www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Ditto what a petty post.

It's been awhile but I just emailed about a long stay and Bill replied like it had been yesterday since my last visit and it's been years, Talk about service the little problems occasional cold meals don't matter your on vacation dude. On the occasional time I needed help I always got it always.

The little things shouldn't matter at all and I am always surprised when I see this kind of post, trashing the SL will take a lot more than that people know better. Go try that shit in the states with Motel 6 but try and have fun when on vacation.

Dave

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LOL I would Love to never hear the word game used again ever again! :)

I've been at SL since Thursday and never want to leave. All requests have been handled quickly and curtiously. Have been blown away by quantity and quality of chicas. So many Sunday night my special lady was asking me to take her friends to bed, I did twice and am only now recovering. I love this place. Hey, and they have ball games on tv too.

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My English teacher said "I before E except after C". Then she told me to go to science class!

I don't care where you go, for some reason you might get below par service. An order mixup, computer failure, hungover chef - anything can happen. What makes a place great is what management does when this occurs (and that it does not happen very often). I was in no way surprised that Bill comped this guy's check if there was a problem. I've stayed at the SL many times and have never been less than totally satisfied with the service. That said, I am still trying to understand what the complaint is. Sounds like things were made right.

I just spent Friday and Saturday nights at the Sportsman's Lodge. I have enjoyed my time in Costa Rica over the past seven years but this weekend was the best. Great friends, exceptionally beautiful women, and a fantastic host. I have been experiencing health issues and the trip was exactly what I needed. A complete break from the cares of the world. What is important in a hotel is not getting perfect service. That is impossible. It is how management reacts in the event of a problem. Sounds like Bill did everything possible to correct the situation. You should praise not be critical of the effort. Bill is a great businessman but an even better friend. The Sportsman's Lodge is a venue unique in the world. The food is okay. I have been in situations where I could eat anything on the menu at several Atlanta high end Restaurants anytime I wanted without cost. After taking advantage of this beni for several months I settled in eating soups and salads. Anything gets old including prime rib, ribeyes and fish steaks. Just another reason to get out of the hotel and enjoy the selection of restaurants available in San Jose. To end this I would like to say thanks to Bill and his staff and the guys who frequent San Jose who made this a special trip for me. Pops

+1 on SL/Bill... Glad to hear you are getting out and about again Pops, and also happy you had a good trip. For YOU to say it was the best ever means a LOT!

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

You are entitled to your feelings, but the fact you "left out" Bill picking up your tab and a personal appology does not reflect well on you and your post - Shit happens everywhere, perhaps more so outside of the USA - its sorta like the meaning of life if you take my point:

Life is 10% of what happens to you but 90% of how you (or in this case Bill) react

Bill is a class act, he has always been a gracious host. Even though I didn't stay there while in SJO last week, I spent a lot of time hanging out at SL and ate many meals there. The service was top notch and the food was great. I always find SL to have the right amount of girls hanging out. If I wanted to see 100 girls, I hit the HDR.

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Can't wait to go back!

Srilm
Your entire posts was a great assessment of the situation.
They have a passive attitude toward everything except having a passive aggressive attitude.

They are going to do it their way. They have a 'learning wall'. They will learn the basics and refuse to learn past that.

Fictional Example- Typical Bar in CR: The manager can tell the bartenders that a drink needs to be made and served in under 4 minutes: Sounds simple enough right?

But then you are early, the first and only customer at the bar , 3 bartenders working and you order a drink. Manager walks in and says,
Manager: "Hey bartender, where is Srilm's drink".
Bartender: "You said I have 4 minutes ".
Manager: "YES I said that if we are busy to keep it under 4 minutes, I didn't say to wait four minutes ! If we are not yet busy then get the drink as fast as possible."
Bartender: "But if I get it too fast when we are slow, then the next time we are busy the customer will expect the drink too fast."
Manager: Goes in the bathroom and shoots himself.
Bartender: Hey, were getting a new manager, I hope he's guapo.

