Hermit,
When you don't know what your doing in CR and admit it, the best place to stay is Sportsmen's Lodge. I've been going since 2006 and I still find Sportsmen's to be the best place to stay. It's a decent hotel, the staff is helpful, the food is good, the drinks are fairly priced and the girls on both sides of the bar are some of the best in CR. At SL I can sleep well, get breakfast, a good morning blowjob, drink and talk trash with other gringo's in the afternoon, smoke some creepy and get nookie at night. For an old guy like me that's a happy day. I'm usually good to just hang out at the SL for several days before I even want to go on any tour of the city or country. The security at SL is the best. If you have any trouble with a girl in your room, all you have to do is call security and the problem is over. Also, her ability to work in the SL can also be jeopardized by your call and she knows it.
I think it's kinda like fishing. Some guys like to go all over the lake to find where the "best" fish are biting. I like to just throw a line in the water, have a beer and wait until a keeper swims by. To each his own.