alexjackson30 wrote:
Ya'll are probably right.....looks like my only options. Not that I love the dated rooms in SL, I have always liked the staff and felt safe there. I have only stayed at Castillo once and it was just kinda dark and dreary......probably 15 years ago
They remodeled it and rooms on the top floor (not cheap) are very nice and many have their own outdoor porches with killer views. The staff and bartenders there are popular and they have a great deal on food and drinks at no charge if you get that add on, plus it's now got a giant lobby with big bar, good seating area, a pool table, a few hoz here and there, but the big draw is their food and drink add on package is excellent and convenient if you're on the run.
The drawback in my opinion, is there's thugs around there at night as it's dark and they keep that front gate locked, safe and no problemo in the daytime, but I always advise people don't walk to and fro there at night, and wait inside the locked gate for Uber, and always take an Uber or taxi back there at night, and ask them to wait for you until they open the gate when you buzz, sometimes the desk clerk is away and it takes a few minutes to open the gate and if you're alone, you're easy prey, a sitting duck...
I'm retired here now, but if I were visiting, even though Taormina's rooms are boring and bland, like a regular old Howard Johnson's, I would choose them.
The thing about Taormina, is there's more ho action there (mostly in the evenings but active in the afternoons as well) than all the other places put together, so if meeting hoz is one of your priorities, they crush SL and HDR and Castillo and Little Havana all put together...
The front area outside is loaded with thugs, and daytime not a big issue, but at night you could find yourself a fight...but the front driveway and always open doors and bright lights and doormen allow you to come and go at night with taxi or Uber and no worries, still thugs abound so you watch yourself, even when walking in the daytime, but the ho action can't be beat, it's currently the hottest spot now downtown and none of the others are even close...
I go there evenings sometimes with friends to have dinner and ho watch, we all have steady regulars now in these trying times, but evenings they are like a smaller version of HDR from the days of wonderment and enlightenment.
We always talk to hoz to keep our ho scoring skills up and see if there's one worth straying from our "hovias", but so far stay loyal to our true and proven guaranteed no nonsense regulars...there's almost always many hot ones available from 8 pm on, and almost always a small but decent smattering in the afternoons.
The drawback is the upstairs bar on ground floor level is small (they now have an amazingly cool big downstairs bar off of it like a basement, but it generally doesn't get hopping until late) and they blast the worst damn dawg sh*t music ever invented non stop so you have to yell at your potential ho date.
It's better to take her out to one of the couches in the lobby to discuss bid-ness, the couches over by the restaurant is a nice private little nook, or take her to the restaurant for a drink if you think you have a good one worth talking to and negotiating with...
Good luck, even if you choose Castillo, it's close by for inspection, don't be tempted to walk it at night, though, and the restaurant is good but can be a bit pricy for the dinners, they do have pretty good pizza for Costa Rica, and that choice won't devastate your wallet, and breakfasts and lunch menu no worse than any of the others. So if ho encounters are your main focus, they're the best choice.