The 4-star rating is due to several factors. First, the plaza is a rather newer addition to the City of Kings whose history approaching a six hundred years mark; Plaza San-Martin was opened 98 years ago, in 1921, the hundred-year, centenary, anniversary of Peru's independence from Spain. Unlike other areas in the historical center of Lima, there are no colonial buildings with its carved Moorish balconies or hundreds of years old churches. Moreover, Plaza San Martin has definitely seen its better days, the best example of which is Hotel Bolivar, opened in 1924, where Hollywood celebrities used to socialize 60 or 70 years ago. As generally the historical center of Lima became less and less habitable, 95% of all city visitors would stay in Miraflores, Barranco or, to a lesser degree, in San-Isidro. And even though there are some restaurants around the plaza, the prevailing trend are the touristy chain outlets, such as Pizza Hut or KFC, for visiting which one doesn't have to travel thousands of miles. Also, the inevitable sense of decay is heightened by the charred remains of the historical four-story Giacoletti building (built in approximately 1912), across the street (Avenida Nicolás de Piérola) from Hotel Bolivar, that burned down in October 2018 and still (June 2019) remaining in the same condition. Still, the east and north sides of Plaza San-Martin feature buildings with beautiful arcades, resembling Piazza San-Marco in Venice or place des Vosges in Paris, great for taking unhurried walks or finding shelter on bad weather days. The equestrian statue of the Argentinian General José de San Martín, known as "El Libertador" ("The Liberator") in Peru, is one of the city's historical landmarks. Facing Hotel Bolivar, on the right, there is a pedestrian street Jiron de la Unión, the main shopping thoroughfare of downtown LIma, lined with mostly budget stores. Walking up Jiron de la Unión you will get to the main plaza of the city, Plaza de Armas (rechristened Plaza Mayor now), crossing on your way such worthy landmarks as the amazing Iglesia de La Merced, completed in the richly ornate Churrigueresque style in 1765, and Casa Courret (the elegant 1906 Art Nouveau building), both on your right.