Gran Hotel Santa Cruz — Hotel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

The location of this hotel is excellent. It is in on the river in the heart of the historic centre of Porto. The rooms are lovely, ours having a river view and large bathroom. The hotel is small but intimate, in that everyone working there is so lovely and helpful. The front desk staff, lead by Bruno are excellent. They were there as needed to help with any hotel needs as well as any and all of the personal and travel questions we had. The restaurant in the hotel was also wonderful. Most mornings Rodrigo assisted us and Nuno was there one morning. They too were excellent, friendly and helpful. We ate dinner in the restaurant one night and enjoyed the very high quality of the food and the great and friendly service of the staff. The rooms were decorated nicely and cleaned daily.||The convenience of the location was great - easy to get to the attractions, markets and transportation. Porto is all hills, so being able to walk is important, however there is easy access to taxis, funicular, tuk-tuks and transit to get around as well.||We enjoyed our trip to Porto and would recommend it and especially the Gran Cruz Hotel. We gave...

Reasonable price for a generously sized, clean room. Free breakfast was also generous- omelette prepared for you while you load up on nice assortment of fruits, coffees,pastries, bacon and potatoes w/veggies. Even a panini sandwich press. However, there are scary areas, too. A ride on the glass-walled elevator to the higher floors exposes sagging exterior components and large tiles that have fallen off (and down on to who knows). We had a gorgeous lightning storm after midnight and some rain found its way onto our room’s floor, requiring us to get luggage elevated. You have to be understanding and patient with S. American plumbing, but the 1/2 sheet of glass for a shower curtain just floods the bathroom floor. Even the most cautious, low-volume shower will end with you stepping out onto a soaked floor. Fortunately the 6in x 6in drain kept it all in the bathroom. The biggest convenience for us was the central location, and we had a great time. I fear that this place may crumble from the top down over time without serious attention. Next trip we will...

Every town in Latin America has a 'Gran' Hotel. I look for them. They are located in the center of downtowns, are built big and first-class, and are invariably a generation out-of-date. Gran Hotel Santa Cruz is a prime example. (plaque in lobby: 'since 1952') This one has a nice, big atrium restaurant and does a trade in meetings. Pool area is a nice little oasis and the gym is more than adequate for most things. The Gran even has staff that appear to have been there for decades. Location is a couple blocks from the principal plaza and near everything. A new boutique hotel has opened on the plaza, but otherwise the Gran is the best choice in center of this town. Rooms are enormous with large all tile bath with tub. Only one small window though in room 610. It appeared there are several room types and possibly an annex near the pool. Hallways are dark and underlit, although area near elevators are spacious. Wifi reception spotty at times and TV channel selection not extensive. A very unfortunate painting of questionable taste hangs behind the front...