www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I'd call a half dozen other places before settling on the Morazan, it's like living in a dirty ashtray...but at least Ricky Retardo is entertaining.

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

Ricky Retardo---How fitting. Scuba1--you sound exactly like me until my last and "final" Morazan stay 3 weeks ago. Have a week booked at Sportsman in March. Keep the Imperial cold.

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There's a prettier girl every day...

Great advice/point - with the exception of Halloween, Superbowl and maybe a few other "special" dates, guys plans change and they cancel reservations all the time. If you keep trying (and check - don't rely on the fact that your name is on a list ) I'll bet your chances are good to get a room there.

Maybe I've been "lucky" - but with over 10 trips and 50++ room nights there I've never experienced the problems others have posted about the Morazon - plus, while we could debate that the place has the location and the potential to be so much more than it currently is - I accept "it is what it is" If I was paying $150/night vs $50, I'd maybe expect more.

I see guys post all the time about places that would not suit me for a variety of reasons - Freebird is cigar unfriendly, the HDR (and yes, I've stayed there) is a non starter, I prefer not to be in Bario Amon, which eliminates 3 - 4 places - but many guys really hate the Morazon (which works for me ) and my point is that few places work for everyone!

Very cigar friendly, the Havana Humidor Room at Hotel Little Havana. Just a suggestion.

Gee, I'll have to stop by next time I'm in town

Ricky RETARDO .... I like that !!!!! What a tool !!!!

To add my dos colones ...

Morozan Positives:

Location, Location, Location ... The ability at any given time to roll out of bed and get in the mix of it all immediately is priceless. Also, you won't have to screw around with getting cabs or chica's asking for cab fare late at night. With it being only steps away from the Del Rey and Key Largo and you want to fly your chica's in stealth mode below the chica network radar ... you can always just have them meet you inside the Hotel and your favorita or her lookout's will never know as opposed to parading her past all the others you made ... ummmm ... promises too

Price: One of the cheapest games in town for what you get and the location. Knock off the chica fee you might pay at other places, and again not dishing out cab fare to/frm your hotel late night ... well thats just an accumulation of additional savings that you can use on other things throughout your stay

The Staff: Except for 1 oversized tool that I will mention later the staff on my visits have been very friendly and helpful. They have even called up a few times when I released a chica and before they would return her ID they would ask me if everything is OK ... not sure they do it all the time, but they have done that on a couple of occasions while I was there .... who knows maybe I am picking all the seedy one's with reputations .. LOL



Negatives:

Accomodations: The rooms are hit and miss ... as others have suggested that certain rooms are better then others and the fixtures and things like that tend to be older so it seems to be more susceptible to not having hot water for a bit or the elevator going out for a bit, etc. Once had a room where the floor was kind of damp ... then as hours passed by there was a build up of water enough to store gold fish .... the toilet or something in the next room had busted and the water was coming into my room (as this of course is an isolated event) the propensity for these type of things to occur is not out of the question. Also beware that some rooms dont have windows and if your a vampire ... this could be your heaven.

Ashtray or Asstray: Both can define the smell of any given room provided that it isn't doused with air freshner which then creates that cigarette being covered up by freshner smell. The place is just damn smokey ... always has been and always will be. My buddy grabbed a room there for one day and although he said he was all right with it ... he did have to go out and buy a can of air deodorizer. This is why I call it: THE SMOKEY AZZ MOROZAN


Security: Never had a problem with anything taken, but on one stay I went back to my room late morning to retrieve something and found my door wide open as well as the door of a couple of other rooms ...Yes the cleaning people were at work (I think ... I didnt see any carts) ... but there was nobody around in the hall or in any of the rooms monitoring the ins and outs ... I was thinking, if I were of that ilk, I could go in each room and help myself ... that was kind of scary so of course (as you should do anyway) make sure all your valuables including laptops are behind lock and key or combination. I did literally track down a cleaning person who was in an office somewhere and told them of the issue ... her response in a matter of fact way was that ... "we are cleaning the rooms...." well alrighty then .... so much for the tight security ... LOL


Ricky Ricardo: The guy is just a tool!!!! I think the remainder of the staff comes off as so nice because they work with this clown. He will offer to carry your bag of pretzels up to your room so he can have his hand out for a tip. I once checked in with no bags only a laptop over my shoulder (they were in a holding area at another hotel) this jack ass gets an attitude because I won't let him carry the lap top upstairs to my room so he can outstretch his hand for a gratiuity.

Yeah I know he is in the business for tips, but there is such a thing as over the top and he is that all of the time ... and in an environment where you have cab drivers, chica's, bartenders, waiters and waitress trying squeeze every extra dime out of you ... you can't even go to the confines of your own hotel without this ass-clown trying to hit you over the head with something he can get a commission or tip for.

Maybe its just me ... He assuredly isn't someone that can't be dealt with or ignored ... or for that fact be one that will/should ruin your trip, but in the land of La-De-Da ... why should one have to deal with his kind on a REGULAR basis when in almost every other place there is nobody quite of his kind.

