www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Anyone familiar with the rooms here? I will be in #16 a kitchenette room. any one been here and have any observations?

Castillo is a good deal place with a fine, on sight Manager. Mellow, clean, comfortable. Gets even better with stays of one week or longer and payment in cash. It ain't noisy at all....very laid back and great value. Enjoy.

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"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

I stay and consider it my home when in town. Take cash to pay. Get all the discounts that way. Marta at the front desk is a wealth of info. Get one of the cards to carry with you to show the Taxi drivers where to take you. Darren the manager is great and Danny the hippie is cool also. Sl lodge is 2 blocks away. New fantasy is like 4 doors down the hill. Good neiborhood for day time walking around. As far as rooms it sounds like you have to rear lower level. There is a court yard bar that closes at 11pm and the free breakfest is served right outside your door in the court yard. Have a good trip

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Take a walk on the wild side.

I wish I was there now. There's nothing like an early morning breakfast in the open courtyard and some conversation with fellow guests.

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Providing humanitarian assistance to self employed chicas, one cash grant at a time.

There is nothing like walking two to three blocks in any direction from the Hotel Castillo and ending up in poon!

fifthy

A little more info on Castillo

When it is raining hard outside be very careful. Two reasons: the sidewalk at the front entrance has a hard grade and 2nd it gets green mildew during the rainy season along that entire stretch and becomes very slippery.

A lot of the CRT gents that I cruise with there are slightly overweight and therefore have sore backs. Hate to see them bouncing on their tailbones....just a word of caution with May the start of the rainy season. JMHO.

BTW: "Danny the Hippie" is a mean Nica pool player. Enjoy.

Pura Vida

EdB

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"You will never run out of good things because there is more than enough to go around. Life is meant to be abundant"
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You guys can pretty much call Danny anything you want to, however a Hippie he is not. Danny happens to be of Nica Indian origion/decent and chooses to wear his hair very long like a American Indian! I tease him all the time that he is a "Marica" "Cissy" for blowdrying and brushing his hair so much before going out to DR, SL, KL. He wants to be like Sampson. He feels his strentgh is in his hair. And chicas! He knows all of dem hoes!

If you need a useful guide or wingman and he likes you Danny is your man if he has time to hang with ya!

As far as the sliding on the sidewalk in front of Castillo stuff. I think that is pretty much the rule if you are anywhere in CR on a slopy hill during the rainy season. Not exclusive to Castillo by any means! Watch yo ass anywhere in da rain in CR!

fitty

Since 2006, Hotel Castillo has been my "home away from home" whenever I am in San Jose. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the price is just right. Darren and his staff are superb and make you feel like family. Castillo is close to the two upscale MPs, HLH & NF, and only a block away from SL. Yes, it can be a bitch when walking through SJ in the rain. There are street hazards everywhere... wet or dry. The "slippery mildew" in front of the hotel is one issue I have yet to notice.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

Perro Z wrote:



The software that came with my Olympus and Panasonic cameras have features that will stitch panoramic pictures together. Check out the downloadable camera software on your camera's website.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

Great recommendations guys.......sounds like a place to check out. Since my home away from home, the Clarion, has decided that they don't want/need my business anymore, I am definately going to check out the Castillo when in town May 13-17.

Like the comment about having breakfast in the open air courtyard....one of the things I liked best about the Clarion was having breakfast and the all important cups of coffee in the open air restaurant, discussing with my amigo's about the treasures found the night before and the spoils enjoyed!!!

Is it fairly quiet there???? Or do you get noise from other rooms, or hear people walking by or noise from the restaurant/open air courtyard. I don't like to be woke up at 7 am after a late night fiesta with a chica.

Hotel Castillo is a quiet, mellow and laid-back place. Many of the guests who stay there can be described in similar terms, and usually go about their vacation activities without much hype. The morning breakfast in the courtyard and hanging out in the back bar (if it is still open) provide fellow guests with opportunities to socialize. Noise does travel among the rooms in the older section (eg raucous trysts, clacking heels). Sounds from the pool table did carry into the old rooms situated over the billiards room. My information may be a bit dated, but when the back bar is in operation, it is closed at 9:00 pm in deference to those courtyard room guests who wish to turn in early.

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

anybody ever stay in the 'suite"...that barmaid loves her music....real loud....

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Jaco is called little USA by all ticos

Damn straight as that MoFo fought with the Contras against the Sandinistas. Anybody with an iota of knowledge about those fights know there were no sillyass "rules of engagement". I would not cross the guy unless you're prepared to meet your maker. He's a mellow, nice guy and will help you out a bunch while you're at the Hotel as will Marta and Darren, the Innkeeper..... If you have a room which does not have a fridge in it (as in the "standard room"), feel free to ask Darren to give you access to the one in his office. It's standard procedure. Be forewarned: Staff won't take stuff out of that fridge....but other hotel guests will!

I might as well add my accolades for this place. As most of you probably already know, I'm a value consumer and the Castillo is my top pick for hotels in its price range. If you take advantage of all the various discounts (CRT, cash, weeklong stay etc.) its a downright bargain. Personally, I don't go for the party atmosphere where I stay. Whenever I want that, its nearly always a simple matter to walk (or take a cab, but more often walk) to the BM or SL or some other place. Where I stay I'm mainly looking for a reasonably quiet clean secure and comfortable room and thats it. And the Castillo is all those things. Don't get me wrong there is some comraderie there as well if you want it. You can nearly always strike up a conversation with someone at breakfast, and there is often at least a few people hanging around the bar at night (though it closes very early). There is even the pooltable room (much roomier than the one at the SL, though not nearly as lively). However, overall the atmosphere is MUCH more sedate and relaxed than monger hotels that many of you seem to prefer (like the HDR or SL). I'd estimate it is probably on a similar level to the Clarion (it has many more monger types but it doesn't have as many gamblers or a casino).

I've stayed in the new wing and the old house and Blue Devil's assessment of the noise situation in each of those areas (or lack of it) is pretty spot on. I've never noticed any problem with the slippery sidewalks that Esposo mentioned but the Castillo IS located on a hill which could be an issue for the huffers and puffers among us if they decide to go out walking (although the SL is also at the top of that hill and has what could be a somewhat slippery treacherous sidewalk too just a few yards down from the front entrance, even since they fixed it).

My only complaint about the Castillo (and its a minor one) is that IMHO the breakfasts leave a lot to be desired (toast & jam, HARD boiled eggs and fruit). It is better than nothing but if you want your huevos revuelto o frito con gallo pinto, you'll have to go somewhere else. However, since such tico breakfasts can be picked up for a buck or two at so many places, this is far from a deal breaker for me.