Travel Announcements Only (No questions or comments please)

[Prolijo]

That would be the BW Downtown in the zona roja.
The fee is $10 if you bring your guest after 6:00 pm....no charge before then.

NB

NB,
As I indicated, I wasn't really sure regarding that particular place. Thanks for "keeping me honest" and setting us straight. So we can add one more place to those where the registering your chica as a fellow guest might have some advantages. Can we still assume the possible drawbacks that I ponted out on the other side still apply?

BTW, Jetsetter, thanks for the kind words. You get it! Despite being the occasional "target" of my typical in-depth overanalysis (my treatise on beach sand was particularly "fun"), you understand that it was NEVER meant as anything personal. Actually, you have always struck me as a pretty nice guy and have always had my full respect. I realize my style can be annoying to some but it is always done with the best of intentions.

[Mr Jetsetter]

I'm hesitant to take sides here, but what the hell...The only griping I can detect seems to come from Nixonbd, in a runaway. Nixon, please don't take this personally, but Prolijo has taken the time to contribute a TON of useful info and feedback and well-reasoned arguments to this board, and his contributions DWARF yours and mine. Are his posts sometimes overly wordy and annoying? Definitely! I remember posting last summer about a series of outstanding sessions (all 3-somes) at Zona Blue, and how I gave every lady in every session a $20 tip. Did Prolijo call me on this and explain in lengthy detail the percentages involved and how my actions were violating various elements of the San Jose pricing structure? Of course! I can remember commenting on the beautiful white sand beaches of Playa Hermosa a few kilometers south of Jaco, which I had visited a couple of years prior. Did Prolijo comment on my faulty memory and point out that the sand on these beaches was actually much darker, basically grey in color? Of course! He even submitted a lengthy description of the nature and color of beach sand found in Florida and the Caribbean.

My basic point is that Prolijo's contributions to this board are chock full of info and virtually unmatched, however annoying they might occasionally be. If he disagrees with your opinions and point of view, don't take it personally.

[NastyBoy]

9. Best Western ... but I believe does not charge any chica fees ...

That would be the BW Downtown in the zona roja.

The fee is $10 if you bring your guest after 6:00 pm....no charge before then.


NB

[Prolijo]

Projilo, you're a trip. Judging the the length and number of your posts, you need to get a life and quit griping. All you're doing is rehashing old news. Face it, not everyone agrees with your views.

Nixon, I think it is YOU who needs to get a grip.

A) It's Prolijo (as in Prolific), not Projilo.

B) My life is QUITE full entirely apart from this little board (thank you for your concern). Now shall I start making disparaging comments on your personal life?

C) Who the phuck was griping (other than you about me)? I was just dispassionately discussing the pros and cons of registering novias. Natually, it is what is. Hotels can certainly institute whatever policies they feel are in their best interest and we can each decide whether to deal with those policies or stay somewhere else. So, I certainly have no "gripes" about it. The pros of going that route don't happen to outweigh the cons for me personally in most circumstances, so I don't usually bother with it. But, if it works for someone else, great. That certainly doesn't bother me either.

D) OF COURSE, not everyone agrees with my views. Duh. That is completely to be expected and entirely within their rights. But if someone ELSE raises a particular topic, it is ALSO MY right to express my views. If that convinces another person to agree with me, fine. And if not, that is perfectly fine with me too. AND if someone else wants to express a DIFFERENT opinion and their basis for that opinion, unlike you, I'd actually WELCOME that contribution to the discussion.

E) This IS a discussion forum and we're just discussing. With over 7000 posts on this forum and literally hundreds of thousands more on other forums (an infinitesmal fraction by me), much of what gets posted often seems like "rehashing old news" to those who have been around a while. HOWEVER, it obviously doesn't to those other persons who re-raised those topics. AND, you should note that I wasn't the one who re-initiated the old topic of chica fees or the idea of registering your chica novias as regular guests. If someone else didn't do a search for that "old news" or simply couldn't find it, then I suppose you're suggesting we should all just ignore them when they bring it up again.

Or maybe you think it is okay for others to respond, just not me because you personally find my posts soooooo offensive. I'm really sorry that you were so hurt that I didn't agree with you that your pet hotel was the epitome of monger-friendliness (and pointed out several sound reasons for my disagreement). Besides, I did allow that it might be a perfectly fine hotel in other ways, just not that one, so I think you're the one that needs to "get over it."

