the hotel has changed alot from 5 years ago. Back then the hotel was vibrant with all types of activities and the bar/cafe was a great place to hang out and people watch. Now it has a "disney" atmosphere. After hour guests are prohibited by management. WTF?...Overall great value if you are traveling with your wifey or family but avoid if you are single or traveling with your buddy and want to keep your options open.

As I have commented to other reviewers visitors are not allowed into room areas, not only because of security issues but because we want to keep a respectful and tasteful atmosphere at the hotel that can be enjoyed by the majority. We are an ideal hotel to business executives that need to protect their reputation staying at well-known hotels or leisure travelers that come with family or alone, but not oriented to the “adult only” travel style.

I am not criticizing with this statement, what I mean is that, our policy must be implemented in order to provide the hotel-feeling our targeted market niches enjoy and preventing our business to loose reputation and the customers that we seek to have.

From TripAdvisor's Hotel Presidente reviews. Scroll down to the review from "david k" dated July 5, 2012. I'll quote the relevant passages here, highlighting mine:

From "david k":



From the response by Katherine Carter, the general manager:



There you have it, no question about it, the loss of what used to be one of the prime SJO monger hotels. That makes at least three monger-friendly places lost so far: the Clarion Amon Plaza, Hotel M and the Presidente

Tom, this was settled months ago - I loved the place; stayed there many times, but never again - I respect a business' right to change their policies; what pissed me off royally (and may others too) was for months the Prez was not honest about their policy - I guess they are now; better late than never

Scuba, I guess it was, but I remember seeing a guy or two chime in saying that they still stayed at the Prez and brought in chicas. Seemed suspicious, but left enough of a doubt on whether the Prez was totally no-chicas. Then I decided to browse TA and saw the Prez's GM flat-out say "no visitors allowed" so decided to make that widely known.

I had a great time there once with a favorita in the Grand Spa Suite #801, the one with the jacuzzi on the balcony.

Try Sleep Inn, chica fee of $30 but not crazy $80, very new, very quiet. Gran Hotel is a mistake many of us have made before it became unfriendly. Gran Dump de CR.

Never inderstood the fascination with the presidente. What's the BFD? And yes i have styed there. As well as bunch of other places in sj. Decent hotel, but if they don't want my business thats ok. They can F themselves and i will go somehere else. Is it about getting rejected and wanting to pursue ???? Kind of an odd charecteristic for the monger bunch where the whole idea is about moving on and on and on