San Jose - Hotel Recommendations

[Coquí]

Here is their website www.sportsmenscr.com

Happy huntings.......

[Love Seeker]

I am considering a trip to Costa Rica in May. I have been making trips to the Dominican Republic and Blackbeards. I have my forth trip already booked in March for a week.

I am thinking of trying somewhere new.

It seems to me that the Del Ray and Sportman would both be good choices from reading the reports. Del Ray I found this web site http://www.1-costaricalink.com/hotel...nities_eng.htm

Does the Sportman have a web site?

[Capt Crunch]

Daj, this is one of thosw post that makes the most sense and that everyone should read. The ground rules are essencial, but you also understand the market there.

I agree w you 100%. Pura Vida!

I appreciate the feedback. I just want to give guys good information that might make their trip more enjoyable. I forgot to mention that the girls seem to accept less money if you pay them in Colones. Get familiar with the currency conversion! I will post in the 2006 Report Thread.

Capt Crunch

[Underpar]

Daj, this is one of thosw post that makes the most sense and that everyone should read. The ground rules are essencial, but you also understand the market there.

I agree w you 100%. Pura Vida!

[Capt Crunch]

i am planning a trip to central america in march-april of 2006. i already have my plane tickets and am now making hotel reservations. i will be in costa rica first week of april. to put this in perspective, i am an experienced monger, mostly brazil and thailand, i speak spanish, but i have never been to costa rica, or anywhere else in central america, before.

so here's my question: after reading every post in this thread, i have narrowed my hotel choices down to del rey or sportsmens, but i'm having a hard time choosing between them. i'm leaning toward del rey because it seems the most logical for a first time visitor. after all, the chicas are right there, so it's just a matter of bringing them up to the room, and they're available round the clock. on the other hand, some of the reports make it sound super grungy, and i am also concerned whether the noise from the casino will keep me awake, especially since i'll have to get up early for a flight on checkout day. sportsmens seems like a nicer place, but it appears to be some distance from the action. so i'd like to hear from some mongers who have stayed at both: what's best for a first time visitor, del rey or sportsmens? i hope to make my reservations within the next couple of days. thanks in advance for feedback.

lorenzo

lorenzo,

my first visit to san jose i stayed at the del rey hotel. the proximity to the bar and all of the action made it simple. just request a room on the 4th or 5th floor. it is pretty noisy down in the casino. i enjoyed being able to take in all of the action of the blue marlin bar and then get a short break from it. the del rey will charge you a $10 guest fee for each girl you check in. if you check in the same girl within the same day, there are no additional charges. also if you are a heavy drinker it might me wise to stay at the del rey. the girls get excited when you tell them that you are staying at the del rey. it makes things easy for them. i use it as a bargaining chip when we are discussing prices. do not pay $100(no cien! ). the average price is $30-$80. i only pay $80 if i am getting more then one hour (multiple [CodeWord115]), pictures, massage, and the girl is a 7-8. additionally, do not pay up front. i have made that mistake in the past and the performance was lackluster. tell them downstairs what the ground rules will be. do not hesitate to politely decline. there are so many women in the bar and the competition is fierce. if they get upstairs and ask for money upfront, tell them the party is over and you are only out $10. these girls need to know that they are working for something. i discuss four prices downstairs: average sex-$40, good sex-$50, great sex-$60, and very great sex (pictures, massage, videotoe nail clipping, bubble bath) -$80 + trinkets from the dollar store in the states. if they do not agree to my ground rules downstairs there will be no party! each girl has the oppourtunity to earn her money. the average costa rican monthly wages is $400-$500/monthly. $40 an hour is more then enough. remember--no cien!

capt crunch

[Zepplin]

When I arrived on 10th of Dec. Gran Via was booked so I ended up at the Morazan. Festival of lights brought alot of ticos in to San Jose that weekend. Outside of breakfast (included) being a hassle to get Sun morning, the accommodations were good. No fees or hassles with the girls. Prices are posted on the wall by the front desk. It was late in the day when I got in so I was able to get a bit of a discount on a junior suite. Good lock box in the room for an extra 3 USD.

Next day I was able to get a room at my regular place. Hotel Gran Via. Compared to the Morazan or Presidente it is a bit run down but I like the no hassle environment there.

As far as a discount goes I always ask for one.

Anyway I scanned back a bit and saw something funny. Why the bother with a triple rate at Gran Via when a room is 30 to 40 USD a night??