I have found a SMALL handful of other members here seem to have a MAJOR problem with my posting style and that has led to several acrimonious exchanges (which, I might add, I DON'T run into on ANY of the other boards I post on). Frankly, its gotten to the point that I'm really close to saying "screw all of you" and simply leaving (and would be just as content not ever contributing anything here again). However, I've also received MANY PM's and read many public posts from a WIDE variety of other members (both here and on other boards) who seem to really appreciate what I have to say. For those (such as you) who can't stand my posts, I encourage you to go into my public profile and click on the "Add Prolijo to Your Ignore List" link rather than trying to stifle my free expression and the right of everyone else to read what THEY choose to.

[Nixonbd]

Projilo, you're a trip. Judging the the length and number of your posts, you need to get a life and quit griping. All you're doing is rehashing old news. Face it, not everyone agrees with your views.

[Prolijo]

In the vast majority of hotels (but not all), the rate is the same for 1 or 2 persons.

I don't know what the pricing policies at hotels in other countries you've stayed in might be, but from what I've seen in CR, the rate is usually NOT the same for 1 or 2 persons or at least certainly NOT the vast majority the other way.

1. Sportsmens Lodge has just one rate per room but doesn't charge any chica fee any way so what does it matter?

2. Hotel Castillo charges $5-6 more for a double unless you get their suite and they don't charge a chica fee either which means you'd actually be better off just bringing them in as non fully registered guests there.

3. Hotel Del Rey doesn't specifically indicate different rates for double vs. single occupancy but DOES specifically say "(ONLY 1 PERSON per BED)" (their caps not mine) so I'm guessing you'd have to specifically reserve a room that has TWO beds instead of one AND I'm guessing (kowing the greed of the HDR) that those rooms cost somewhat more PLUS I wouldn't want to bet that would stop them from adding their chica fees to your bill any way.

4. Hotel Morazan I believe charges $11 more their double occupancy rooms and their chica fee is only $3.

5. The Sleep Inn charges $5 more for their double but $20 for chica guests, so that is a place where you might be better off signing them in fully.

6. The Presidente charges the same for single and doubles but again no chica fee any way.

7. Clarion Hotel Amon Plaza charges the same for single and doubles but again no chica fee IF you book through their casino which you should do any way if you want to get the best rate.

8. Holiday Inn charges the same for single and doubles and $25 for chica guests so, like the Sleep Inn, registering you novia du noir as a full guest might be the best way to go.

9. Best Western charges the same for single or double occupancy but I believe does not charge any chica fees (which is kinda weird since their sister hotel in Uruca, the Irazu, is probably the most hard-core of any of the anti-monger hotels).

10. Hotel Ambassador charges $5 more for double rooms not sure of their chica fee policies

11. Casa Vino I believe charges the same rate for one occupant or two but like the other truly monger friendly hotels doesn't charge any chica fees either

12. Inca Real charges $10 more for doubles

13. Dunn Inn also charges $10 more for doubles

14. Balmoral charges $15 more for doubles in their saver and standard class rooms but the same rate for their crown class or above. Since their chica fees are $15-20 themselves this might be the way to go if you stay in any of their rooms

That comes out to only 6 out of 14 of this admittedly not completely nonrandom sample that don't charge more for registering as a double room and 5 of those don't charge any chica fees anyway. These were just some of the more popular hotels with mongers in the Gulch area. However, I'd expect similar (or worse) results if we looked at the less monger friendly hotels as well (e.g. the Don Carlos charges $10 more for a double BUT that is the ONLY way you could bring a chica into that hotel).

