Hotel San José
European style ($$) with lounge bar ($$)

Opened in 1939 as an “ultramodern motor court,” Hotel San José lives up to its original description even today.
Compact and efficient, with an understated simplicity and a European-style flair, the hotel has only 40 rooms, ranging in size and price.
A tiny pool, lovely greenery, and crushed stone patios make it an oasis of calm on South Congress.
You don't have to be a lodger to stop in for evening drinks at the in-house bar or grab a snack at the adjacent coffee kiosk, Jos, site of the popular "i love you so much" mural.