San Jose General Reports

[Member #3437]

i just spent 3 weeks in san jose while getting major dental work done. i have a good spot for you at 53 bucks a night with tax and a great breakfast. five minute walk to gulch or one minute by cab (at night of course). also if you have not been to the "saint" before, i can fill you in. Email me if interested. I am making a return to the sewer in mid to late November for a couple weeks (have not been in a year and a half!!!!), and somewhere else in Central A in mid to late december.

Glad to see you got your dental work done! I had a bunch of work done in Cartagena and also some done in Lima.


I haven't been to Sosuer in about 2 years with no plans on returning.


Why don't you shag yourself down to St. Maarten this thursday and we will hang out old school style?

[Prolijo]

I think the problem here is that I somehow went through a web link that directed booking through a travel agent.

I think the website you used was www.1-costaricalink.com and that explains a LOT.

There is an interesting story behind that website, which you can get a glimpse of if you click on their link "Illegal webmasters" at the bottom of their home page. According to them their former webmaster "hijacked" their site and domain name which was www.1costaricalink.com (ie withOUT a dash). So they set up another site using almost the exact same domain name and the exact same layout right down to the graphics (who hijacked whom?). Of course, their former webmaster, Forrest Geiger, had a radically different story, which you can find at http://www.1costaricalink.com/eng/we...redit-card.htm. Its hard to tell what the exact truth was but I've had private e-mail exchanges with the Forrest (some of which you can read at that link) and, IMHO, his version sounded much more credible. As further evidence of that, the Maleks, who own the site with the dash, have since at least changed the logo to DTW for Discovery Travel World, which I doubt they'd have done unless they lost in court. Even more noteworthy than the particulars of those private business disputes, because they might have impacted you, are the MANY MANY complaints against the site WITH the dash that have been reported on various travel forums, which further weakens their credibility.

Forget about the outrageous price they were trying to fool you into paying for the moment, you were really fortunate you didn't pay it for other reasons. They have a reputation of not paying all their bills, of taking money from customers in exchange for worthless "vouchers" and of not transferring that money to the hotels or other businesses involved. You might have showed up at the Del Rey only to find that they did not know anything about your reservation.

[Fantasy]

i just spent 3 weeks in san jose while getting major dental work done. i have a good spot for you at 53 bucks a night with tax and a great breakfast. five minute walk to gulch or one minute by cab (at night of course). also if you have not been to the "saint" before, i can fill you in. Email me if interested. I am making a return to the sewer in mid to late November for a couple weeks (have not been in a year and a half!!!!), and somewhere else in Central A in mid to late december.

[Prolijo]

Please stop trying to respond to prolijo. He ruined a former website with a few others by constantly making personal attacks and trolling. It appears he is up to the same here.

Excuse me, Katouey, you seem badly confused.

First of all, who was I personally attacking here? I was stating my opinion about a hotel and perhaps its GENERAL client base and not any particular individual. And what was I saying that was so bad about those clients that my generalization might apply to? That they weren't fully aware of other hotel options that, IMHO, are much better than the HDR? Or, if they did, that they'd prefer to spend most of their time in the "belly of the beast" despite there being much better values for their money (again IMHO)? What is so horrible about that? The "ignorance" I referred to I thought was pretty clearly the newbie monger masses who DON'T have the benefit of boards like this one (ie no one here). Did I actually call VETS like Jazz who stayed there some sort of idiot or did I just say I WONDERED why anyone else stayed there?

Secondly, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, controversial and irrelevant or off-topic messages to get attention, to disrupt discussion, and to make trouble. I'm not trying to make trouble or get attention. And I'm not trying to be controversial just for controversy's sake. I'm just stating my views. I'm sorry if some of those views seem controversial to you but they are completely on-topic and valid subjects for this DISCUSSION forum (and the few that do go off topic are still only in direct response to posts like yours which IS a personal attack).