Also, aside from only (possibly) working for the first chica, it should be pointed that registering them as "co-occupants" or fully registered hotel guests for the night is not exactly the same as checking them in as non-registered "visitors". As a fully registered guest are you required to leave your ID at the front desk when you enter the hotel? As a fully registered guest aren't you automatically given the key to the room when you return to the hotel and ask at the front desk even if your co-occupant isn't with you? Are you sure the same courtesies wouldN'T be extended to the woman you purport to be your girlfriend and signed in with that WOULD be extended to any other roommate you might be staying with under other circumstances (such as when you travel with your wife or REAL girlfriend)? Don't you think it would seem a bit contradictory that one moment you act like you trust your companion well enough to put her name down on the register right next to yours (essentially sharing responsibility for the room) and then the next moment tell the desk clerk that you don't really trust her well enough to let her get a key? Or that at that point, will be told that persons who aren't given that right are considered "Visitors" not guests and are thus subject to the visitor fees? And, finally, can you really be sure that the desk clerk that comes on duty after you go out for the night will know that the chica, whose name appears as a FULL guest on the registry really shouldn't be allowed into the room without you?

Lorenzo, I don't want to seem like I'm busting your balls, because I'm really not. I don't really KNOW the answers to these questions and CERTAINLY NOT for ALL of the different hotels. HOWEVER, all these questions seem like reasonable concerns to me that could come into play at some or even many of the hotels where one might try this.

Personally, I wouldn't look at this as a particularly practical solution if you plan to bring back more than one chica, not only because you wouldn't avoid the 2nd chica fee but because it might put into doubt your story that the first chica is a fellow guest and not simply one of several daily visitors. To only a slightly lesser extent that might also apply if you plan to "change girlfriends" daily throughout your stay. If you plan to bring back only one chica per day it becomes somewhat more practical in some situations but not others. It wouldN'T really help at all at any of the truly monger friendly hotels because either they don't charge any chica visitor fee for you to avoid or that fee is less or equal to what the extra charge for a double room would be. Where it WOULD help is at some of the non-monger friendly hotels, like the Holiday Inn or Sleep Inn, not so much because the rate for the double room is the same as the single (it isn't at the Sleep Inn) but because their chica visitor fees are so outrageously high. AND if that is the case, you really should be asking yourself why you want to stay there to begin with. The only reason I can see for that is if you have to stay at one of those places with a cleaner reputation because your employers are paying for it, you're afraid you wife will somehow find out if you stay at one of the suspicious monger friendly places, or you're getting some really big discount such as by using traveller points or something similar.

IMHO, going the double route is only a way to go if you can't avoid the high chica fees any other way. Sure by registering double you can avoid the chica fee for ONE girl per day, but you still have the high rate for any others you might want to bring back PLUS you have all the complicating liability issues with the way you signed in your supposed "girlfriend". OTOH, if you just them in as a visitor rather than as a guest, the front desk will be certain she is just some strange puta you're bringing back (and thus not to be fully trusted) rather than a novia you seem to trust enough to sign in as a co-guest. Personally, I'd rather sign them in just as a visitor even if I'm only bringing back one chica per day and she is staying all night. Sure, it might cost me an extra $3-5, but I'd prefer the added security of her not being able to sneak out in the middle of the night with the contents of my wallet because the front desk has her cedula and won't return it to her without my say so.

[Lorenzo]

Of course, your willingness to put each chicas name on the register with yours and pay the double room rate may be enough for them to let you get away with it and pretend to believe your story, but they'll still probably draw the line at your bringing back different chicas in the same day, something that would be a lot harder to ignore.

In the vast majority of hotels (but not all), the rate is the same for 1 or 2 persons. So you may as well book the room for 2 and take a chance. You're right, I have had hotels not charge for the first chica and then charge for subsequent ones, their position being that the first one is the actual occupant of the room and the subsequent ones are guests. OTOH, other hotels have had no problem with a different one registering on different nights. So I guess it all depends on the individual hotel's policy. In all cases, however, they want the girl to register so they'll have control over who enters the room, which is not a problem with me nor with the chicas, who expect to be asked for ID. Bottom line: it's best to always book the room for 2 if the rate is the same as a single, then hope for the best. I think upscale hotels are more concerned about the girl's appearance than her age or her particular relationship with you.

L

[Prolijo]

Just curious: if you make the reservation for 2 people when you book the room, do they still charge a chica fee? I have found this works in other Latin American countries, and I wonder if it works in San Jose. (I have stayed only at Sportsmen's Lodge, which has no chica fee.)

That has worked for me at some non-monger friendly hotels (e.g. the Don Carlos) but it does have certain drawbacks:

1) The chica might have to check-in with you when you first check-in.

