Orange wrote:
I have never stayed but based on what I heard, you don't want to stay there. There is a reason it's $15/night.
If you are looking for cheap, Castillo has room for under $40/night with CRT discount. Dunn Inn is also in that price range, I think. There are other options besides NJ.
I'm not saying this in a derogatory way, just my opinion, but if the NJ is all you can afford, you probably shouldn't be going in the first place. I know chicas don't care where they go, for the most part, as long as they make money, but there's probably a difference of how comfortable they (and you) will be in NJ versus an Amistad or SL.
Orange, that WAS just your opinion and of course you're entitled to offer it, but it certainly SOUNDS like you're saying it in a derogatory way. You've never stayed or apparently even looked in its doors so it seems to me that your opinion is mostly based on hearsay and conjecture.
Freedomcat,
I HAVE stayed there several times and NOT because "the NJ is all I can afford" rather because I preferred to save the money that I would have paid for fancier digs to spend on other things during my trip. If a guy spends part of his time going to a tico MP (or even one of the pensiones) where chicas cost 10K/hr or bargains down BM chicas from cien to $50, does that mean he couldn't afford to pay Cien if he had to or does it just mean he wants to seek out lower prices in some areas so he can spend more at other times and areas in order to stretch out his trip?
HERE ARE THE FACTS ON THE NUEVO JOHNSON
The website does say $15 per night, but I've never paid that much. Usually it is only $10 per night. The last time I stayed there it mysteriously raised to something like $12. I don't know why and didn't push the issue because a) I was only staying there 1 night and b) it was only a difference of 2 frikkin dollars. You can probably negotiate for a flat $10/nt but we're not talking a lot of dough even if you had to pay $15. Orange is right that there is a reason the NJ is so cheap. You get what you pay for. If you pay more at a fancier place you get a fancier room. The real questions are whether the NJ rooms are "fancy" enough (adequate might actually be a fairer word) and which place gives you the most bang for your buck.
Of course, it's somewhat subjective what constitutes "adequate". Speaking only for myself, I find the NJ rooms perfectly adequate though FAARRR from luxurious. Believe it or not, I've actually stayed in even cheaper places elsewhere in Central America that failed that simple test (and wouldn't stay at again) but, for me at least, the NJ wasn't too bad. Obviously, for guys with very high standards, the NJ would never be good enough.
Now for more facts. SPARTAN would be a good word to describe the rooms. They're decent sized and in fact larger than some other hotels I've stayed which have cost much more. The beds are large (I believe queen-sized?). The mattresses are firm and adequate and never any bedbugs (which I've also experienced once or twice at more expensive places). The rooms are reasonably clean or at least as much so as most other places such as those most CRTers stay. Like many hotels in the tropics, you'll see the occasional palmetto bug, but I wouldn't describe the place as being overrun with pests the way I saw another much more expensive place reviewed on here recently. The lighting IS a bit inadequate which probably will give the room a more DISMAL feel for most of us. There is no a/c but you can request a fan. The rooms have TV's (w/remotes) but there doesn't seem to be any cable as the reception is poor and you can only get a few spanish language channels (no CNN, etc.)(but, strangely enough, you can get partially scrambled Playboy-espanol
). The bathrooms are also decent sized. The shower has "hot" water (non-suicide) but it never seems to get hot enough or last for a good long time the way I really like it (but again the same can be said for many more expensive places). They provide a tiny bar of soap (no shampoo) and a couple of somewhat small towels (you may want to request more from one of the maids). There are no room safes but the locks on the doors seem adequate enough and I never felt unsafe staying there (again something that couldn't be said for some other places I've stayed at and wouldn't go back to). The largely nicaraguan staff are very friendly and helpful. Downstairs they have a pooltable for guests to use. There is an elevator to the upper floors but you have to be buzzed in and walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby and front desk.
Now for more conjecture and opinion. Personally, I've never brought any chica back to the NJ. Personally, I only stay there when I've been doing MP's and/or plan to catch a bus out of the city early the next morning and thus am not making it a particularly late night. What I UNDERSTAND from talking to other gringo guests who HAVE, there is NO problem bringing chicas back and NO chica fee, though I'm not sure if that still applies to TLN's (when the chica stays all night). Like Orange said, chicas don't care where they go as long as they make money. Most of them actually live under conditions that are worse than the NJ. Not having brought Whether the non-luxurious atmosphere really makes that significant of an impact on the mood of the chica is a matter of opinion. If you think this is mostly about seduction, then I suppose it could have a huge impact. If you think it is mostly about their earning an income and putting on a good show, then it may make no impact at all. I suspect the truth falls somewhere in between but, given where these girls come from and are used to living, not nearly as close to what our US standards would lead us to believe.