Thirdly, your vague reference to some former website that I personally ruined is misleading at best and libelous at worst (you seem to pop up once a year here only to make the same baseless charge). The former website that you're obviously referring to was CRS and that was not brought down by me. Just ask anyone else. Everyone but apparently you knows it was brought down by a troll named Badabing (and several other of his personas) along with the failure of the moderator, Rico, to do anything about him. Sure, I helped feed the troll in the beginning (by sticking up for a friend who he personally attacked) but not any more so than many other members. LATER, AFTER that site was for all intents and purposes ALREADY DEAD because a) virtually all of the site's members had already abandoned it and moved to CRT and b) the ONLY posts being made were flames by Bada's crew, I RETURNED to respond back. I suppose you could say I helped bury the corpse but if that is so it is only because no one else was posting anything else there at that point any way. And that is nothing at all like what you suggested with your comment, so if you're going to make such charges get it right.

Anyway, all of that is ancient history and completely irrelevant to what is going on here. Unlike Badabing, I'm not shilling for any business, deliberately flaming any members, going off-topic (except when drawn off-topic to defend myself against personal attacks like yours), or trying to bring down this board. And I have every faith that Jackson will do the right thing to maintain civility while preserving the free flow of ideas.

[Katokay]

Please stop trying to respond to prolijo. He ruined a former website with a few others by constantly making personal attacks and trolling. It appears he is up to the same here.

[Prolijo]

Jazz,
You conveniently deleted this part of my "rant":

...Besides such newbies, there are also a few vets who feel they absolutely always have to be in the heart of the action that the Blue Marlin represents or even those who go to CR and never venture out of the pink palace. ....

Apparently, you fall into one of those OTHER groups. I NEVER said that there weren't ANY vets that stayed there TOO. All I was suggesting was that the HDR gets a huge portion (probably the vast bulk) of their business from first-time/one-time visitors who are much less familiar with the various alternatives AND that was the main reason that they are able to charge the (IMHV) ridiculous premiums that they do (such as $10 chica fees that would make any other place be considered not exactly chica friendly if they charged it).

Are you suggesting that the HDR ISN'T famous to the point that there are many guys who know little else about the CR mongering scene other than HDR and its Blue Marlin Bar? Do you normally find such newbies frequenting other venues in SJ once they get to SJ to the same extent you find more regular and knowledgeable visitors? I think most people would say no and agree with me on those last 2 points whether they agreed with me that the HDR is over-rated or over-priced or not. As for the rest of my "rant", its normally called "stating an opinion". I never said you or any one else had to agree with all of it.

[JazzPlayer]

[QUOTE=Prolijo]The problem that you and others are having is that you seem to think there are only 3 hotels in all of San Jose.

...more rant deleted...

If it weren't for its excessive fame amongst (relatively) ignorant mongers who don't know any better, I'd have to wonder why anyone stays there.

Sheesh, The Del Rey isn't all that bad. I like staying there when I come for a three-day weekend. I can go up and down so easy, no cab, no nothing. And in the day out to all my fave tico masseje's.

Also, the sixth floor is $130 a night, seems reasonable to me.

Just my $.02.

Regards,

Ignorant monger ;-)

[World Travel 69]

As Posted last year. I liked the place. Get the top floor room, big and great view.

I have stayed at the Castillo 3 times last year. It is hands down the best value in SJO for a hotel. It is a 3 min taxi ride to the HDR. It is a 5 min walk to Zona Blue. A 1 block walk to NF.

They have drivers and a nice quiet restaurant. Just tell the taxi divers "Hotel Cas-ti-o" They will know.

http://www.hotelcastillo.biz/

[Pure Power]

I have stayed at the Castillo 3 times last year. It is hands down the best value in SJO for a hotel. It is a 3 min taxi ride to the HDR. It is a 5 min walk to Zona Blue. A 1 block walk to NF.

They have drivers and a nice quiet restaurant. Just tell the taxi divers "Hotel Cas-ti-o" They will know.

http://www.hotelcastillo.biz/

[Pedroxboy]

That is nothing short of highway robbery. I laughed out loud reading this. I agree with WestFLA. Lots of better destinations out there

I think the problem here is that I somehow went through a web link that directed booking through a travel agent. Here is their response. (I emailed the DR directly and they quoted me a price that is exactly half the amount. I wonder if the DR knows that they are losing out on business because of this agent? )

The rate for your reservation arrival October 17th. And departure October 26th. 2008, for 10 nights is $1, 600 plus taxes 16. 39% the total amount (tax included) is $1, 862 use this exact amount on the authorization form!

