Costa Rica Reporter Targets Massage Parlor in Barrio Amon

New Fantasy in particular was the target of the Telenoticas Investigative Report of sex businesses in San Jose, and although never managed to turn up evidence of illegal activity you can see how producer Rodolfo Gonzalez of Telenoticas was able to stir public indignation at the mention of such business marring the image of Barrio Amon the historic "first neighborhood" of Costa Rica.

Interview with Owner of New Fantasy

Reporter Rodolfo Gonzalez: Telenoticas contacted the owner [Oscar Abarca] of this "pension" found in this location who recognized that the women who come to this place sell their bodies but he indicated they are not his employees, the only thing that he does is rent rooms, which are 7,000 colones ($12) per hour.

Oscar Abarca: This is a "pension" renting rooms for periods of time, one, two hours, whatever the person who comes wants, that’s what it is.

Reporter: Now, you have nothing to do with the girls? They simply come to rent rooms?

Oscar Abarca: The girls come here and rent, wait for their friends, boyfriends, whoever to rent a room and afterwards they go away or stay and wait for another person.

Reporter: Don’t they have a problem coming in and out without paying an exit fee.

Oscar Abarca: Here we don’t work with any exit fees. I couldn’t charge them an exit fee because they aren’t involved with me, and don’t work for me. They simply come and rent rooms and then leave.

New Fantasy Closed

Reporter Rodolfo Gonzalez: Another pension closed was this one, New Fantasy. They are 12 "prostibulos" that function openly in Barrio Amon and are made up as massage parlors, motels or hotels. As with the other businesses they were at least fifteen women inside presenting their services.

Oscar Abarca: They have the right to inspect and close, and on Tuesday the company attorneys will be bringing the requirements they have requested, the resolution papers, and will continue working.

Francisco Castaing: What was discovered were seven Nicaraugans and one Colombian with legal residency all of them.

Reporter Rodolfo Gonzalez: Several of the girls who work in these places spoke with Telenoticas. These places have permission to function as a "pension" and as such it is very strange that they prohibit the entrance of minors. Now the power to keep these places in order depends on the municipality of San Jose and [hopefully] this won’t be just a few hours of relief for the residents of the first and one hundred year old neighborhood in our country, Barrio Amon.

New Fantasy Reopens

New Fantasy opened again a week later as the city was unable to prevail in closing a such a business in a country where prostitution is not illegal. Unlike previous massage houses like Arte Sauna, New Fantasy was able to prevail because they stood behind their "pension" or motel license.

The "massage" marketing is really just less than overt viusal clues that appeal to tourists from the United States who associate this kind of business with prostitution.

Pay a visit to New Fantasy today and you can get full service sex for under $40, however a massage may cost a little extra.