www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Continues to be the best advice so far…………………….

_________________

Lots of good advice. I've been to Arenal and Manuel Antoine (sp). While I liked both areas and Tabicon was amazing I think I would prefer going back to Manuel Antoine. The vistas are out of this world. There is a resort there called Gaia. It is spectacular. Not for the budget conscious by any stretch of the imagination but just may be one of the finest resorts in CR. Some of the suites have their own private pool. If you don't have the cash to stay there, their restaurant will allow you to dine there. Go for sunset. Have dinner and drinks. It may arguably be the finest sunset views in the country. (IMHO) The food and service is 5 star. In fact the entire resort is a 5 star.

I suspect I'll have another trip down there before too long. My better half fell in love with the place. This is an adults only resort.
http://www.gaiahr.com/index.asp

KenL

SnapperTrapper, leave it alone, move on, nothing to see here. Muchos novios on their mating ritual. Move on.

_________________
Hit them fast, Hit them hard and NEXT!
A good chica is like a good carpenter - No wood gets wasted!!!

Here's a place I stayed at in Jan 09. I don't consider it expensive (about $100.00 in October) and the service was great. The pool is natural hot spring fed and there is a bar at the pool. Fairly new hotel with nice little restaurant.

http://www.hotelsilenciodelcampo.com/ [url]

Mysnoatb, as a matter of fact, chicas tell me all the time I have soft hands
----------

MadGerman, I was basing my projections about volcano visibility on average rainfall that month of the year for that part of the country. I've also been told that annuallly speaking the volcano top is only visible about 60 out of 365 days per year which also happens to fall somewhere between your own dismal "success" rate and mine, which is not much better at ~20-25% of the times I've been there. But I've been there more often during the dry season and never in October. If it really is best in October that really would be ironic.
--------

Chico, I hope you understood I was just good-naturedly ribbing you a little bit and, judging from the emoticon, I think you did. I think its actually really helpful, for me at least, to hear from someone who HAS been to both places. My point was that, while its interesting for the general discussion, it didn't really address the question of the original poster who is not exactly on a Kioro style budget.

One would expect the rooms at Kioro to be much nicer than Tabacon considering they also cost much more. So that part is no big surprise. However, I was a little disappointed to hear their hot springs are so terrible, especially considering a day visit to their springs may be all that is in the budget for most of us. Are you sure you're about talking about the Titoku Springs which are part of the Kioro Resort but are a short distance away from the hotel grounds or did you only visit the hot springs at the hotel itself? The pictures of the former look really nice and the day visit price is actually cheaper the Tabacon.
-----------

Happyfloridaguy, I believe the hotel you were referring to is Los Lagos as it is one of the only (or the only) hotel on the volcano side of the road and the rest of it sounds like your description. There are a few other things to do there though then to screw. You can go horseback riding or hike up to a small lake and a nice view of the volcano.
-----------

BondTrader, I've been several times to both and I would go to Arenal, so I guess it really is a matter of personal tastes (e.g. do you prefer surf and hot sunny beaches or soaking in a volcanic jacuzzi while surrounded by lush jungle vegetation). Actually, I think the places are so different that it really is impossible to say for someone else which would be "better".

As for your hotel choices, I'm sure they are very nice but, like Chico and KenLee, you failed to read carefully Mysnoatb's original post. He's looking for "any good BUDGET but NICE places to stay". Even by your own admission, the place you recommended is "a bit pricey".

Also, I never quite understood this, why would any one go to such lengths to impress a chica who is basically just a poor hooker? So that they'll know you have lots of money to throw around? That can't be good. Besides, even a more moderately priced hotel is going to be a lavish experience for them and I'm willing to bet most would much rather you just gave them more money than to stay at the fancier places (by Desemparados standards). If you want to treat YOURSELF while traveling with your chica then stay at places like these, but don't do it to impress them.