To guarantee your reservation, print the authorization form, sign it, scan it, and send it as an attachment by e-mail or fax.

Important_ we appreciate if you send us your information as soon as possible, because we have a lot request for those dates and to send you the confirmation voucher, thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Sascha Fitzgerald

Account Manager

Discovery Travel World

[Looking For Eden]

That is nothing short of highway robbery. I laughed out loud reading this. I agree with WestFLA. Lots of better destinations out there

[Prolijo]

...Fuck Costa Rica. You would think I was going to the french riviera instead of a third world capital city. I booked a ticket instead to St. Maarten.

The problem that you and others are having is that you seem to think there are only 3 hotels in all of San Jose. If you were going to a "third world country" beach during the rainy season, you'd find plenty of vacancies. SJ may be a third world capital city where you wouldn't expect to get much off-season tourism, but the 3 hotels you limited yourself to are also the 3 hotels that are most well known to mongers, a travel segment that does not experience the same seasonality as mainstream tourism.

The HDR in particular is the beneficiary of this mindset. There are many guys who don't know much about CR beyond that it is supposed to be a good monger destination and that the world famous Hotel Del Rey and its Blue Marlin Bar are thee places to go. Besides such newbies, there are also a few vets who feel they absolutely always have to be in the heart of the action that the Blue Marlin represents or even those who go to CR and never venture out of the pink palace. Because of the resulting demand, HDR management feels they can get away with charging ridiculous premiums for mediocre rooms, $10 chica fees (how is that chica-friendly?), lousy casino payouts, high drink prices and surly greedy service. If it weren't for its excessive fame amongst (relatively) ignorant mongers who don't know any better, I'd have to wonder why anyone stays there.

The reason the Presidente doesn't have rooms in October is because they happen to be undergoing a major remodel this month. Even if they weren't, it is a has-been as far as being a monger favorite. Their chica dress code (instituted nearly 2 years ago?) sent a strong signal as to what type of business they really preferred having.

And finally the Sportsman's, it is a really nice hotel that targets the monger market. Its management and staff provide the type of attention to the needs of our market that the other two places increasingly lack. That $90 rate is probably for one of the more premium single rooms but much better rates can be had IF you have a CRT card. That said because it is such a good place for guys like us, and is so heavily promoted and recommended on this board and others, it is also the first place to book up. Remember that, unlike the ecotourism market, the flow of mongers to CR is much more steady and so the places that are most popular with our crowd can book up even during what would be the off-season in CR and other places (like Saint Maarten).

But that doesn't mean those are your only choices. Did you check with the Amistad, Castillo, Dunn Inn, Casa Vino, Amon Plaza (casino rate), Inca Real, Brittania, BW Downtown, Morazon, Balmoral, Hotel Freebird, Royal Dutch? All have been favorably reviewed and are chica-friendly. If that doesn't work for you, I've also stayed at the Hotel Doral on a number of occasions (a little further from the Gulch though close to several tico nightclubs, $30/nt including tax, $5 chica fee and very decent rooms) and have NEVER failed to find a vacancy.

[Member #3437]

Can this be right? 3rd week in Oct 08 and with tax it is like 180 for a single standard room. Is this right or am I being taken?

It has been a while, but I considered going there next week for five days. This is what i got from the local hotels.

Presidente:

Greetings from Hotel Presidente.

"Unfortunately we do not have rooms available for the requested days, if you wish we can add your name to our waiting list so we will contact you as soon as we recibe any cancellation."

Sportsmans..

"Rooms are 90 per night for a single, and we can accomodate you for a portion of your stay".

Del rey

"Yes, we have a single room available the rate for the time specified will be $900 dollars". (yes, $180 per night, and I told them I was a return quest).



Fuck Costa Rica. You would think I was going to the french riviera instead of a third world capital city. I booked a ticket instead to St. Maarten.

[Max Mojo]

Your being taken.

Can this be right? 3rd week in Oct 08 and with tax it is like 180 for a single standard room. Is this right or am I being taken?

[Max Mojo]

Your being taken.