San Jose General Reports

[Zeos1]

Change of plans. Found out the Hyatt is not guest friendly. I need recommendations on a guest friendly Airbnb or Hotel near the Taormina. Also is the Taormina well known as a monger hotel in Costa Rica. I hesitate to use it because of this. If the quality of women is not available there or nearby, does anyone recommend a reliable escort site or twitter account? Thank you gentlemen.

The only way to know if a place is guest friendly is to check. Most places are not. Only the 3 or 4 mentioned frequently here are, Taormina, Castillo, Sportsman's Lodge, and Amistad.

If you are worried about staying in a place known for being a monger hotel your alternative is to stay in a different area, and at a place that is not guest friendly.

[SouthernOcean]

Change of plans. Found out the Hyatt is not guest friendly. I need recommendations on a guest friendly Airbnb or Hotel near the Taormina. Also is the Taormina well known as a monger hotel in Costa Rica. I hesitate to use it because of this. If the quality of women is not available there or nearby, does anyone recommend a reliable escort site or twitter account? Thank you gentlemen.

[SouthernOcean]

Coming back to San Jose in February. Been a long time. HDR was really cranking a few years ago. I think I will be staying at the Hyatt Place Pinares, a business thing. Any one know about the guest policy there? They have nothing on their website. What is the best way to travel back and forth to San Pedro? Are taxis expensive or should I use Uber. Last time there I used the buses. I appreciate any info from my mongering comrades. Thanks.

[Zeos1]

Hi,

I am wondering has anyone heard anything recently if or when it will open.

P.S. What time is closing time there now? I think I heard. Everything closes at 11.

Rumors about Del Rey are all there are. According to rumors it should have been open already, several times. Forget it. Seems very unlikely.

Closing time may vary depending on the place, the big issue is those places that are going with the vaccination requirement versus those that are not. If they don't check (although they follow other health measures) they can only operate at 50% capacity, if they do check and only admit people that are vaccinated then they can operate at 100% capacity. However in January they all have to only admit vaccinated people.

[Crusader560]

Hi,

I am wondering has anyone heard anything recently if or when it will open.

P.S. What time is closing time there now? I think I heard. Everything closes at 11.

[Nixonbd]

Doesn't the Taormina charge a chica fee if you take a lady to your room??

I have not paid a guest fee in my two stays there this year. I have a contact who books rooms for the hotel for me and she has an arrangement with the desk that there will be no guest fee. For all who book directly with the hotel, yes, they will pay a guest fee.

[HotelAl]

Doesn't the Taormina charge a chica fee if you take a lady to your room??

To me, the Taormina is the closest thing to the old HDR. The quality of the girls is better there too. I'm a casino user, so the Taormina meets that need too. The Castillo doesn't even feel like a hotel to me; more of a frat house atmosphere. As I noted, the quality of the girls in the Castillo was below my standards. So yes, the Taormina is my choice for future stays.

[Nixonbd]

Thanks for the detailed trip report. We need few more of these. Appreciate you sharing the info with us.

So, would you say that next time you would stay in Taormina instead of Castillo. I am finding Castillo prices to be too expensive, I liked it pre pandemic but it is no where even close to worth the $$$ they are asking these days.

To me, the Taormina is the closest thing to the old HDR. The quality of the girls is better there too. I'm a casino user, so the Taormina meets that need too. The Castillo doesn't even feel like a hotel to me; more of a frat house atmosphere. As I noted, the quality of the girls in the Castillo was below my standards. So yes, the Taormina is my choice for future stays.

[Plan77]

Thanks for the detailed trip report. We need few more of these. Appreciate you sharing the info with us.

So, would you say that next time you would stay in Taormina instead of Castillo. I am finding Castillo prices to be too expensive, I liked it pre pandemic but it is no where even close to worth the $$$ they are asking these days.

Finished up my three night stay at the Taormina. Very nice facility and was presently surprised at the number and quality of the girls since my last trip, back in July.

The girls will generally start arriving about 1 - 2 pm, but only a handful; maybe 5 - 6 in number. Night time varies, but I'd estimate 10-15 on any given night. Last night the hotel bar was hopping and there was overflow into the casino. There were a good 20 - 25 girls coming in and out from 6 pm - 10 pm. As I noted, the quality was much better than back in July. On one of the nights, one of the working girls wanted me to go up to the 4th floor for an after bar gathering. Not sure if that is an every night thing, maybe just on the weekend.

Weather: While this time of year is still regarded as the "rainy season"; it was sunny and in the mid-70's every day.

Back to my observations of the Castillo. It attracts an older crowd who appear to be regulars there. The good thing about this place is they don't have partitions up at the bar, like the Taormina.

HDR Update: I took a stroll by the HDR a couple days ago and there were workers in the lobby, putting up Christmas decorations..

[Plan77]

1. Yes, non guests of Taormina are welcome and the bar and casino.

2. No cover charge and no required drink to buy. The girls are all well behaved and don't bother you for lady drinks.

Enjoy.

Muchas Gracius Senor.

[Zeos1]

I haven't been to Taormina bar and casino yet so wondering how it works. Are punters staying at SL and Castillo welcome to enter the bar and casino? Does one need to order a drink and survey the girls or can one even hang around without buying a drink right away? Do the girls approach you in the bar or do they hassle for lady drinks?

Will appreciate any input. Thanks.

The "lady drinks" are common at strip clubs, but as far as I know not at the hotels. Drinks cost the same no matter who they are for. The girls are independent and not paid in any way by the hotel. The hotel tolerates them and they bring in a lot of business probably, but also a lot of trouble at times.

[SubComm]

I haven't been to Taormina bar and casino yet so wondering how it works. Are punters staying at SL and Castillo welcome to enter the bar and casino? Does one need to order a drink and survey the girls or can one even hang around without buying a drink right away? Do the girls approach you in the bar or do they hassle for lady drinks?

Will appreciate any input. Thanks.

1. Yes, non guests of Taormina are welcome and the bar and casino.

2. No cover charge and no required drink to buy. The girls are all well behaved and don't bother you for lady drinks.

Enjoy.

[Plan77]

I haven't been to Taormina bar and casino yet so wondering how it works. Are punters staying at SL and Castillo welcome to enter the bar and casino? Does one need to order a drink and survey the girls or can one even hang around without buying a drink right away? Do the girls approach you in the bar or do they hassle for lady drinks?

Will appreciate any input. Thanks.

[Samson6208]

I just noticed someone below posted that flyers were being handed out that HDR might reopen later this week? Anyone else want to chime in on this if it is true or not? It would definitely be welcome news.

[Mellowg]

Please try to get your arrival time in Costa Rica to be morning or EARLY afternoon.

When the 16:00 HR chine, it is the arrival time of a lot of flights from all over. The immigration desk gets overburdened even with all the booths occupied by officers and DO NOT successfully deal with the crowds.

You will probably get up to a 3 hours snake line before you pass immigration.

While you are waiting in the passageway sometimes all the way back to your gate you will see some people walking quickly past you. These are the Costa Rican citizen and permanent residents.

For you, it will be just exactly the reverse of what happens in Miami.

Patience. And follow my advice. Don't take a late afternoon arrival in Costa Rica.

I had a friend from Germany, took a 10 hours flight across the pond, waited 3 hours for immigration, then a 5-hour drive to tamarindo in a small bus.

He ain't coming back to C.R.

Mellow.