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 Post subject: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 1:38 am 
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After reading some of the posts on this context , thought I rather ask . For a first timer to CR , do you recommend SL or Castillo or taormina or la amistad . I am looking for info on food quality , security and ambience .

Mostly leaning towards taormina .

Appreciate info.


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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:15 am 
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Taormina.

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:26 am 
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PlesantSky60 wrote:
After reading some of the posts on this context , thought I rather ask . For a first timer to CR , do you recommend SL or Castillo or taormina or la amistad . I am looking for info on food quality , security and ambience .

Mostly leaning towards taormina .

Appreciate info.

You asked the question I’ve been meaning to ask. Most of my research led me to a final 2 of Castillo and Taormina.


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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 9:20 am 
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Stay at Sportsmens, visit and pull from all locations.

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 3:00 pm 
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I'm still a relative newcomer. I'm currently in CR for my 4th trip and staying at the SL. My previous hotels were, in order from first to last, Castillo, SL, SL.

I don't have anything bad to say about the Castillo. It's a great place to stay. The food is great there. The staff is friendly. It has a more relaxed, quiet vibe there - although little less so now that there are girls allowed at the bar.

I haven't stayed at the Taormina but have visited several times. It has a bit more of a traditional, bigger hotel feel. It has a casino and a few bar areas. The food in general is decent. There are a fair number of girls around, day and time depending. I find the bar areas a bit loud for my tastes.

Personally, I quite like the Sportsmen's. A bit bigger than the Castillo/Amistad but doesn't have that corporate hotel feeling the T seems to. The food is great here (I've never had something I haven't liked), the rooms are solid, the staff is accommodating. There are a decent number of girls here most days.

For a newcomer, I would recommend the Sportsmen's Lodge. It's a nice place to stay, the food is good, and it's easy to find girls. The other hotels are close by and you can easily visit them and get an impression.


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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 6:48 pm 
PHD From Del Rey University!
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All seem about the same to me.

Castillo has that famous all meals and some drinks inclusive for a pittance more than the normal rate, and rooms on the top floors with private porches and beautiful views.

SL has the famous superb customer service and frat house feel, and the best fish sandwich in all of Costa Rica, but there's many afternoons and evenings both Castillo and SL are dead, dead, dead, deader than dead.

Taormina is always hopping late afternoon into the evening, so if you don't want to be hailing taxi's all over town at night looking for love, Taormina is the place, and their steak sandwich is amazing...

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 3:01 pm 
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PlesantSky60 wrote:
After reading some of the posts on this context , thought I rather ask . For a first timer to CR , do you recommend SL or Castillo or taormina or la amistad . I am looking for info on food quality , security and ambience .

Mostly leaning towards taormina .

Appreciate info.


The SL or Castillo are by far the best. You might be really disappointed with your other options for lodging.


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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 3:05 pm 
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Netgems wrote:
All seem about the same to me.

Castillo has that famous all meals and some drinks inclusive for a pittance more than the normal rate, and rooms on the top floors with private porches and beautiful views.

SL has the famous superb customer service and frat house feel, and the best fish sandwich in all of Costa Rica, but there's many afternoons and evenings both Castillo and SL are dead, dead, dead, deader than dead.

Taormina is always hopping late afternoon into the evening, so if you don't want to be hailing taxi's all over town at night looking for love, Taormina is the place, and their steak sandwich is amazing...



Netgem, well put .... I'm looking for love - thus, Taormina is the spot for me next week :)


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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:11 pm 
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flaeddie wrote:
Netgems wrote:
All seem about the same to me.

Castillo has that famous all meals and some drinks inclusive for a pittance more than the normal rate, and rooms on the top floors with private porches and beautiful views.

SL has the famous superb customer service and frat house feel, and the best fish sandwich in all of Costa Rica, but there's many afternoons and evenings both Castillo and SL are dead, dead, dead, deader than dead.

Taormina is always hopping late afternoon into the evening, so if you don't want to be hailing taxi's all over town at night looking for love, Taormina is the place, and their steak sandwich is amazing...



Netgem, well put .... I'm looking for love - thus, Taormina is the spot for me next week :)


It very well may be the least desirable of the hotels, room wise.

Both SL and Castillo have some amazing rooms.

Technically Castillo is in the middle of SL and Taormina, and if all your activities were day time, that's a good choice, easy quick walk to either one, and SL is also an excellent choice, but if you're going to be looking for action at night, why run from hotel to hotel?

Also, at night, newbies shouldn't be taking that walk between them, so you have to take taxi's.

I always stayed at HDR back in the wonder years, before retiring here.

Many a night I took the elevator down, made my selection and was in the shower with a hottie 10 minutes later, and they had an excellent morning crew as well, but HDR is probably your least desirable choice now.