A monger buddy of mine stayed at the Presidente and is a light sleeper. He said it was very noisy. I mentioned that because many reviews of the Gran Via also reference the noise. It is true if you get a room with a street side balcony, you will wake up with the rest of San Jose unless you are a very heavy sleeper. From what I´m told the interior rooms are quieter. I do fine with my balcony overlooking the street. I just try to get on the sixth or seventh floor. Some rooms have a small fridge others don´t.

If I ever get to stay more than 4 days the weekly apt rate looks like the way to go. I hope I get to try it one day.

Z

[Lorenzo]

Thanks to all of you who responded to my request for help in deciding between Del Rey and Sportsmen's Lodge. After reading everyone's responses and reading through the San Jose 2005 reports, which contains a lot of valuable hotel information, I decided it was a no-brainer: Sportsmen's it is! So I've gone ahead and made my reservations there for a 5-day stay in April, and look forward to using it as a base for some happy mongering. I'll follow with a full report, of course.

Note: one of the posts in the San Jose 2005 thread was from a guy who left his wallet in his room at Sportsmen's, which he admitted was dumb, and when he got back it was gone. He was out $500 and his credit cards. So apparently security there leaves something to be desired, but I decided to stay there anyway, because I never leave valuables in the room. But be forewarned!

Lorenzo

[Armorer]

Well
I just returned from my number 8 trip this year. I have stayed mostly with the sportsmens lodge. Have visited a few others. To me I stay at the sportsmens for the laid back,atmosphere, it is getting more action then it was. As time goes on it grows in size and reputation. Bill is agreat host, and very knowlegable. Where I see the HDR as a place to visit I would not like the noise and traffic of the place. I have walked to and from HDR and SL at all times of the day and night. Just ask Bill or Ray, or anyone who knows me.
I mean its only a short walk, or like 2 min cab ride if they get cought by a light or traffic. Think you would be beter off at the SL. Just visit HDR for the action. Well that is my 2 cents worth of input. Sorry guys I know no trip reports for the 8 but they are boring noone would want to hear them. Lol

[Prolijo]

2041 & Rabo,
I realize I may have been overly charitable. You will note what I said MY choice would be. I think about the best that could be said about the HDR is that it is a "unique" experience. OTOH, surprisingly enough, there are actually SOME people that actually love the place, even the occasional CR vet. If you've never stayed there before, it wouldn't be the most horrible thing to try it out for yourself. I think the odds are pretty good that one night would be more than enough to get a sense of what it's like (assuming all the negative comments here weren't already sufficient). If it turns out that you agree, the worst that will happen is that you'll have one bad night. More likely, you may not want to ever repeat but it won't be THAT horrible and you'll have had the chance to have experienced it for yourself.

As far as pre-booking at the SL, what's the problem? If you want to spend one night at the HDR to try it out, just make your reservation at the SL for starting the next night. Also, I didn't see any reply by Lorenzo, 2041 or Rabo to my suggestion of the Prez (or Morazon) as another alternative. They're not as raucous or overpriced as the HDR but they're not as far removed from the Gulch action scene as the SL.

Finally as far as booking rooms as a double. That would most likely not work at any of the Gringo Gulch mongering hotels for anumber of reasons. First of all most of the girls that work the HDR are well known to the management after all the hang out at the bar in the lobby and make frequent trips upstairs with other guys. Telling the front desk they are your fiancee or novia won't fool anyone. Secondly, couples simply do not stay at the HDR. Even if you brought in an unknown pro that you picked up someplace further removed from the BM, your not going to fool anyone. BTW, if you hope to try and work any non-pro's (or even some semi-pro's) forget about the HDR. It has a well-known seedy reputation and "nice" girls do not want to be seen going in there. Finally, most hotels in the area do have differential pricing for single vs. double occupancy (typically $10). While that technique may be a useful way to get around guest policies at non-monger hotels, since it also restricts you to only one chica per day and doesn't save you any money it wouldn't any help at all vs. simply paying the regular chica fee.

[Member #2041]

No question. Sportsmen's Lodge is vastly preferable to the Del Rey.

[Shadow 97]

I really appreciate all you had to say in your post. Sincerely. I am headed to CR (my third trip in as many years) in the beginning of February. I don't know if I'll be going alone or with mongering buddies. But, regardless, you can bet you a--, I'm going. I was planning on the Prez. Could I trouble you to throw in your opinions on that versus the Sportsmen's.