2) Even if you tell them your "girlfriend" is arriving later, she'll probably need to sign the register as a regular guest when she does arrive before they let her go back to your room with you

3) That will probably mean she'll have the right to come and go when she pleases and ask for the key to the room, even when you're not there

4) You could ask the front desk not to do that but then you might have to explain why, thereby possibly blowing your cover (remember a young chica "novia" with an old gringo will already arouse some suspicions).

5) Probably most significantly, this method may mean you can't bring back different chicas from one day to the next unless you're somehow able to explain why the "novia" you were staying with yesterday is not the same one you're trying to check in today. Of course, your willingness to put each chicas name on the register with yours and pay the double room rate may be enough for them to let you get away with it and pretend to believe your story, but they'll still probably draw the line at your bringing back different chicas in the same day, something that would be a lot harder to ignore.

[Lorenzo]

Just curious: if you make the reservation for 2 people when you book the room, do they still charge a chica fee? I have found this works in other Latin American countries, and I wonder if it works in San Jose. (I have stayed only at Sportsmen's Lodge, which has no chica fee.)

[Prolijo]

I do find it odd that someone who complains about people paying $100 -- "that's what ruins it for everyone" -- doesn't seem to object to $15-20 chica fees. Kind of a contradiction, it seems to me.

Nixon, don't take this personally because this is no longer about the Balmoral and what they charge but rather the larger issue of "guest fees" in general, regardless of hotel.

At least, when a guy pays $100 for a chica he's not the only one being screwed. Sure, one could argue whether any chica is really worth $100 or not, but at least from her viewpoint she is providing something extremely personal and of very real value (ie letting some strange disgusting gringo stick his dick inside her pussy). Naturally, they should be able to charge whatever they can get for such a service. OTOH, when a hotel charges an extra "guest fee", they're really not providing anything of extra value or certainly not much extra value. After all, you've already paid for the room itself. Having a chica come over to visit for an hour or two, couldn't possibly increase that hotel's expenses enough to justify what they sometimes charge. Added laundry expense? The 2 minutes of labor it takes to sign her in? Added security risks to the HOTEL? I'm sorry, I just don't see that being anything nearly as personal or valuable as what a chica does for her money and certainly not worth even as much as $20. At worst, even if the chica stays all night they shouldn't charge any more than what the extra rate would be for a double instead of a single room (usually no more than $5-10 more).

I can see only 2 possible rational reasons for charging high guest fees:

1) For a 3rd party (namely the hotel) to profiteer off of the personal actions of two other individuals in the privacy of a room that one of those two individuals has already fully bought and paid for. Why do they only charge the fee when it is apparent the quest you're bringing back is a prostitute? So they can make a little extra money off the deal too? Couldn't such 3rd party profiteering off of the act of prostitution consitute pimping under CR law?

or alternatively

2) They really don't want such activities going on in their hotel at all. They may be willing to allow it for an extra fee but they're really trying to discourage it by making the fee even higher than what they'd charge for other couples that check in together.

Just as a chica is free to ask for $100 if she wants and some guys will pay it, a hotel can institute whatever guest policies it wants and some guys will still choose to stay there. However, at the same time, just as many of us know to "just say no" (or NEXT!) to outrageous demands and simply move on to other chica who are more reasonably or more welcoming with their attitudes, we as mongers can and should "vote with out feet" and move on to other hotels with more reasonable (or no) guest fees and policies that are more welcoming to our market.

[Mr Jetsetter]

I do find it odd that someone who complains about people paying $100 -- "that's what ruins it for everyone" -- doesn't seem to object to $15-20 chica fees. Kind of a contradiction, it seems to me.

[Meat Loaf]

Nixon, not to belabor the point, but even if you only bring back ONE chica per day that $15-20 (+TAX) extra is not insignificant. That added amount that you pay to the hotel is not that much less than you could pay for an entire session at a Tico MP including BOTH the cost of the chica AND the room. I'm not suggesting that a Tico MP session is strictly comparable to a session you could get back at your hotel, but the point is that $15-20 could buy you something of some real value extra rather than simply handing more money over to a hotel for a room you've really already paid for.

