Re: an MP at the airport - Yeah, they could put the MP at the airport right under that sign warning about sex-trafficking. As if anything like that is ever going to happen
. CR doesn't at all like to advertise its status as a sex-tourism destination, so I'm guessing that wishful wistful dream of a highly visible MP at the airport is most probably out. OTOH, I also suspect that those stupid airport signs do FAR more to let EVERYONE know that there is some sort of "sex-tourism problem" (including all regular eco-tourists who may have had no idea about CR tourism's "dark underbelly"), than actually dissuade the few REALLY creepy guys from doing the things they shouldn't. But, as usual, I digress. Back on the subject of the Clarion.
-----
Re: the Clarion and its PREVIOUS troubles -The few remaining Clarion adherents should have seen something like this coming for a long time. After all, this is not even the first time they've been shut down or in trouble for tax problems. The first time that I can remember was just 4 years ago
http://costaricaticas.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11867&start=0, but I think the association with the Clarion group was actually born out of a previous independent hotel ownership's financial problems. I also remember there being great concern at the time of its last tax closure about similar such things as what would happen to reservations, would Nixon and the casino still be able to offer their special rates (w/no chica fee), and would the hotel even recover at all, etc. Of course, as we all know, the hotel DID re-open last time and was able to deal with most of its immediate problems, but clearly they were NOT completely out of the fire.
One particular quote in that thread by our ever-wise and knowledgeable resident expert ID could probably be re-used to apply to the current situation:
Irish Drifter wrote:
Broadway wrote:Quote:
They have yellow tape closing the outdoor restaraunt and yellow tape across everything (it looks like a crime scene). When someone checks out, they put the yellow tape across the room.
This is exactly the situation that happened at the Gran Via in January[2006]. After 3 or 4 days they got it straightened out and the tape was removed the computers and phones turned back on the laundry and restaurant reopened.
Three months later the owners shut the hotel downThis has happened at the Amon Plaza before and they reopen in a couple of days but it seems to indicate real financial problems which will eventually lead to a permanent shutdown or sale.
Of course, as most of you know, although the Gran Via was shutdown, it WAS bought out and HAS reopened (and under arguably more monger-friendly management). OTOH, the saga with the Amon Plaza has been much more dragged out (4yrs+?) and it ultimate outcome much more uncertain.
More recently, as another possible indicator of their impending financial problems, there has been backtracking at the Clarion from the special casino rate program that made the Clarion reasonably attractive for many of us. Personally, IMHO, the casino rate (w/tax included and no chica fee) is/was a pretty good deal , but if you had to stay at the Clarion for their regularly listed rates (and had to pay their normal chica fees) then the place would otherwise be fairly overpriced. The "good news", if you can call it that, for us CRTers is that, because of the recent uncertainty over the continuance of the special casino rates, many of the former Clarion adherents had ALREADY been exploring options elsewhere (and if they weren't before maybe they'll start doing it now). So the negative impact of this latest closing on most of us is much less than it might have been if this closure had happened even 6 months ago.
I'm not saying that the Clarion won't "recover" this time as well and return to "normal" operations. I'm saying that the Clarion clearly has, has had, and probably will continue to have financial problems that makes them a somewhat less than completely reliable resource. Add to that the serious questions about what the heck is happening with their special casino rate and, more significant for us mongers, the question as to whether they will continue to waive their otherwise high chica fee when you book through the casino, and it starts to make great sense for even the more steadfast fans of the Clarion to study other options.
---------
Re: various hotel's chica policies - One last comment regarding hanks remark about hoping "the place does not fall in the hands of an owner that is 100% anti chica", even if the place DOESN'T change hands there is always that possibility. There seems to be a schizophrenia among hotel owners about our segment of the market. On the one hand, sex tourists like us make for a very steady flow of hotel guests (and reliable if their policies are welcoming enough). In contrast, while eco-tourists are similarly discovering the advantages of visiting CR year-round, their activities are much more out-door based and thus much more confined to just the dry season. Moreover, ecotourist tend much more to shun downtown SJ. So sex-tourists CAN make for a very important market for downtown SJ hoteliers. OTOH, we often scare those other tourists away (particularly the more insensitively loud, boorish and ostentatious among us). After all, a lot of people (particularly fat-middle-aged gringa wives) are offended by the sight of a middle-aged gringo cavorting with an obviously financially compensated but "age-inappropriate" chica.
So what is a downtown SJ hotelier to do? Cater exclusively to sex-tourist guests like the HDR, SL and a few others have done and develop a reputation for that. TRY to walk the fine line between serving BOTH markets like the Pres and up to now the Clarion have tried (some might argue the Prez stepped over that line with their dress code policy but at least they still don't have any chica fees, unlike say the HDR). Or turn its back entirely on guys like us in the hopes that will somehow make them more attractive to the rest of the tourist market, like the BW-Irazu has done.
There is always the very real possiblity that even the CURRENT Amon Plaza ownership (which after all operates under the corporate image conscious Clarion name) could turn its back on us by no longer waiving its normally high chica fee in the hopes that will make them more attractive to more mainstream tourists. Remember, it is at times when things AREN'T working and a business is NOT profitable that they're MOST apt to consider changing their business model. Would it result in more or less total revenue for them if the Clarion became less monger-friendly and would that even make enough difference to enable them to pay all their tax bills? I don't think anyone could say for certain, not even them.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Calendar