This is just how they are here. And remember that Bill has to get local girls, legal to work, that are willing to work at a Hotel that allows working girls. (What will their families think?) So he is selecting potential bartenders from a smaller pool of possibles. When he does find a great girl that does not steal, gives stealer service, and is loved by all, Some Gringo falls in love and marries her and he has to start all over.

Here is what I learned to do : Stick with one Bartender each visit and know her name. Be nice and try to order just from her. You will usually get 5star service every time you walk in the door this way.

P.S. I used to be a corporate trainer at a national restaurant chain in the USA. Outback Steakhouse in Escazu is the only place that I've found true USA style service in Costa Rica - but I'm not in Costa Rica for perfect food service. I've learned to accept the 'Tico way' but I do get the other services here that you cant even get in the USA.

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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.

Excellent assessment of Bill's situation. He strives to create an American-style hospitality business catering to American mongers using local resources. And he does an outstanding job at it.


This a great tip. I know most of us are rather picky and discriminating gentlemen of leisure who demand nothing but the best from everyone whom we come into contact with ( ) but remember where you are. A little courtesy goes a LOOOOOOOOONG way in CR.

And there you have it - CR 101.

mh

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mh

Srlim, you and 'cant make some great points, especially about the CR mind set and the culture - kinda reminds me of the old story about a Peace Corp volunteer who goes to a place in Africa, teaches the people how to double their crop yield - leaves, comes back for a visit a year later, and sees no one working, all the people just sitting around - he asks "What gives will all the non activity" and is told "you taught us how to double our yield - and it worked - so we don't have to work until next year......."

(He decided to just say Phuck it and get laid - but he was in a Ubangi village <you know, the ones with the women with the long lips> so there was no one hot - so he just killed himself - hey, not every story has to have a happy ending, right )

The real bottom line is the vast majority of guys would prefer pretty, hot, or semi hot girls working behind a bar vs a bar run with Prussian efficiency and ugly ones - or god forbid, guys - you have a certain pool of applicants to choose from, and I think overall Sportsmans does a great job of choosing - I'll take plesant, personable, cute with a good attitude over just about any one - attitude is the one thing you can't teach - hitting the correct keys on a computer when you imput the order, teachable - not being a complete cunt, not so much.

(Bill has improved the Sportsmans b/c he is a smart businessman, but also because of his great attitude, and if it seems like if an employee is not going to cut it - he gets rid of them - welcome change from a few years back when he had for a long time a really ugly bitch working the bar mornings; ugly, bad attitude - why she lasted as long as she did id beyond me but she sucked - could understand if she was hot, but she was not; had a realy cuntie attituded, too - then again, this was a few - maybe 4 or 5 - years ago - but she was kept waaaaaay too long - older, maybe not tica - dark skin, looked a little mixed race perhaps, a little overweight - just a cunt)

I see the OP still only has one post and isn't a VIP member. Maybe now would be a good time for his second ever post that might say "Sorry Bill, my bad".

I'm looking forward to the "ok" food and low chica count next month when I am at the SL. I wouldn't stay anywhere else.

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I aim to misbehave. -Capt. Malcolm Reynolds

Now that I think about it, I'd like to see more negative reviews like this one on the Sportsmens. Then maybe I would be able to get a room at the last minute and not have to defer to the Castillo..

Srilm, I wasn't even thinking the best bartenders to smoke any staff in the country. I was thinking the other day that the biggest dufus bartenders I ever worked with in the States would be superstars down here. That being said I've always been taken care of at the SL. Don't drink anymore so as long as I get a club soda with lime every now and then, I'm good.

Been at the SL a bunch of times this year. Like most other places, I've had both excellent and not so good service at the bar. Did not feel the need to make a fuss, and simply moved on to another bartender. Some of the bartenders seem to take great interest in making sure that they look right while others seem genuinely interested in making sure that they provide good service. It evens out, pretty much.

OP seems to have killed business at the SL! Not!! Went in last night to catch a little of the Giants game and only stayed about 10 minutes it was so packed. Everyone seemed to be drinking and happy, having a great time. Were some beefaloes as is expected but there were some lookers too and the party was going strong.