Amazon Hostal Review

The Manu tour operator, Amazon Trails Peru (ATP), operates a hostel in the San Blas district of Cusco (a.k.a. Cuzco), and since we had already booked our Amazon tour with ATP, we thought it would be best if we just booked a stay at their hostel for our two pre-Amazon days in Cusco and if the accommodations weren't to our liking, we'd just go elsewhere for our stay in town after the Amazon.

Well, I'm glad to say that we didn't have to look anywhere else as the Amazon Hostal was a fantasic place to stay in Cusco.  Located along a quiet pedestrian street a few blocks  from the main square (Plaza de Armas) and tourist district, Amazon Hostal provided us with a peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle while providing a great view of the city.

Here are some photos to give you a better idea of what to expect if you stay at Amazon Hostal:

Calle Tandapata - The street in front of the hostel:

The entrances to the ATP sales office and Amazon Hostal:

The main lobby:

BTW: My next home will have a spiral staircase!

The interior courtyard:

The balcony with the panoramic view of the city:

Cheese and fruits are not included.

Here's the triple bedroom we occupied our first two nights:

with a private bathroom (with a hot water shower):

And here's the triple bedroom we stayed in after the Amazon excursion:

plus here's a sneak peak of a neighbouring room:

 

As you can see from the photos, the comfortable rooms were clean and spacious, with a housekeeper coming by every day to clean up the place, make the beds, and even fold my pajamas!  A simple breakfast was served in the Breakfast Room (in the lower level of the courtyard) every morning and Internet access was available from the computer in the corner of the main lobby. We were also able to leave our belongings in the "Secure Room" during our Amazon trip.

And now for a few minor things that Amazon Hostal could improve:

1. The toilets would continuously run water unless you opened the tank lid and played around the trip lever after each flush.  This noisy annoyance occurred in both rooms (but to be fair, it also occurred in many other hostels on our trip so maybe it's an issue common to South American toilets).
   
2. The flimsy locks on the interior balcony doors could be a lot more secure, especially since the balconies are shared amongst tenants on the same floor.
   
3. The computer and Internet access could have been a lot faster.  The PC's performance was so frustratingly slow, it was basically useless.  We ended up relying on the Internet Cafe around the block for our computer needs.
   
4. A scale to weigh luggage would have been very useful (especially for those taking part in ATP's tours requiring air travel).
   
5. A table on the balcony would have made the balcony absolutely perfect.
   
6. A kitchen to cook our own food would have been nice.
7. I'm sure the girls would have appreciated a hair dryer. But then again, a hot tub on the balcony would be on everyone's wish list as well!

All in all, Amazon Hostal in Cusco (Peru) was pretty much everything we desired in a hostel. I would definitely recommend it to anyone staying in Cusco,  In fact, we have already done so on several occasions!

If you found this unbiased review helpful, please click on one of the interesting Google advertising links on this blog to help me out. Thanks.