www.CostaRicaTicas.com

hi,

Scotland Atps. is clearly the best deal in town. This was like my 7th or 8th trip to SJO but 1st time at Scotland. You get 2 huge rooms, and that doesn't include the kitchen which has a fridge & stove.

Normally, you have to pay weekly or monthly, so if you're there for 7 days, it comes out cheaper than Presidente (and there is no chica fee - you even have your own key and private entrance). Since I had been there before, I emailed 'em and the mgr. agreed to let me stay there for $40 night for 2 nights.

Any info on the place like location contact info etc???

Berk.........

www.hotels.co.cr/scotland.html I have stayed there three times in the past without a problem. It is about a ten minute walk to the Del Rey from the apartment. scotlandapartments@hotmail.com.

I'm not sure about being the best deal in town or not, but for SOME mongers it might be worth checking out. I never stayed there but I did go there personally to check them out. For my purposes, I chose the Linda Vista Apartments instead since they were SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive. The obvious advantage for Scotland is that it is MUCH closer to the Gulch though it is still a fairly long walk away (about 10 blocks, but there are frequent buses passing 1 block away which drop you off across from the Costa Del Sol). The $250/wk studio apartments in the main building are not significantly better than those at Linda Vista which go for about half as much. The ones across the street are MUCH nicer and well worth the extra $100, but at $350/wk is not really any major savings over just staying in the Gulch at the regular daily hotel rates. Having a kitchen can be a nice perk, but I'm guessing most mongers are not going to want to bother stocking up on all the basic staples for just a week to save what amounts to just a few bucks over eating out. If you're in town for a month or more it might become a better value but at $900/mo (=$30/day) for the better apartments it is still not really a huge savings. If you're staying for a week or more, would like a kitchen and slightly nicer digs and don't mind the slightly greater distance from ground zero, but don't want to be all the way out in Calle Blanco, Scotland may be an alternative worth checking out.

BTW, straddler, you said this was your 1st time at the Scotland and yet the manager let you stay for $40/nt for 2 nights because you were there before? Which is it and can anyone get the $40/nt rate for less than 1 week stays? Also was that $40 for the apartments in the main building or for the nicer ones on the north side of the street?

Yea...I was a little confused by Straddlers post also Prolijo. As for best deal in town...depends on what you want. The apts I have seen at Scotland Apts are dark and dingy. Very low end furnishings.

For those coming for a month+, you might be interested in these furnished apts in Tibas. Closer to downtown and nicer neighborhood than Vista Linda (where DonGordo was robbed). They have some new 1 bdrm units for $550 month with in rm jacuzzis, pool, exercise room and BBQ area at clubhouse. 5 minute taxi ride to the gulch.

http://www.realdealscr.com/rental_detai ... sp?PID=363

Have you seen their apartments in the building across the street? Like you, I was very unimpressed with those in the main building but thought the other ones were much much nicer. Besides, the Linda Vista Apts aren't exactly the fanciest either. However, while the newer apartments may be nicer, at $900/month they run nearly TWICE the average monthly market rate for furnished apartments that are only marginally further out, which I thik is just plain nuts.

The apartment you mentioned with a pool and in room jacuzzi sounds like a really good deal at only $550. That sounds a lot nicer than Linda Vista and for only about $100 more. Linda Vista Exactly where are these new apartments? Isn't Tibas kind of northwest of Calle Blanco? Sounds like it is further out but perhaps a quicker ride down the Tibas Highway. BTW, while I'm not about to run out and buy a house in Calle Blanco, I still don't think that neighborhood is really that bad. Robberies can occur anywhere in SJ, particularly if you look like an obvious Gringo tourist carrying something in fannypack.

You're right...the Tibas apts are about the same distance, but a direct shot down the highway into downtown. In my opinion, a much better value and environment than Vista Linda. And just ask the police here...Calle Blanco is NOT a good safe neighborhood. Lots of crime happens there...drugs etc. Not trying to be negative...and Vista Linda is not bad. It's just not the only option near town.