www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I am booking my 12 day Labor Day trip, and due to the extra length, I needed to review room rates around Barrio Amon. I decided to share my research, and add my personal thoughts on each place, hopefully benefiting other newbies on their travels.

I know many of us have loves/hates of certain places, and I am not looking to start a pissing contest on which place is better (or worth more). This thread is about MY needs and how I analyze each of my options. By all means, reply. But post relevant information, such as bad experiences at certain places.

Now, I am more Hotel 6 than Hilton. I don't use a hotel as anything more than a bedroom. So luxuries mean little to me. I want clean, not too small, a private bath, a queen bed, quiet in the morning, a room safe, chica-friendly, and a walk-able location.

Many places have Suites, which are great, but I do not make use of the room, so it is an unnecessary cost for me. Some enjoy a sit-in and want a private place to relax. For me, luxury means little. However, I have seen some Standard rooms more fitting to a prison than a vacation.

As to 'location', my main area is the HDR / Scores / SL triangle. So Parque Morazan is my central point of reference. I want to be close to this area, and therefore did not venture too far from this section of SJ. If I missed any places that are worth reviewing, please post the information.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Here are the results: (Aug 27 - Sep7 2014)

HOTEL NAME..........ROOM.......CHARGES.........PER DAY....11 DAYS
Hotel Castillo...........std..........46 + 13% - 25%......$39.......$429 ** ?? wifi / wkly discount
The Freebird............std..........42 + 13%.............$47.......$522 ** shared bath
Hotel Morazan..........std..........49 + 13%.............$55.......$609
Mona Lisa...............std..........49 + 13%.............$55.......$609 ** CRT-posted rate, not verified by email
Hotel Castillo...........dlux.........66 + 13% - 25%......$56.......$615 ** ?? wifi / wkly discount
Sportsmens.............dlux.........65 + 13% - 20%......$59.......$646 ** courtyard room
Hotel DelRey............std..........55 + 13%.............$62.......$684
Hotel Vesuvio...........std..........55 + 13%.............$62.......$684 ** not queen
La Amistad..............std..........79 + 13% - 25%......$66.......$736 ** NOT all-inclusive deal
Dunn Inn.................std..........64 + 13%.............$72.......$796
La Amistad..............dlux.........89 + 13% - 25%......$75.......$830 ** NOT all-inclusive deal
Dunn Inn.................dlux.........74 + 13%.............$84.......$920
Hotel Vesuvio...........dlux.........75 + 13%.............$85.......$932
Scores...................dlux.........79 + 13%.............$89.......$982
The Freebird............suite........79 + 13%.............$89.......$982
Sportsmens.............suite.......100 + 13% - 20%......$90.......$994 ** modern wing
Zona II...................suite.......100 + 13%...........$113.....$1,243 ** suites
Hotel DelRey............dlux........110 + 13%...........$124.....$1,367

** did not review Hemingway or Don Carlos

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Hotel Castillo - http://www.hotelcastillo.biz -
Phone: 011 (506) 2221-5141 / Fax: 011 (506) 2223-2357
Avenida 9 y Calle 9, San José, Costa Rica
E-Mail: info@hotelcastillo.biz
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Located between Sportsmens and New Fantasy, the location is good. A few members that have stayed there report quiet. The SPOTTY WIFI issue is not a concern as I have a local phone that tethers.
25% weekly discount


The Freebird - http://www.thefreebirdcr.com
ph: +(506) 8329-5425 / fax: +(506) 2221-1143
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steps from the HDR, but the deluxe rooms have a shared bath. I have never previewed the place.


Hotel Morazan - http://www.hotelcostaricamorazan.com
Book through ORBITZ.COM
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Great location (30 seconds from HDR). The place is a bare-bones 'motel'. I have stayed here twice, and due to price and location, I always consider it.


Mona Lisa - http://www.monalisacr.com/
U.S. 800-452-6942 - C.R. 506-2256-3833
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SirGuy posted a $49 rate on CRT. I have previewed and liked the deluxe rooms. It is one block North of Zona II, though you have to wade past the trannies to get to it on foot.
NEW: I got an email reply quoting me the website rates, even though I said I was a CRT member. No weekly discount was mentioned at all.

Sportsmens Lodge - http://www.sportsmenscr.com
TOLL FREE: 1-800-291-2798 LOCAL: 506-2221-2533
FOR RESERVATIONS INQUIRIES: RESERVATIONS@SPORTSMENSCR.COM
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I love this place, but have never stayed here. Currently there is a 20% CRT discount, which puts it into the financially viable category for cheap bastards such as myself. The courtyard rooms get the bar-noise until midnight, but I am never in my room before then anyway. The remaining rooms are awesome, far more than deluxe, but they move just outside of my cheapness circle. But I am still on-premesis every night of my visits.