When you're at Taormina...Get the steak sammich !!!

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:56 pm 
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Netgems wrote:

Taormina .....
It very well may be the least desirable of the hotels, room wise.

Both SL and Castillo have some amazing rooms.

Technically Castillo is in the middle of SL and Taormina, and if all your activities were day time, that's a good choice, easy quick walk to either one, and SL is also an excellent choice, but if you're going to be looking for action at night, why run from hotel to hotel?

Also, at night, newbies shouldn't be taking that walk between them, so you have to take taxi's.

I always stayed at HDR back in the wonder years, before retiring here.

Many a night I took the elevator down, made my selection and was in the shower with a hottie 10 minutes later, and they had an excellent morning crew as well, but HDR is probably your least desirable choice now.

When you're at Taormina...Get the steak sammich !!!


1. You use your room to sleep and Phuck. Why pick a place that "very well be the least desirable of the hotels, room wise"?
2. You don't ride around town in taxis or even repeatedly go back and forth between the hotels in them. You load Uber on your phone and use one to take you door-to-door for less than $2. You don't need to speak Spanish or even have cólones if you charge it to your Credit Card in the app. You start at one hotel, and if after an hour or so you don't see anything you like, you Uber to the next hotel. This happens no matter which hotel you sleep/play at.
3. The steak sandwich at the Taormina is good by Costa Rica standards. The beef here sucks. Don't choose your hotel based on Netgems' belly. :mrgreen:

Stay where you like, enjoy your trip.

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 11:08 am 
PHD From Del Rey University!
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Boynton wrote:
Netgems wrote:

Taormina .....
It very well may be the least desirable of the hotels, room wise.

Both SL and Castillo have some amazing rooms.

Technically Castillo is in the middle of SL and Taormina, and if all your activities were day time, that's a good choice, easy quick walk to either one, and SL is also an excellent choice, but if you're going to be looking for action at night, why run from hotel to hotel?

Also, at night, newbies shouldn't be taking that walk between them, so you have to take taxi's.

I always stayed at HDR back in the wonder years, before retiring here.

Many a night I took the elevator down, made my selection and was in the shower with a hottie 10 minutes later, and they had an excellent morning crew as well, but HDR is probably your least desirable choice now.

When you're at Taormina...Get the steak sammich !!!


1. You use your room to sleep and Phuck. Why pick a place that "very well be the least desirable of the hotels, room wise"?
2. You don't ride around town in taxis or even repeatedly go back and forth between the hotels in them. You load Uber on your phone and use one to take you door-to-door for less than $2. You don't need to speak Spanish or even have cólones if you charge it to your Credit Card in the app. You start at one hotel, and if after an hour or so you don't see anything you like, you Uber to the next hotel. This happens no matter which hotel you sleep/play at.
3. The steak sandwich at the Taormina is good by Costa Rica standards. The beef here sucks. Don't choose your hotel based on Netgems' belly. :mrgreen:

Stay where you like, enjoy your trip.


We'll agree to disagree. I'm told the rooms at Taormina are adequate, not dissimilar to standard modern hotels in America, clean, decent size, good bathrooms, plenty of room, just nothing amazing like the pricier rooms at SL and Castillo.

Th thing is taxi's are all around these hotels, sometimes it's faster and no more expensive to hop in one right outside the hotel. They always say 2 mil to get from one of these hotels to another, I say 1 mil and not a tiddlywink silver colone more and they all bite. No Spanish needed, they know where these places are.

Remember I'm a gourmet chef, and a world renown expert in exquisite elegant dining, and owned my own restaurant, well my parent's restaurant, where I did everything and even cooked...

The steak at Taormina isn't going to ever challenge Ruth Chris, but on a scale relating to Philly style steak sammiches, even in America, it's excellent, and pre cooked into thick juicy bite size chunks, no fat or gristle.

Now things may have changed as they often do here on a dime, but my last couple forays into downtown at night, SL and Castillo were less exciting than that grave yard off Paseo Colon and Taormina was hopping, so why travel to dead spots with only one 45 year old provider each?

If anyone has been staying at Castillo or SL recently, and found anything diff, it's been about a month since I was downtown, let us know, that may change the dynamics, but I feel for these guys spending a couple g's and staying at a place with one 45 y/o granny staring them down when we enjoyed a plethora of dozens, nay, hundreds at our disposal at any time in the glory years of wonderment and greatness when every man was a king... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 11:22 am 
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Netgems, Skip the chicas and just bang that sandwich!!!
:D

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 11:59 am 
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I would not choose a hotel based solely on reports on the number of women that might or might not be hanging out at any given moment. The women are basically the same ones moving from venue to venue mostly depending on how many gringo targets might be there at any given moment. And it seems that bar popularity can change from week to week.