Also, ceteris parabus, all other things being equal, if you want to fairly compare 2 hotels of comparable quality and cost, then you shouldn't pick EITHER the Morazon, which is a budget oriented hotel and thus geared to an entirely different market, OR the HDR, which is widely regarded as an overpriced rip-off. There are plenty of hotels of all price categories that do not charge any guest fees or, if they do, something much more moderate than $15-20. Try comparing instead hotels with similar quality rooms and prices, and possibly comparable values for their base room rates, AND THEN throw on top of the standard price for one of those hotels that hidden once (or more) per day tax (aka guest fee) which raises the REAL cost of the room.

Sure the rooms at the Balmoral may be nice. At $80/nt +tax for their STANDARD rooms (even more for the better rooms) they ought to be. Other hotels in that price level should have equal quality rooms. But how does the Balmoral compare to hotels that cost $95/nt, which is really what you're paying when you bring a chica back every night?

Now, OTOH, if you're trying to tell us that the Balmoral is such a good deal that it even beats out other hotels in its price class when you tack an extra $15-20 on to its regular price, then that is another story. That might make it a place to stay IN SPITE of its monger unfriendliness. Like you said, to each their own. I'm glad your happy staying at the Balmoral. It may be a great hotel. I just can't see it being described as completely monger friendly when it charges mongers $15-20 more per night than it charges non-mongers.

BTW, you're the ONLY person I've ever hear report a $15 charge at the Morazon. Given that the rooms themselves have been costing only $35-40/nt that seems really hard to believe. The most that I've heard being charged by them has been $3/guest and that can often be waived if you clarify the terms before you make your reservation.

You are so correct about how "Chica Fees" can, will, and do add up fast! It's already bad enough that you're paying for p*ssy when it's free and doesn't cost her anything, but someone else, the hotel, too is foolish.

Why don't you ask mommy if you can have friends over? You're asking the hotel.

[Nixonbd]

Drop it already, Prolijo. I'm not on here to make argument or push a particular hotel. We all have different experiences and agendas.

[NastyBoy]

Anybody what the deal is with Hotel M???? It looks like a really high, upscale version of Sportsmens Lodge. Do they have parties there? Do they have chicas? Do they charge chica fees???? No real clarity on their website, but it looks like a really great place to stay.

NB

[Prolijo]

Nixon, not to belabor the point, but even if you only bring back ONE chica per day that $15-20 (+TAX) extra is not insignificant. That added amount that you pay to the hotel is not that much less than you could pay for an entire session at a Tico MP including BOTH the cost of the chica AND the room. I'm not suggesting that a Tico MP session is strictly comparable to a session you could get back at your hotel, but the point is that $15-20 could buy you something of some real value extra rather than simply handing more money over to a hotel for a room you've really already paid for.

Also, ceteris parabus, all other things being equal, if you want to fairly compare 2 hotels of comparable quality and cost, then you shouldn't pick EITHER the Morazon, which is a budget oriented hotel and thus geared to an entirely different market, OR the HDR, which is widely regarded as an overpriced rip-off. There are plenty of hotels of all price categories that do not charge any guest fees or, if they do, something much more moderate than $15-20. Try comparing instead hotels with similar quality rooms and prices, and possibly comparable values for their base room rates, AND THEN throw on top of the standard price for one of those hotels that hidden once (or more) per day tax (aka guest fee) which raises the REAL cost of the room.

Sure the rooms at the Balmoral may be nice. At $80/nt +tax for their STANDARD rooms (even more for the better rooms) they ought to be. Other hotels in that price level should have equal quality rooms. But how does the Balmoral compare to hotels that cost $95/nt, which is really what you're paying when you bring a chica back every night?

Now, OTOH, if you're trying to tell us that the Balmoral is such a good deal that it even beats out other hotels in its price class when you tack an extra $15-20 on to its regular price, then that is another story. That might make it a place to stay IN SPITE of its monger unfriendliness. Like you said, to each their own. I'm glad your happy staying at the Balmoral. It may be a great hotel. I just can't see it being described as completely monger friendly when it charges mongers $15-20 more per night than it charges non-mongers.

BTW, you're the ONLY person I've ever hear report a $15 charge at the Morazon. Given that the rooms themselves have been costing only $35-40/nt that seems really hard to believe. The most that I've heard being charged by them has been $3/guest and that can often be waived if you clarify the terms before you make your reservation.