DEAR_JOHN wrote:
IMHO it doesn't matter what the Ticos think, it is about the perception of the visitors to the hotel. The workers at the Pres. know what is going on, but most of the guests don't.
Let's be honest, we are sex tourists. We are the dark side of the tourists industry. We are the ones the baptist ladies in the south dont want to know about. We are the ones who have media make reports about us (remember the Detroit cops?) for doing something legal and accepted in Costa Rica. We are the ones the hotel wants to do business with, but doesn't want their guests to know we exist.
If the hotel wants discretion, then give them discretion. By now we all know how things are, time to adapt or move on.
Amen! Great to-the-point post.
Barry Cohen wrote:
I don't stay at the Presidente any more and don't understand why others do.
Morazan is often available but not the greatest place.
SL is mostly unavailable even 6 and sometimes 8 weeks out.
Castillo isn't much more available than the SL.
Del Rey the belly of the beast turns me off.
Amon is in and out of business so risky to reserve there.
Presidente has lots of English speakers, they put you on a waiting list for rooms when they have part of your reserves but not all of it, they follow up on the waiting list, they respond to emails, they have more available rooms on short notice than anywhere except maybe the Morazan, their cancellation policy is quite liberal, I can usually stay my entire stay in the Presidente instead of a night here and a night there, no hassle switching me among different rooms during my stay in the Presidente, they have a great free breakfast, they usually have lots of staff in the lobby, when I call for an iron and board it is there in about 3 minutes flat, the safes are great (slide the card through to open and close), the showers are the best with plenty of hot water, the phone/message system works great, 42 dollars for a standard room is a great price, a small but nice gym on the 7th floor and let's not forget the free wireless internet.
I know... a great advertisement for the Presidente, however I'm just pointing out my experience to those that haven't stayed at the Presidente and are in the decision process. Like DEAR_JOHN says, if mongers simply adapt, their stay will be a pleasant experience.
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