Golden House Inn

The room was clean and the staff really kind. This is a cozy little hostal for a night. It has no windows, so the air can feel a bit damp, though that seems pretty common in Aguas Calientes hostals. Breakfast is simple, just eggs, coffee, bread, and jam, but I think that’s fine for solo travelers.

The one thing this place had going for it was being near the train station, so we could leave. It was disgusting. I’ve stayed in all kinds of hotels around the world and I’m not picky, but this was the worst one I’ve ever experienced. There was mold on the ceiling, wet bathroom walls, hair in the tub, and a leaking sink. A yellow cloth was placed over part of the sink base to hide a hole where the tile didn’t meet the fixture. The sheets looked wrinkled and hadn’t been changed after the previous guest. I found a gum wrapper between them, and I don’t chew that kind of gum. Breakfast was supposed to be available from 5 to 8 a.m. We got up at 5:30 and there was no coffee. They told us to help ourselves in the kitchen, where there were only a few dry rolls. The floor was sticky, greasy, dirty, and covered with food crumbs. It needed far more than a quick sweep. When my group of 11 arrived, the person at the counter disappeared. We’d bought eggs the night before because there wasn’t much food. A group of Chilean rock climbers came in early and were told to help themselves, then ate all our eggs. We had to go out and buy more just to have something to eat, and our pastor cooked them. Nobody on staff said the eggs were ours. There was no room service, the stair rails were shaky, and the Wi-Fi was slow when it worked at all. Do not stay here. One star is too many.

The family running this place are friendly and laid back, and they provide a nice little breakfast in the morning, even if you’re up at 3:30 to hike Machu Picchu. The rooms are cozy and have hot showers. It’s a great spot in Agua Calientes, close to the markets. Finding it can be tricky if location services aren’t working in the steep, narrow valley streets, but just ask someone and you’ll get there without a problem.

We were very disappointed. There was mold on many of the walls and in the bed linens. At breakfast, a large RAT ran out of the kitchen and up the wall near our table. In the early hours the staff weren’t awake, and guests had to shout in the lobby to get them up, waking everyone. There are much nicer Hostals in Aguas Calientes for the same price.