Since all of bars are at most a ten minute walk from each other or a 2K (gringo tourist fare) taxi ride from each other just pick a hotel where you are comfortable. Then follow the chicas to the bars.

While the SL or the Castillo might not currently have the chica traffic that the Del Rey or the Taormina has you will find a nice bar and restaurant in each one where you can relax and have a quiet drink or two and actually engage in a conversation with like-minded travelers. This can be very helpful, especially for a newbie. And if you are in the mood to party, it is a short walk or a cheap cab ride to an alternate venue. You are going to find that regardless of where you stay, you are going to want to visit the other places.

My advice is to pick a hotel based on the room value, the bar and the restaurant.

The Sportsmens shows room availability by date on their website. Some rooms are great, others not so great. I like Amistad, El Tigre and Jaguar. The mansion suites are very nice but are out of my budget range for a longer stay. The modern wing rooms are also decent. I would avoid all of the Courtyard rooms around the bar. Excellent bar food but not the cheapest and a great 5 to 7pm happy hour at the bar.

You have to call or email the Castillo to ask for a specific room. My favorites are 18 and 23, the King Balcony rooms. The three Penthouse Balcony rooms are also nice but a little pricey and a long walk up the stairs. I have stayed in one of the regular king rooms opposite the bar and wasn't real crazy about it. I have never stayed in any of the rooms in the main building. The food is very good and free with the all inclusive but can get a little boring for a longer stay.

The Taormina basically has two types of rooms, a regular and a larger deluxe room. They would remind you of a Courtyard or something similar in the states. I believe they also have one or two family suites. The rooms are a good value but I really dislike the ambiance of the bar and only go in there to quickly locate some company. Since the reytrictions have eased I don't believe they are still doing the Friday / Saturday 4th floor party. They also have a somewhat randomly applied guest fee though it sounds like some folks have figured out how to avoid it. The bar food is decent (and it sounds like the Steak Sandwich is great though I have never had it). The attached Italian restaurant is pretty good. I

I haven't stayed in the Del Rey since the early 2000's. I love visiting the bar but have no desire to stay there.


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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 12:33 pm 
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Netgems wrote:
Remember I'm a gourmet chef, and a world renown expert in exquisite elegant dining, and owned my own restaurant, well my parent's restaurant, where I did everything and even cooked...

What I remember is you declaiming over and again that you are a gourmet chef. :mrgreen:
I will grant you that your recommendations on empanadas and pastrami were spot on.

Netgems wrote:
The steak at Taormina isn't going to ever challenge Ruth Chris .... it's pre cooked into thick juicy bite size chunks, no fat or gristle.

Wow, you are saying they actually cook the meat before serving it and you don't have to spit the inedible chunks out? Them's some high standards chef. :lol:

Netgems wrote:
Now things may have changed as they often do here on a dime, but my last couple forays into downtown at night, SL and Castillo were less exciting than that grave yard off Paseo Colon and Taormina was hopping, so why travel to dead spots with only one 45 year old provider each?


As you say, things change on a dime. These are First-Timers asking these questions. They check into a comfortable welcoming hotel (SL). They secure their belongings, shit, shower, shave then order up a $2 Uber to the Taormina. They can order up a steak sandwich equal to any Arby's in the US, or try the Chifrio or the Chicharron & Yucca basket (new country, new food). If they find the chica of that day's dreams, they order up another $2 Uber back to a quiet, secure hotel room. The next morning, they have breakfast in a restaurant where 100% of the other diners are like minded gentlemen with whom they can swap information and LEARN.

Spurtsmens Lodge
100% of the welcoming staff know why you are there and actively work to ensure you have a safe, enjoyable vacation.
100% of the other guests are like-minded fellow travelers who can share pointers and act as wingmen on new adventures.
Absolutely no guest fee, ever.
Fresh towels readily brought to your room.
Best hamburguesa de pollo in town.

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 Post subject: Re: Hotel recommendation
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 1:12 pm 
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Harddrive that is a good summary of the hotels.
I stayed at Taormina in 2021
for several nights in each the months of June, July, Oct & Nov.
All rooms have an outdoor facing window & the king beds/pillows great.

Overall I had very good hotel experience.
*But I am someone who enjoys busy type hotel atmosphere & as opposed to a smaller hotel.

Another feature of Taormina is late night room service .
A few different times with chica overnight & we got hungry so very handy just call kitchen for food.
A pleasant waiter brought food to door promptly & he had mobile cc reader for payment.

I do book Taormina direct on their own website.
I am to return to Taor in 1st week of May for 5 night.
Looking fwd to visiting bar at Del Rey this time.

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Last edited by krszzt on Tue Apr 26, 2022 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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