Now more facts. The neighborhood at night is a little sketchy, dark and deserted. Most people would advice you to flag passing cabs from the front door and not walk around the area after dark. I've actually walked further from the hotel late at night without incident but wouldn't recommend that for newbies. During the day it is just a half a block south of the central market and thus usually crowded with people. At those times, as in any other crowded part of downtown, the thing you have to watch out for most is pickpocketing rather than robberies. On the streets around the Central Market, you should be reasonably safe from pickpockets as long as you don't do anything stupid like walk around with a partially opened day pack (when I have one on me, I always sling it around so that it is partially under my arm with my hand on the strap and the pack held snug to my body) or have your wallet bulging out of an easily accessible back pocket (always goes in front with shirt tails pulled down over it). You also have to try to avoid bumping into people and be careful if you do. Those pieces of advice hold true when walking ANYWHERE downtown. Inside the Central Market itself, it is PARTICULARLY well-known as a pickpocket's favorite and you have to be particularly careful.
In terms of proximity to other places, its a pretty long walk to the BM - 10 blocks = 1 km mostly along Avenida Central pedestrian mall (no cars, a few street crossings and usually busy with crowds of people. In contrast the Freebird is only 3 blocks from the BM. Though it does involve crossing Avenida 2 with its crazy drivers, I'd have to give that much higher marks for convenience to the BM. The SL is about 5 blocks from the BM measured diagonally because you can cut corners to get there going through various parks. Crossing Avenida 3 can be scary, not for all the bird droppings as much as the speeding cars and lack of traffic light. Using the underpass and going by way of the Colonial is probably the safest route. In terms of the BM, the SL isn't as convenient as say the Morazon or Presidente or even the Freebird, but still certainly more convenient than the NJ. In terms of MP's, it is harder to rank these different hotels, since the MP's are so spread out and scattered. The Freebird is closest to places like IDEM, Relax, Sans, Mansion and, for at night, the Pantera Rosa (though you'd probably be taking cabs to the various strip clubs and other after dark venues no matter where you stayed). The SL is closest to the higher end "Gringo MP's" like the New Fantasy and the Little Havana (fka Zona Blue). The NJ is further west as are many of the cheaper "Tico MP's" but isn't particularly close to any great concentration of them. For example, it is still 5 blocks south of ChaCha & 747 compared to 10 blocks west from the SL. MP's like Muses, 70E and Europa are probably close to equidistant. You could more easily walk from the NJ to the Paseo Colon area MP's but it is still a stiff one. From the SL or Freebird you'd most probably want to take a cab if you wanted to explore those places.
BTW, I've never stayed at the Freebird or even seen the rooms. I did stop by there on my last trip to check them out. I spent several minutes pressing the buzzer to have somebody let me in and never got any response, which I would count as one strike against them. FWIW, there is ALWAYS someone around the NJ to buzz you in, watch who comes and goes and answer your questions or deal with any problems. Also, while the rooms at the Freebird MAY be nicer (not having seen them I couldn't say though based on price I would say they'd have to be), OTOH I believe some (or all) of their rooms share a common bathroom(s) which may be a factor in your decision. The NJ as poor and basic as it might be does include a private bathroom for all of its rooms.
Also, I've also stayed many times at the Castillo. That under $40 rate that Orange spoke of is for their standard rooms paid in cash with a CRT VIP card for stays of a week or longer and unlike the $10-12 NJ price doesn't include the 16.4% tax. The typical price paid for most rooms there is normally much higher. The rooms certainly are much nicer than the NJ. They should be since they cost at least 3-4 times as much as the NJ (ie NOT in the same price range). As Orange suggested, you get what you pay for. Does that mean you should stay at the Castillo or the Dunn Inn? Maybe or maybe not. Just because Orange (and Hank) don't think the NJ would be up to their standards doesn't mean it wouldn't be adequate enough for you. All I'd say is that the NJ is definitely on the low end (or below) of what any of us are normally looking for, just as its price would suggest.
I agree with Orange that it would be inadequate for most guys, but then most guys would never consider staying in a $10-15 per night hotel to begin with. Hank at least took a peak at it for himself before reaching his conclusion. But it doesn't really matter what Orange or Hank or even I think. Only YOU can decide for yourself whether the NJ is adequate for YOUR needs. Hopefully, I've provided enough objective information for you to make that decision. Alternatively, if you're still uncertain you could book a room at one of those other places and go check out the NJ for yourself your first day. If you find you agree with Orange and Hank, then just stay where you are. If not, pay for your 1st night or two at your first hotel and cancel the balance of your stay (which you shoud be able to do with no penalty) then just move to the NJ. Its not like you ever need to make a reservation there.
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DISCLAIMER: I've tried to lay out all the facts, based on direct 1st hand experience in most cases. Naturally, some opinions and conjecture have crept into this review, such as when I haven't had direct experience, but in all cases I've tried to be as objective as possible and provide the basis for any opinions or conjecture. Naturally, as in most things, YMMV.
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