Sacred Stone Boutique Hotel

The toilet flush was broken and ran constantly, and the sink was blocked, so we had to change rooms. The staff were very helpful and gave us a bigger room at no extra cost because of the problems. For the price, the room was decent, and hot water was available.

The only part of the stay I liked was breakfast, though the pancakes came out ice cold, not just a little cool. The staff were all friendly, but communication was still a challenge. During my 24-hour stay, only one woman spoke a little English. My room was #7 in early June, and this was easily the biggest disappointment of my 10-day trip across Peru. At lunchtime the hotel restaurant was empty, while every nearby place was busy. That should have been a warning. The advertised mountain view was a bare mountain wall right outside the window, with the hotel squeezed between two unfinished buildings. Workers used electric welding equipment on a stair handrail right outside my window, so we had to keep the curtains shut all afternoon. The room layout was poor. Three beds took up so much space that even a small suitcase couldn't open fully. The TV didn't work; staff tried briefly to fix it, then gave up. Only two of the electrical outlets worked, and the shower pressure kept changing, which was especially frustrating after a long day on the Inca Trail. The bathroom was worst of all: its wall stopped short of the ceiling, so every sound carried straight into the sleeping area. It was incredibly awkward and unacceptable for this price range. I have no idea how this place got so many glowing reviews. I regretted booking it and would tell people to save their money and book somewhere else.

They made a boxed breakfast for us to eat later because we were taking one of the first buses up to MP, before breakfast service started. That was a really nice touch. After checkout, we could also wait in the lobby and charge our phones until our train. It's only a few minutes' walk from the bus to MP. The rooms were cute, clean, and comfortable, and you can hear the river behind the hotel from inside. A great place for a night in Aguas Calientes. I'd definitely recommend it.

The front desk guy was keen to help and accommodating, which made a big difference. Otherwise, the room is tiny, there's no AC or radiator, and the river beside the hotel makes enough noise to bother some people. Breakfast runs from 5:30 to 8:30, so expect an early start, and there isn't any hot food.