With all this being said ... Everyone has there favorites and their top 5 and although I can't put the Morozan in a top 5 list of places to stay, it is a place that in a pinch I might consider for a day. It is a "Break glass for emergency" place where if your have tight dollar constraints and you are looking for a place for 1 or 2 nights at the very most and your OK with mediocre accomadations at best then this it. The negatives can be dealt with especially if only for a day if your not a high maintenance traveler and the only purpose and the only time that will be spent in your room is to lay the lumber to some chica and to shyt, shower and shave.

"They have even called up a few times when I released a chica and before they would return her ID they would ask me if everything is OK ... not sure they do it all the time, but they have done that on a couple of occasions while I was there .... who knows maybe I am picking all the seedy one's with reputations .. LOL"

Very possibly

Its their policy; sorry, you are not "special" - they call (or are supposted to) every time prior to releasing a guests ID- they have done so for me each time, every time over many stays - very good policy IMO; much better than other places who just charge you a guest fee or give you a hassle (the Presidente of old) - its a valuable service and has never been - in my experience (read my post; at least 50 room nights over the last 5 or 6 years) - hit or miss.

"Ricky Ricardo: The guy is just a tool!!!! I think the remainder of the staff comes off as so nice because they work with this clown. He will offer to carry your bag of pretzels up to your room so he can have his hand out for a tip. I once checked in with no bags only a laptop over my shoulder (they were in a holding area at another hotel) this jack ass gets an attitude because I won't let him carry the lap top upstairs to my room so he can outstretch his hand for a gratiuity.

Yeah I know he is in the business for tips, but there is such a thing as over the top and he is that all of the time ... and in an environment where you have cab drivers, chica's, bartenders, waiters and waitress trying squeeze every extra dime out of you ... you can't even go to the confines of your own hotel without this ass-clown trying to hit you over the head with something he can get a commission or tip for.

Maybe its just me ... He assuredly isn't someone that can't be dealt with or ignored ... or for that fact be one that will/should ruin your trip, but in the land of La-De-Da ... why should one have to deal with his kind on a REGULAR basis when in almost every other place there is nobody quite of his kind.

With all this being said ... Everyone has there favorites and their top 5 and although I can't put the Morozan in a top 5 list of places to stay, it is a place that in a pinch I might consider for a day. It is a "Break glass for emergency" place where if your have tight dollar constraints and you are looking for a place for 1 or 2 nights at the very most and your OK with mediocre accomadations at best then this it. The negatives can be dealt with especially if only for a day if your not a high maintenance traveler and the only purpose and the only time that will be spent in your room is to lay the lumber to some chica and to shyt, shower and shave."


Yeah, the guy is a tool - but whenever I say, "No thanks, Ricky" that ends it - Not saying you but I wonder how some guys have made it through life if they are intimidated - or even annoyed - by a guy with a little moxie trying to make himself a little money by preforming a service -yeah, he likely did not take the Dale Carnagie course or even read the Spanish translation of his famous book ("How to Win Friends and Influence People")

I don't find (with maybe the exception of some girls - but that makes it a one time non repete for me if they are obnoxious about tips - or if they call me "baby" over and over again - I've told some how stupid that sounds, and how much many guys hate it - but I digress....) Costa Ricans - even in the Gulch - very agressive when it comes to tips b/c its not part of their culture - so maybe "Ricky" stands out.

I have a low paticence level but can't understand the level of pissed off guys get at a person a simple "No thanks" has always sufficied to tell him to buzz off if you don't need his services.

(And PS - I've been in plenty of hotels in the USA where I have a rollaboard suitcase and told them at the front desk I did not need baggage assistance - when they just called the bell stand - and gotten looks as I've gone to the elevator with my bag - so it happens )

You make some valid points and I'm serious when I say the less guys who stay there the better for me But I do want to be fair to the place and have enough time there as well as time in CR (40 trips over 15 years) to offer an informed perspective.

I've also stated I'm likely more smoke tolerant than many; still I don't see it or really smell it on the upper floors - its a casino catering to Asians, on the ground floor, and many Asians smoke.

Is it for "everybody" (and probably the least likely property to become a part of the "Lowes" or "Ritz" chains ) - no, but then neither are the "halo effect" hotels like the Sportsmans and HLH.

Thanks so much to Scuba1 and Traveling, for taking the time to share their experiences. It is greatly appreciated! I'm taking in all the info you guys are giving, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with keeping my stay at Morazan. Although after viewing The Freebirds website, and seeing how inexpensive their rates are for VIP, I've thought long and hard about changing my stay to there. But, I like the idea of being right in the middle of the action. So that's what I'm planning for now.

One more question though: I've noticed that nobody mentioned anything about the available chica's hanging out at the Morazan. Are their any? Any Asian ladies available there? Or are all the Asians staying at Morazan male?

