La Posada de Atahualpa — Hotel in Distrito de Cusco

I stayed here 5 nights, separated by several days each time (the hotel kept my suitcase safe when I was away). I was very happy with this choice, for several reasons.||||First, it is extremely quiet. There are no outside windows. All rooms have windows that open onto a central courtyard that gives light and air, but eliminates street noise (which can be a problem in Cusco).||||Second, there is ample hot water with good water pressure. Most homes in Cusco do not have either heat or hot water, so to find this in an inexpensive hotel is a luxury that made me very happy.||||Third, the folks running the hotel go out of their way to make you happy. Eggs cooked to order, early take-away breakfasts, etc. They will negotiate with cab drivers for you, and make suggestions for activities.||||I really liked the location. It is about a 10-minute walk from Plaza de Armas, all on the same level (no hike up the hill), but it is in a residential rather than tourist area. The restaurants in the neighborhood are geared for the locals, not for tourists, and are plentiful. There are also pharmacies and bodegas and barber shops within a block.||||The negatives (from a first-world point of expectation): ||1) there is no elevator, so you need to carry your bag up and down stairs (there are a few rooms on the first floor where this would not pose a difficulty).||2) as is typical in Cusco, there is no central heating. I was there during May (the equivalent of November in the northern hemisphere) and the rooms were on the chilly side of comfortable. The atrium helps warm them during the day, and I was in many other buildings much colder. There are many blankets on the bed, and I always slept well especially if I had a hot shower before bed.||3) the staff does not have a strong command of English, so some Spanish skills are very helpful. ||||All in all, for the price I paid I was very happy staying here. I could have easily moved to another hotel between treks, and did not have any desire to. My friends who stopped by all moved from their hotels to this one for the quiet and...

Let me preface this review by saying Peru has very different safety standards then the US. If you go in expecting standard safety precautions that we have in the US you will hate all of Peru. Widows open into enclosed courtyards, the hallways and stairways are not lit at night and bathrooms have no ventilation. A previous review stated they made breakfast and coffee for them for their macchu picchu trip, this was NOT our experience. I asked if we could have breakfast and coffee ready at 4:50am for our machu picchu voyage that started at 4:55am and I was told "no!", that breakfast starts at 630am, no exceptions. I also fell down their dark stairway the morning of our trip since there are no lights at night. A busted ankle at machu picchu is not good.

In spite of all the bad I give this hotel 4 stars because it has a charming atmosphere. Some of the concierge were helpful and like most people we encountered in the beautiful town of Cusco they are just trying to make an honest living. They do the best they can. SO if you are looking for a clean, nice place to sleep in cusco this hotel will work. If you want something close to the shopping and historic buildings this is a medium walk.

DO NOT PICK THIS HOTEL if you want to eat before...

Stayed here couple of nights in May 2017 at the beginning and end of my time in the Cusco region. The rooms were almost identical with a comfortable bed, a chair, tv and nothing much else plus a rather big and comfortable bathroom en suite with toilet and shower. Breakfast is simple but nice and the staff is great and helpful although little English is spoken. Everything seems clean and in order and there was hot water all the time when I needed it. Be prepared that it can get rather cold during the winter here. I visited in May and slept well under the heavy blankets but felt cold when getting up early morning as there was no heating in the room. All rooms seem to face a covered inner courtyard and only have interior windows which make it a quiet place to sleep. You can easily walk into the city centre and there are plenty of cheap eats and kiosks...