling of the house began along with the construction of the annexed building. By the end of 1993, the hotel finally opened its doors.

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