Most of the chicas there do remember me, from my previous trips, so I'm not worried about negotiating prices with the few I am definitely going back to see and the FEW unfamiliars I plan to audition. Oh and I'll be staying five nights, so I definitely agree with you about the DR, it got old for me both times. I want to avoid staying there at all costs. Also, How far in advance would I have to book either of those options? I'd like to get that done at the beginning of the year.

One more thing, I definitely agree with. If you stay at the DR keep your own personal count, by some written means, of how many girls you take upstairs. I think the hotel security's pens slip every now and again. I know I didn't entertain THAT much company the last time.

[Rabo Verde]

The Hotel Del Rey is a pigsty for people who don't know any better.
Go to the Sportsmens.

[Lorenzo]

It is a unique and raucous atmosphere that should be experienced once.

Chase Star,

Many thanks for your voluminous response. It is the one sentence above from your report that is making me lean toward the HDR. This will probably be my only trip to CR, so I would hate to leave without experiencing a world famous mongering site (famous to mongers, that is). I searched my memory and tried to recall if I had ever stayed at a strictly mongering hotel, and I remembered the Malaysia in Bangkok. That tended to be a monger paradise because there were working girls hanging in the bar 24/7, but it got old fast. But you're right, one could check into the HDR, then check out if it became too raucous. However, the posts on this thread gave me the impression that the SL gets filled up far in advance, so it would be difficult to check in there on the spur of the moment. But WTF, there's always someplace to go. I'll be staying in CR 5 days total, because I'll be doing all 7 CA countries on a 30 day trip, so if I need to catch up on my sleep I can always check into a 4-5 star hotel on the last night.

I've been mongering in Brazil for years and am wise to the trick of the chica wanting to leave after 20-25 minutes, or right after you get off the first time. I couldn't care less about the ridicule of other mongers; how do they know I didn't throw her out (which I have been known to do)? I always negotiate the time and the services I expect before we go to the room; if she really appeals to me and there is some obvious chemistry, I'll negotiate for TLN. And most importantly, I never give her money upfront. I always keep mongering money in the safe and open it up to pay her when she leaves. If she insists on money upfront, I open the door and invite her to leave. They nearly always back down and agree to be paid afterward. If they don't fulfill the terms of the contract, e.g., wanting to leave after she agreed to TLN, I'll pay her, but not the full amount we agreed on. The percentage will vary with how much she fulfilled what she agreed to do, but usually 50-75%. If she performed exceptionally well, I may pay her nearly all of what we agreed on, but never all, because after all, a promise is a promise. This has worked for me in Brazil, so I don't see why it wouldn't in CR.

One more question (for Chase Star or anybody): can the chica fee at the HDR be avoided if you book a double room in advance? This is what I usually do, and when I check into a hotel I tell them that my fiancee will arrive later. Whoever I first go up with is, of course, my fiancee, and I've already paid for her. When they give me the key for the second guest, I just keep it myself and show both keys when I go up with the chica. Something tells me this wouldn't work at the HDR. Most non-mongering hotels charge the same whether there are one guests or two, but I see that HDR charges more for a double. So could the double room charge be considered a standing chica fee? If not, then I may as well book a single. Thanks in advance for any info along these lines.

Lorenzo

[Prolijo]

I agree with Sun Devil that it depends on what is important to you. They both have their good points. Or at least, the HDR has its good points FOR NEWBIES. Personally for me it would be an easy choice (the SL). Before I go into what makes the HDR good for newbies, let me explain why I think the SL would be better for most guys and counter some of the arguments Sun Devil made which I disagree with.

The cab ride is little more than a buck, if that, so having to pay a taxi driver is really a trivial factor. OTOH, the chica fee at the HDR is $10 for every chick you bring upstairs, ie much more significant.

It MIGHT repeat MIGHT take 5 minutes to take a cab back to the SL during rush hour. I'd probably just walk that relatively short distance during the day (a rather pleasant 5-6 block stroll through a couple of parks and past a few interesting buildings). I've even known guys that have strolled back to the SL with their chicas after dark, though I probably wouldn't recommend that. Later at night the ride is more like 60 seconds.

There ARE chicas that are reluctant to go with you to more distant hotels like the BW Irazu. However, very FEW of them would be that adverse to going to any of the nearby hotels like the SL. For those that are, IMHO, it is not a "security" issue as much as a "turnaround" issue. The quicker they can get to the hotel room with you, the quicker they can get you off and the quicker they can get back to the BM and work on their next score. In fact, there is a game that some vets play at the BM when they see certain chicas walking up the stairs with their latest newbie acquisition and that is to bet on how quickly she'll be back (I believe the record is in the 20-25 minute range). Believe me, you're just as well off avoiding those chicas (not to mention not wanting to be the subject of other guys' ridicule). For most chicas, the slight extra distance won't be a major factor and for every one where it is there will be PLENTY of others where it won't be a factor AT ALL.