Thanks again gents,
Paul

You might find a few chicas playing the slots or maybe at the second floor resturant hanging out but nothing like the selection next door at HDR or Key Largo. I made a date with a bartender at the resturant when she got off at 4pm but an hour later after I picked up a chica at HDR the elevator stopped at the second floor and the bartender got in and gave me a go to h*ll look and I knew then the date was off

Some comments:

I don't like the Freebird b/c of their restrictive policy regarding cigars (they ban 'em, at least in the rooms and common areas ) - so its a non starter for me, but their smoking policy is probably welcomed by many, just not me - many guys like the place and its really not located in an out of the way location - in fact, its close to Idem and Relax and Eros, some MP's; about a 4 min walk to the HDR. Don't let its location influence you

You stand a very slim chance of hooking up with Asian women - as in many places, the Asian community is highly insular and even expecting to see any Asian working girls is a stretch - there have been rumors of Chinese MP's but as a non Chinese, we have little chance of even knowing if such places exist - take this one off your list; not gonna happen!

I have seen, on ocasion, working girls in the Morazon bar, and in the casino - but the pickings are slim, and other places offer far better odds (you are a block away from whore central, the Hotel Del Rey and the Key Largo )

LOL! Great story! Thanks!

Thanks, Scuba1. I enjoy reading your experiences and advice. So, let me ask you this.......would you feel comfortable walking from the Del Rey to the Freebird by yourself, at midnight? Or even with a Chica? I mean, it's only three block, correct? Seems kind of silly to take a taxi three blocks.

I sure have enough of both, don't I

I stayed more times than I can count at the Presidente (don't anymore; totally restrictive guest policy) and the walk consists of a long dark block followed by 1/2 block of fairly dark - over 10 years of staying there, I never took a cab, thought it was excessive - and never once had a problem.

Some on the board would say I was lucky.....I did the walk enough times that I have a perspective - Some take the safety issue to unjustified heights, but given the low cost of cabs (they are governed as "public transportation" in CR so while they are not nearly as cheap as busses, they are dirt cheap especially compared to the USA)

(even ) I can't argue that it makes sense to use them at night, especially if you are new and by yourself.

OTOH....

I drink very lightly, am not loud, and I'm not stupid (those are almost always present when guys get into trouble)

I might not do the walk - especially if I was new - from the DR to the FB - its a little longer.

I'd probably take a taxi (but not the ones out fronr of the HDR - so many CR "nuances" you need to be aware) but either negociate the fare or insist on the meter.

Don't know if I suggested that you strongly consider a tour - contact either Bilko (send him a PM) or Pops (you can PM him too) www.popsguideservice.net

Not expensive, and well worth it.

A few trips ago I ran into Ricky (the bellmen that most hate for him trying to make a honest buck ) and we sat at a little bar having some beers ....he bought my first one which I did in return for him ....we shot the shit about san jose and usa for about an hour until I seen a girl that I have been looking for ...for many trips and off I went. My point is ...yeah for years I had stayed at the Morazan and he was there everytime with the bags and his tv demo ...and I will throw him a few bucks .....but all the hate on this guy on this site ....well save it for the someone other more deserving than him .....

Scuba ....that walk from the D.R. to the Pres at night was famous as maybe 5 years ago it was the area where more than a few gringos got robbed or beat up .....as of late that has not been the case ....a few reasons ....less gringos staying at the Pres....the info here was good as in take a taxi even to the Pres after dark ....maybe the cops have cleaned that area area up ....last few trips ...seeing less and less of the street K*ds in that area

Freebird ...walk to the D.R , my last 4 trips I have stayed at the freebird ....as I love the place,price and location ....I walk up to the D.R. up to around 10:30 at night ....and always take a taxi back (and make the driver let me off in front of the gate)
On the walk to the D.R. from the Freebird .....I have never run into anyone asking for anything or found the eyes of evil on me ....as I walk with I know where I am going walk and its not my first time in san jose.

I sure have enough of both, don't I

I stayed more times than I can count at the Presidente (don't anymore; totally restrictive guest policy) and the walk consists of a long dark block followed by 1/2 block of fairly dark - over 10 years of staying there, I never took a cab, thought it was excessive - and never once had a problem.

Some on the board would say I was lucky.....I did the walk enough times that I have a perspective - Some take the safety issue to unjustified heights, but given the low cost of cabs (they are governed as "public transportation" in CR so while they are not nearly as cheap as busses, they are dirt cheap especially compared to the USA)

(even ) I can't argue that it makes sense to use them at night, especially if you are new and by yourself.

OTOH....

I drink very lightly, am not loud, and I'm not stupid (those are almost always present when guys get into trouble)

I might not do the walk - especially if I was new - from the DR to the FB - its a little longer.

I'd probably take a taxi (but not the ones out fronr of the HDR - so many CR "nuances" you need to be aware) but either negociate the fare or insist on the meter.

Don't know if I suggested that you strongly consider a tour - contact either Bilko (send him a PM) or Pops (you can PM him too) http://www.popsguideservice.net

Not expensive, and well worth it. [/quote]

Thanks Scuba1. I have read in a TR, of someone using Pop's service. I've checked his website and am strongly considering using him for a night of strip clubbing. I LOOOOOOOOVE strippers!!!!! But, I do have another wingman set up as well. So we'll see. Thanks for the tip though.

Your experiences of walking at night seem to be what I'm hearing from others.