Hotel Kuna — Hotel in Cuenca

We selected this hotel based upon positive reports in Trip Advisor and found the following positives about our stay:||||-The staff were exceptionally courteous and welcoming. They were helpful when we needed to find something special. They ordered taxis when we needed them. Our bags were always carried either up to our room or down the stairs to reception. They stored our bags on our last day when we needed to put them some place secure while out touring before our departure.||||-The room was comfortable, though simple. A mini-fridge was provided with liquid refreshments though we did not partake of this offering.||||-We asked for a room on the top floor in a quiet space and were provided with a room on the top floor.||||-The breakfast buffet was very basic and while my friend was able to enjoy the offerings, there was little for me to enjoy. I did have their fresh juices.||||-Wifi was acceptable throughout the hotel.||||-There was good water pressure and we had good hot water. The shower was a bit updated with options for jets, handheld shower head or fixed shower head. All were in working condition.||||The negatives:||||-There were no blackout curtains in our room. ||||-The room was stuffy so we had to open a small bathroom window and a corresponding small window into the hallway to get airflow. The first night we left them open and found it to be very noisy. The hotel is located on a very busy street and as a result, it is noisy.||||-The rooms are supposed to be soundproofed. They are not. It helps to close the windows, but it is still noisy from the traffic outside. ||||-Staff entered our room to deliver items like a fruit cup or to clean. They did not double lock the door when they exited the room which was a concern because of items that we left in the room expecting that the room was locked securely. On our last day, we came back from a tour to vacate the room and found the door completely unlocked. Our idea of security was clearly not the same as the staff at the hotel. We did mention this to hotel reception.||||-Lastly, we had understood that our charges would be $85 per night with the possibility of added taxes. What we did not expect, in addition to taxes, was a service charge on our bill when we had been paying the staff tips throughout our stay. Our charges ended up being $103.70 per night. We also found that for the location of this hotel, away from the city center and on a busy street that the charges were excessive.||||There are other hotels located in the city center with equally positive reviews that cost less and have much more character.. Despite the kindness and dedication of the employees, I would not care to stay at this...

We'll return to Cuenca and I certainly want to stay here again! ||We loved almost everything about this place: the staff, the food, the prices, the room, the little lounges on every floor - everything was wonderful. The staff was incredibly helpful and so nice! (Unlike a lot of places, you get the feeling that they actually like their jobs.) The food was excellent, whether it was served at their restaurant or via room service, and very reasonably priced. The only downside was that it got very warm and there was no way to control the temperature in the room (as far as we could tell) other than opening the windows. ||One or two of the ladies speak English, but a knowledge of Spanish...

Just far enough from the center of the city to be out of the tourist area, i.e., good access to airport and bus station. Nice breakfast buffet. Only a couple good restaurants nearby, but a taxi to or from the city center is only $2 or so (or 1/2 hour to walk there). Staff is extremely friendly and will go out of their way to help; their English skills are not great, however, so be prepared to use a dictionary or sign language if you're not conversant in Spanish. Very clean. Modern amenities. Nice sitting areas on stair landings. Noise from the street is a bit much, which is why 4, not 5 stars. Overall,...