LMFAO! Great question, maybe the company they provide is all the monger wants but I wouldnt take a hooker on a trip

_________________

No shit! I always wonder the same. Some of those hotels cost as much for a day as what a chica pays for a month rent. She will probably love you long time if they just give them the money. I rather stay in my penthouses at La Amistad. At least is for my enjoyment.

_________________
Hit them fast, Hit them hard and NEXT!
A good chica is like a good carpenter - No wood gets wasted!!!

Prolijo,

Hey man. How's it going? The problem is we all have different ideas about what a budget hotel is. I considered the one in La Fortuna to be some what modest especially when compared to places like Tabicon or the Gaia in Manuel Antone. I've never taken a working girl to either so I wasn't trying to impress anyone. I was there with my family. Personally, I like the nicer places and don't mind paying for it.

I was just giving options. That's why I gave a price. It's always the same on this board...YMMV.

KenLee

I didn't say I couldn't ever see taking a hooker-chica on a trip. What I didn't understand are guys who go to great lengths to wine and dine them in order to somehow impress/romance them. If I were to take a chica on a trip, I think she should be impressed more than enough with the quality level hotel that I would stay in myself even if I were on my own. After all that is still probably much nicer than she is used to at home. Certainly a $150/nt place is overkill. For that matter, this is not much different from those guys who take their chicas out for a dinner of shrimp cocktail and filet mignon when those same chicas would be much happier eating at a nice soda and being given a healthier tip at the end of the night that they could use to buy food for their families. Of course, if you take them out to such places most of them are going to order the most expensive thing on the menu to take the most advantage of it (you), but that doesn't mean that would be the wisest use of your funds.

One more thought, when guys take chicas along on a trip it is not just the company they provide that the monger wants. Most of them do it because they want to go to a different place outside of SJ and there are no chicas readily available where they're going. This may be changing a little bit. A fellow CRTer who just returned from the Arenal area told me he met a guide who has a friend who runs a local MP and they can send chicas to your hotel for an hour or TLN (or you can go to the MP). Supposedly, the quality level is pretty good and the price reasonable.

I know right. Perhaps to masquerade other short comings?? Who knows, but on my last trip some of us dubbed the "happy couple" the one who ate dinner together not speaking a word. They were maybe 35-40 yrs old apart.

Worse was seeing them eating breakfast the next morning. Again, no convo between them what so ever. Boy, that must have been a good session.

I locked eyes with the chica who had this "get me outta here" look on her face. I quickly everted my eyes as to not add to her misery...

Nothing wrong with chillen romantic style with a chica, but this should be done with a chica who has proven in the past it would be worth it..

Cujo

_________________
"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

This has been talked about many times
I must add or comfirm, most of the girls come from , not so good living standards... comparded to us.... I have spent many a night in a tico house
Many of the rooms we stay at are much comfortable than there own homes.
When I travel in the country I find great places from 30-75 a night
If I did travel with sand to the beach whitch I havent done
I would do the same
Do you want to end up in a stuffy over priced eco lodge
Ticos like simple nice places

_________________

Sure, the "happy couple" is an even more absurd example.

But, even if you have good rapporte with the chica, IMHO it is never worth taking them out for $100 dinners or ensconcing them in $200-300 hotel rooms. There are fair less expensive ways to "romance" the working girl you're with. Besides such OVER THE TOP demonstrations are largely lost on chicas from such humble backgrounds. They may even be counterproductive if the chicas start to feel guilty that you're burning through such money on their behalf rather than putting it in their pocket so that they can feed the family they left at home. After all, a night at a $250/nt hotel room won't help pay the monthly rent. Sure, they may be more than happy to help spend your money, but I'd be willing to bet most of them would feel much more comfortable and at home in restaurants and lodging that are closer to their own station in life rather than surrounding themselves in places probably populated with rich disapproving gringas and their henpecked husbands

Gotcha, well said Pro..

Cujo

_________________
"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

Thats why bending them over a dumpster for $20.00 is your best bet. lol

_________________