Jack,

I couldn't remember the name of the place while I was actually down there.  I'll be sure to ask the family over dinner tonight.  They have better retention for such social & cultural highlights than I do.  Most of the locals were telling me that the town has grown five-fold in the past ten years.

We DID decide to visit a "mountain-top hotel/restaurant" at sunset.  The place is called Villa Caletas.  It has a spectacular vista that rivals that of any establishment I've ever seen anywhere, including my all-time favorite spots looking across at the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps!  Actually, we drove up, walked onto the terrace to watch the sunset over the Pacific, then left.  When the menus did NOT include prices and the price of after-dinner cigars exceeded what I expected to pay for dinner, well...the air seemed a bit too rarefied for my blood.  The place was about 5-6 miles north of Jaco just off the coastal Hwy 34.

I'll get back to you later re: the Hotel Cocal.  And, hey, that Imperial beer WAS very good.  I could very easily get used to that!!  My son & I raised one or two of them in your honor early on.....

Jimbo