Gran Hotel Santa Cruz

The rooms are clean and spacious, with a large comfortable bed and air conditioning that works very well. Breakfast is pretty good, even if it’s not at a 5-star level, and the pool is nice. You need to ask reception if you want to use the sauna. Staff are few in number, though the hotel wasn’t too busy during the pandemic, and they’re friendly and helpful. At the regular rate, this feels closer to a 3-star stay. With a discount, I’d rate Senses Centro closer to 4 stars. The building is showing its age: my room door was extremely hard to shut, and initially I couldn’t close it at all. I eventually worked out how to push it after asking for help that never came. The toilet was the bigger problem, as its tank kept refilling noisily and made sleeping uncomfortable. I ended up opening it and wedging the valve with a plastic glass.

The breakfast was awful and nothing like the pictures. At 9am, while it was still supposed to be served until 11, all three items in the warmer were gone. There were no bowls, forks, milk, or pepper, and only one stale slice of bread remained. The little cheese rolls were stale too, and the coffee was undrinkable. I had to prompt staff for every single thing, even a bowl or fork. The room itself was spacious and nice, with decent beds, a smart TV, air conditioning, and an empty bar fridge with a price list showing what should have been inside. There was also an unlocked door leading to another private room. The bathroom had warm water in the evening and hot water in the morning, plus a weird toilet. When we tried booking at reception, which is often better for both sides in Bolivia, the price quoted was much higher than Booking, and the staff member told us to book online. For the quality and service, the hotel was vastly overpriced. I wouldn’t recommend it.

The location is fantastic, and the people are friendly. Still, this hotel has clearly seen better days, and some doors are secured with chains.

The location was the only decent part. The place is overpriced and clearly isn’t a 5-star hotel. Our room wasn’t cleaned once in three full days, and there were cockroaches and mosquitoes inside. Breakfast was terrible, with watery juice, old bread, and no garniture. Staff were unfriendly, and the hotel was outdated and poorly maintained, including the pool with trouble waters. I wouldn’t come back.