Hotels & Hostels
Lisitings
in Cusco, Peru
In recent years, lodgings of all shapes and sizes have really mushroomed
in Cusco, and they now number in the hundreds. Most of the city's most
desirable accommodations are very central, within walking distance of
the Plaza de Armas. The San Blas neighborhood is also within walking
distance, although many hotels and hostales in that district involve
very steep climbs up the hillside. (The upside is that guests are
rewarded with some of the finest views in the city.) Some visitors will
want to avoid hotels and inns too close to the Plaza de Armas; that
zone's crowded bars and discos, many open until sunrise, tend to produce
throngs of rambunctious and usually inebriated young people who stumble
downstairs and howl at the moon or bellow at the people who just
rejected them inside.
Advance reservations in high
season in Cusco are essential, especially around the Inti Raymi and
Fiestas Patrias festivals at the end of June and July, respectively.
Outside high season, look for bargains because hotel rates come down
considerably. Hot water is an issue at many hotels, even those that
swear they offer 24-hour hot showers. Many hotels and inns will arrange
free airport transfers if you communicate your arrival information to
them in advance.
Cusco possesses only a
couple of truly excellent high-end hotels, and few good hotels at the
next tier. In Cusco, an eternal backpackers' delight, there remains a
glut of accommodations at the moderate and budget levels. However,
several hostales have more atmosphere and are likely to provide a better
overall experience than more expensive -- and more institutional --
hotels. Prices listed below are rack rates for travel in high season;
unless otherwise noted, rates do not include taxes or service charges.
During the low season (Nov-Apr), prices often drop precipitously, even
at midrange inns and backpacker hostels -- sometimes as much as 50% --
as the glut of hotels fights for a much-reduced number of visitors.
Several of the hostals
reviewed below are cozy, family-run places, but travelers looking for
even greater contact with a Peruvian family might want to check out the
very inexpensive inns belonging to the Asociación de Casas Familiares
(Family Home Association), which operates a website (www.cusco.net/familyhouse)
with listings of guesthouses with one or more rooms available for short-
or long-term stays.
No Sleeping In--Most
Cusco hotels have annoyingly early checkout times -- often 9 or 9:30am
-- due to the deluge of early-morning flight arrivals to the city. At
least in high season, hotels are very serious about your need to rise
and shine, but you can always store your bags until later.
Hotels & Hostels
Listings
in Cusco, Peru
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