www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hey all!
I am a 34 year old coming down solo to CR on Thursday for the first time! Newbie monger as well!
I fly into Liberia, renting a car and am starting my trip at Arenal for a few days. I am in CR for 12 days, but have only planned the first few days and from there somewhat winging it with a list of things I would like to possibly accomplish if time/weather allows. I was torn between SJ and Jaco for my first experience due to also wanting the beach, but after reading gumby's trip report I'm convinced I should start in SJ.

I see Zona 2 has a great special for CRT members and looks like the Billy g suite is available.
I have not been able to find much on these boards on the experience staying there. I like the idea of discount in-house girls and being different from a basic room. And for the price with the discount, what am I missing!?!

I understand Sportsman or Amistad might be a little more social, which I might want to switch to after a night or two.

Also since I'm asking, is there parking at Zona 2?

Thanks guys! This board has been perfect for an overthinker like me haha

You're not missing anything. It's into the low season and there are good deals on rooms.

You're looking at street parking... which may or may not be ok. I don't drive in SJ. I have seen pay lots nearby but not sure if they are for overnight. Another CRTer can likely answer that.

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Thanks!
What I mean by "what am I missing" is I haven't found much written on here on staying at Zona. It took me a while to even find the info about there being a discount for the girls.

Send a PM to Lucky13 for the current rate for CRT members if you are staying there. I remember it being in the 30-35 dollar range per girl per hour. If you want 3 girls at the same time it will cost you about 105 plus whatever extras you want to pay for. I have stayed in all the rooms there, and my favorite was the Penthouse AKA Billy G's. The stories that room could tell. I liked having the balcony and having sex up there while watching the trannies on the corner was always a kick. Also if you ever needed to evacuate the building that balcony would give you the fastest exit in the whole place. If you are a light sleeper though take some ear plugs as during the work week the traffic noise starts about 6am. If you drink too much or stay up late with a chica it is no problem though. I used to love falling asleep listening to the rain on the roof when it would rain. The one thing I did miss after the renovation though was the large mirror on the common wall to the bathroom that is no longer there. I used to push the bed up against it and most girls enjoyed watching themselves getting railed in the mirror.

I have stayed at Zona, SL, and LA. I rank them: SL at the top, then Zona, then LA. Each has a unique feature. SL has everything that is good about SJ - good atmosphere, good food, excellent staff from the owner all the way to the grunt (whomever that may be ), and nice chicas. There is a wide range of rooms to fit almost anyone's taste. Zona is more like a boutique hotel - good bar, nice chicas, and large, comfortable rooms. I understand Sayuri is now the bartender. She is one of the best: personality, appearance, efficiency. There is no on-site restaurant. If you are in SJ to eat and drink, LA with the all-inclusive option is the place to be. There is one very nice bartender, and one that is a waste of air that she breathes. There are no on-site chicas, but it is not a problem to bring your own. Rooms range from nice roomy ones to very small crowded ones, all with comfortable beds.

There are two parking lots one across the street and one at the end of the block for parking
Jim

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No "tourist or travel" promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided any compensation for this hopefully entertaining contribution. Any posts regarding any event or hotel item are just my humble opinions only.

With the discount, Zona 2 suite is a good choice for single traveler. The suites are very comfortable. I think I stayed in that suite on my last trip. I used to leave the balcony door open when I was inside to get a nice breeze. And there are some cuties in Zona 2 to play with.

Like Jim said, there are 2 parking lots/garages, one is directly across the street but it closes at 7pm, if I remember and a 24hr one at the end of the block. However, the 2nd and 3rd night, the Zona 2 security guard offered to watch my car overnight for 5k. It's about double that to park overnight in the 24 hour garage. During the day, you park on the street out in front. You have to buy a ticket from the guy in the orange vest, it's 500¢/30 minutes.

Having a car in San Jose is more a pain in the ass than it's worth. I love the freedom, but the parking fees can add up. And gas is $5/gallon. I'd suggest that once you are done travelling and end up in San Jose, give the car back. The money you save will be put to good use on girls.

I'm not sure who you are renting from but know that the quoted price on most websites does NOT include mandatory insurance, which ranges from $12-20/day, depending on car size and company.

Thanks Orange. I researched the whole deal with the rental cars and insurance add -ons (I was able to get a good deal with Enterprise, no argument with waiving the CDW). I need the car since I do love to drive and explore. My visit to SJ was the the thing that made me second guess the choice, but I will only be in the city for a few days and the rest of the time the car is necessary. Especially because I have an open invitation by some Yoga girls in Saint Teresa through a friend....but I haven't decided if its worth it yet.
I still plan to go to Jaco for a bit and experience that world as well.

I don't know if you have a GPS already but if you don't, and have a smartphone, download the Waze app. It's free and pretty awesome.

Also, when checking the rental make sure they note all ding/dents/scratches, because they are known for "finding" them on the way out, and charging excessively for them.

I do use waze in costa rica but do not rely 100% on it as sometimes it takes you into dead ends and loops you back where you turned off. Whenever I go somewhere new I always get on google earth and look at where I want to go and get a lay of the land prior to driving there. That way if waze is giving me some info that I do not think it right I already know where I should be going. It is usually great for avoiding the nasty traffic jams and using alternate routes.

Yep, big fan of Waze already and am very good with maps and sense of direction. I have Sprint Open World which is supposed to work well. All set with Zona! Thanks guys. Hopefully I'll meet some members down there and have a great trip report to follow!

Ten bucks says you are booking your return before laying down on your own bed when you get home.......