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I have stayed at Dunn Inn and had a great experience last month, have stayed in the Mansions but they are all booked when I return in two weeks, Stayed at the M but too out of the way and too expensive, have never stayed at La Amistad. Which do you think is better and why- the La Amistad or the Dunn Inn. Which rooms at La Amistad are the quietest and have the best running air conditioning? I need a king room. Opinions please needed.

Does La Amistad have a bar?
How is the security (do they check everyone in- which I like)

LaAmistad is much better than the Dunn Inn. I stayed in room 211 and it is very nice, combination safe, flat screen TV. but only 1 small window. A/C is included. Walk down the road to the SL for a bar( 1 block) Great customer service at LaAmistad . Maids do your laundry every day and I gave 2000 colones tip. Be prepared to walk up stairs. They will cook you a custom hot breakfast very nice. Like the SL mostly mongers stay there. Great security cause everyone is buzzed in and out. At first I thought this would be a hassle but it's not. this hotel is very clean and the front desk is first class.

for your $ La Amistad, thats where i stayed recently. it was great the breakfast, comfortable bed and friendly staff the laundry service was a plus. hotel was very clean. the sl is one block away for your bar. hopefully there bar wsill open soon

The 4 people out of 4 that I know that have stayed at the Amistad all liked it very well.

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* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Amistad is by far the better of the two IMO

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Secret Asian Man ( here to inspect all the chicas)

I checked out of Amistad yesterday. My first room 202 was as nice as any I have stayed in in SJ. Second room of my split stay was 203, it is nice but I have to have an exterior window. Staff was all top notch, hotel is beautiful inside. I usually stay at Hotel M but will always stay at Amistad if I can get the room I want. My thanks to all the staff.

my first 4 nights i stayed in #312 and my last three was in #201, #202 i checked out was really nice plus all rooms have thempur pedic beds which are awesome

I stayed at the Dunn Inn once and liked it. It has more ecotourists that stay there than mongers.

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Go Dolphins!!!

at the DunnInn now, i really like the place, somewhat quieter than the regular haunts good breakfast, full bottles of syrup for pancakes just don't like that sometimes they give you the end of the loaf of bread for toast i mean, that is all crust...i just don't get it

So here is a response to my own question

Both are nice but very different. The rooms at La Amistad are nicer than the rooms at the Dunn Inn. The back rooms at the Dunn are quieter for sure. The upgraded penthouses at LA are great and beat anything the Dunn has but are also more expensive. Location- depends what you want. LA is close to Sportsmen, very convenient. DUnn is closer to casino across the street and NF, HDH are short walking distance.

LA is for mongers IMHO and Dunn is a mixture of mongers and non.

Walls are thicker in the LA. Loud noises in the DUnn late at night are noticable.

Breakfast at Dunn is better as having a bar is really nice. Much more able too to help with concierge type services at the Dunn. Laudry being done for free at LA is awesome.

Wireless at LA in rooms sucks (at least in the 3 I have stayed in-lobby is fine). Wire less is good at Dunn.

Overall- I choose LA as the better and if Matt gets the bar going and figures out how to offer decent food- it will be unbeatable.

Thats one gem of a post. Thanks for the excellent detailed info Travelalot.
The two things that i am still not sure about LA are
1. Noise from train issue - is it all day affair and unbearable even in the back rooms on 3rd floor?
2. How easy it is to get a taxi from LA to DR and how much?
Anyone care to reply?

I looked at the La Amistad website yesterday, and got hungry looking at the menu. I take it from your comment that the restaurant and bar are closed as for now?

I enjoyed your comparative analyis between Dunn Inn and La Amistad. I never stayed at Dunn Inn before, but at La Amistad once about 5 years ago. I enjoyed my stay there in spite of the construction. I bet the place lloks great now.

kind of been covered about the train noise. yes its there and it comes in blasts of three to six typically short horn hits. depending on the conductor. some of them really lay into that horn and seem to take great pleasure in waking every guest. so if you are a light sleeper or can't roll over and go back to sleep take ear plugs or choose another hotel.
as far as taxis, its as easy as walking out the front door and standing on the corner. lots of taxis come right by amistad. if its late at night you might need to walk down to SL and grab one.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

Restaurant and bar up and running. Nicely, I might add. Enjoy.

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"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

Like LaDiablo said above, the taxis are usually as easy to get as walking outside the front door and raising your hand. Sometimes during a weekday, you may have to wait 5 mins for one that isn't already hired as the Hospital Calderón Guardia up the road can be very busy during the day. In that case, I usually just take a stroll up there and grab the next cab in line in front of the hospital. At night I usually walk to the gulch (HDR, KL, etc) but you can also just walk 500 meters to the Sportsman's Lodge and catch a cab there. Finally, the LA has some preferred taxi drivers on call and Rudy or Carlos can usually have them at the hotel within 15 mins or at a specified prearranged time. This is useful for when you want to arrange a long trip outside the gulch. Just negotiate the fee ahead of time.

As for the train... only you can say. I don't know what the fuss is with all the discussion on here over the train really. I've been in 5 different rooms at the LA now and it's never bothered me. I get more bothered by the sound of high heels on the tile floors in the morning then by the train, lol.