Sun Devil also mentioned the "benefit" of being able to "whisk a girl upstairs immediately". That might be an important advantage for you. But if it is then you've probably rushed too quickly through the barside prescreening. And if you haven't, then what difference does an extra 3-4 minutes really make getting back to your hotel?

Finally on chicas, Sun Devil says there are more P4P girls at the HDR/BM. This is definitely true and is arguably the biggest real advantage for the HDR. However, again IMHO, the important differences is not purely a quantitative one. The HDR is a hotel most popular with CR newbies (and often new to mongering). Out of the chicas you'll find there the percentage that are out for the overpaying guy that doesn't know any better is much higher. It is harder to bargain a girl down to a reasonable rate there then it might be at other places (they hold closer to the CIEN/HORA there than elsewhere). A lot of vets I know, though they may go there to enjoy the eye candy and chat with friends, no longer fish there at all. For some it is because they've got novias, but for many it is because they've found much more reasonably priced (and better attitudes) at other venues, including MP's, other bars and even some strip clubs. Even as a CR newbie yourself but as a forum reader yo'll have the advance knowledge of knowing where some of these other places are, but you'll still probably spend a lot of your initial trip to CR at the BM. So this HDR advantage can't be completely dismissed.

That pretty much takes care of the chica and transportation issues. What about the atmosphere?

You should try to be reasonably quiet when returning to your room WHEREEVER you stay as just a matter of common courtesy. The problem with hotels like the SL and the Prez is that they have tiled floors as opposed to carpeting in their common areas and so hallway noise carries more. OTOH, hotels with carpeting (like the HDR and the Morazon) tend to get grungier over time. The HDR can get very noisy from casino noise on the first floor and there is a skylight chamber above that which carries that noise to the upper floors. Again whereever you stay, its not a bad idea to travel with earplugs which is very effective at eliminating any noise problem.

Sun Devil said another advantage of the HDR is that it "not only has girls 24/7, but also a casino, a dining facility, and a bar." If it is important for you to be able to grab a bite or gamble at 3 or 4 in the morning without going out, then stay at the HDR. There are some excellent restaurants near the SL (including the Cafe Mundo and JR Ribs) but it is in a quiet neighborhood which is completely dead later at night. OTOH, at other times I'd strongly recommend you go elsewhere to eat if you stay at the HDR as their restaurants are really overpriced for what you get. In fact, for better and cheaper late-night/early-morning eats I'd go to Chelles Bar, which is halfway between the HDR and the Prez.

I promised you I'd tell you what makes the HDR good for newbies. I have to dig deep for this but I would say this. It is a unique and raucous atmosphere that should be experienced once. The HDR is not stupid and they know they can charge a premium for that unique experience (and the fact that so many would-be CR mongers don't know of anything else) and they take full advantage of that. I don't know how long you plan to stay. You might find that the novelty wears thin very quickly, particularly since you're not new to mongering. So if I were to recommend the HDR for you, it wouldn't be for more than a few nights. Beyond that, you might plan to try the HDR for a few nights and switch to a different hotel for the rest of your trip. As to that hotel the SL would be a good choice. But if the relative remoteness gives you pause, consider someplace like the Prez or the Morazon, both only a block or less away from the BM.

[Sun Devil]

It depends on what is important to you. The Sportsmen, albeit being away from the gulch, is less than 5 minutes by taxi cab (San Jose CR is really that small). You can bring a girl that you have met at the Del Ray with no problem and they won't charge you. Also it is fairly quiet at night so you'll have to somewhat be pretty quiet when coming in order not to wake your fellow guests, plus they turn off the lights at the lobby, so it is fairly dim.

Like Del Ray, there are some P4P girls who wait at the bar for customers, but not as many as those working at the Del Ray.

If you don't mind sleeping in a somewhat raucous atmosphere, you can go to the Del Ray, which not only has girls 24/7, but also a casino, a dining facility, and a bar. You can meet a girl and whisk her upstair immediately, plus you don't have to pay a taxi driver. Also some girls are askance about leaving the gulch area due to security reason, so they might not agree with you in going to the Sportsmen.