Golden Sunrise Machupicchu

There’s black mold in the rooms and bathrooms, the rooms are very noisy, and they aren’t cleaned. The beds are small, and the staff don’t speak English. This hotel is at most one star. Tourism in Peru seems to be developed at a very basic level.

The hotel posts a four-star claim at the entrance, but the standard feels closer to two stars. It has no heating or AC, so you have to ask for an electric heater. The heaters are much smaller than those in other Peru hotels, and none of the four we tried worked properly: each had a faulty switch or thermostat that shut off before the room warmed up. The breakfast room is unheated too, so you need to wear your winter outdoor clothes. Staff barely understand English, which made it impossible to explain the heater problems. There are no drinking glasses, not even disposable cups, no dressing mirror, and no instructions for the phone. We eventually guessed the numbers and reached the front desk. Internet was hit or miss. There’s no bar or restaurant, so no room service. I’d expect these things at a four-star place, or even many three-star hotels. This would all be okay if the hotel didn’t claim to be more upscale than it is.

The room was tiny, with no table for meals, and a glass window above the door let hallway light in all night, so it never got properly dark. The blackout curtain was damaged and the minibar was switched off. Breakfast had very few choices and wasn’t replenished. By 6:50 a.m. there was no ham or yogurt left. The reception was not courteous at all. This was far below the standard of the other hotels I stayed at in Peru. It doesn’t deserve even one star. The receptionist at checkout was kind, though.

Avoid room 507. The free internet there didn’t work on either our phone or the TV. We raised it with reception several times. First they said it would be fixed, then they shrugged it off by saying it’s a small hotel and that’s how it is. After a very strenuous, sweaty day, we had no water until late, after 23:00. I understand the problem affected the whole neighborhood, not just the hotel, but there should have been a solution. Our guide went down to the water room and fixed it himself, even though that wasn’t his job. Who lets these people run a business?