Anais y Nicolas Hostel

We stayed for 9 nights and could easily have stayed longer. Both owners speak French and are such nice people. The hotel is less than a 10-minute walk from the main square, far enough away to be quiet at night, and a bit cheaper than the rest of town. Our room was clean, spacious and comfortable, with wifi and hot water 24h/24. Breakfast costs an extra 5 soles, and while basic, it’s fresh and filling. I highly recommend staying here for a holiday in Cusco!

We’d booked this hostel for our whole time in Cusco, but they wouldn’t let us check in on the first night because our flight arrived at 22:00. In five months of travel, that had never happened to us before, so we had to find another hotel for the night. We came back to check in the next day and were waiting outside at 11:00. No one was there, and they didn’t answer my repeated calls. The couple eventually arrived and told us they’d cancelled our stay and sold the room earlier that morning. We’d already spoken on WhatsApp the day before, but they hadn’t asked whether we wanted to cancel the rest of the booking. They could only offer us a smaller room with one small double bed. We found the couple running the place unhelpful and unprofessional.

For $20 CAD a night for a double room, the price is hard to argue with. It was quiet, and close enough to walk quickly to the city centre. The rooms face apartments where locals live, and there’s a school across the street, so it felt like a more authentic stay than a touristy hotel. There’s also a GREAT french-peruvian restaurant next door, La Culture De Manger. Juan was exceptionally nice, and his wife was available on what's app at all hours, even late at night when we were arriving. He brought extra blankets when we needed them and quickly sorted out a shower problem. On the day of a protest, I was looking at Palcoyyo mountain tours and he made some calls to get information for me. It was extremely cold at night and there were no heaters, though I think that’s true of most hostels in cusco. Juan was happy to give us blankets, and I think one was even his own. The shower’s hot water wasn’t consistent and the wifi was finicky, but we were happy to trade some comfort for the low price and authentic experience for a few nights.

The included breakfast had fresh fruit juice and typical bread from cusco, and the location was great, near the centre but quiet. I also felt safe walking around later at night. Juan was incredibly helpful and always ready to assist with anything. The room was very comfortable and had a good shower. It’s an old building, like most in cusco, but you don’t really notice it. One of my favourite places from my four-month Latin America trip.