Hotel Del Rey - https://www.delreyhotel.com
US toll free:1-866-727-0270
Direct: +506 2257-7800 Fax: (506) 2221-0096
E-Mail: info@delreyhotel.com
1st Ave & 9th St
One block southeast
of Parque Morazan
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Ground-Zero. The standard room-rate is nice, but the $11+ chica fee eats away at the bargain. The deluxe rate is out of the question for me.


Hotel Vesuvio - http://www.hotelvesuvio.com
Can book through ORBITZ.COM
Ave 11 / Street 13-15
San Jose - Costa Rica
For Reservations:1-800-571-2933
vickyp@hotelhosts.com
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between Sportsmens and La Amistad. Never previewed. Orbitz says only twin and full bed sizes.


Dunn Inn - http://www.hoteldunninn.com
Toll Free 800-545-4801
Costa Rica: (506) 2222-3232
reservdunn@racsa.co.cr
Avenue 11 Calle 5 Barrio Amon
APDO.11681-1000
San Jose, Costa Rica
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Nice place. Previewed once, and liked the deluxe rooms. Found standard rooms a bit small. Website says standard rate is $64, but email said $74 with 10% CRT discount. Sounded shady so I passed.


La Amistad - https://www.hotelamistad.com
Direct from US: 786 837 5591
In Costa Rica: (+506) 2258 0021 Fax (+506) 2258 4900
info@hotelamistad.com
Barrio Amon y Otoya 100 Meters West of Hospital Calderon Guardia, San Jose, Costa Rica
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The All-Inclusive deal is a winner for many. But I don't like being tied to eat at a specific place (though I usually eat there at least twice a trip). Location is great.
25% weekly discount


Scores - CRSCORES.CR
office@crscores.cr
402-404-6969
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My home-away-from-home. The rooms are larger than the standards at most other places. But I got quoted $79 a night after CRT discount and I specifically said no session deal. Not sure if that's the new going discount rate or what, but there it is.


Zona II - http://zona-2.com
<website not copy/paste friendly>
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Zona rooms are amazing party-suites, but I would never make use of them. Hopefully one day I am invitied to one of those parties. Can anyone say "DWARF-TOSSING"??

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

FYI...if you gonna consider the Dunn or Morazan, check Orbitz or Cheaptickets. Sometimes those sites have promos where you could get 15-25%. The Dunn, you could only get 10% with CRT.

That's a lot of good information Bashful. Thanks for the research. There are a couple exceptions I've observed.

Hotel Castillo has wifi. In some rooms, the signal is weak or non-existent at times. If you have a wifi booster, you can get a good signal in any room.

If you send an email to some of the hotels with exact dates you need a room, you should get a better rate if you stay for a week. I have stayed at Hotel Castillo and Hotel Vesuvio, and paid much less than the rates they gave you - up to 50% less at Vesuvio (booked directly with hotel at info@hotelvesuvio.com).

BD, thanks for your great research. I might add, I think that La Amistad gives a discount of 25% for a week's stay (CRT), but not on the all-inclusive rate.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Stay more than 3 nights at LA, you get free ride to the airport.

I am still waiting for verify email from Mona Lisa and La Amistad about exact rates for the timeframe I want. Everyone else is in.

Morazan & Vesuvio I got off Orbitz.

Email requests sent to Scores, SL, LA, ML, Vesuvio, HDR, Dunn, & Castillo.

Websites used for Freebird, LA, Castillo.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

My friend is at the Castillo right now and after checking in he was told they have NO wifi!!!

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Nice research. What this board is all about...

+1

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I aim to misbehave. -Capt. Malcolm Reynolds

Stayed at the Freebird my first trip there, forgot the owners name but he made a copy of my passasport & stamp. then took me for a walk about of the gulch. stayed in the dlx room, was ok with shared bath a bot of a hassle, but i was cc then too.

second trip stayed at the Dunn inn, it was ok too but they had windows that had no shades like transom windows and i was a night worker and used to sleeping in later and couldn't as the sun streamed in.

third trip stayed at Castillo, i think i got a $34/nt rate for a week there cash upon arrival. older room again was ok bathroom very basic but then like Bashful i don't need a lot of luxury.

Bobby

I guess some things change. I left there June 4 and the wifi was working for the entire week I was there.

You can get a room at the Del Rey for $65 all in (not including chica fee) with at least a queen bed, I asked at the desk about a month ago .... oops you are ready got that one covered.....me bad..

Castillo has free wifi. But it is very spotty in the rooms. You get a strong signal in the upstairs and downstairs common areas

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You do costa rica your way and I'll do it my way