Hostal Cusco Agency Inn

For the price, this is a pretty spectacular hostel. It was recommended to me by two people, and I'd happily recommend it too. It's centrally located, not far from aramas square, with a kitchen, reliable warm water, clean rooms, and good Wi-Fi on the first two floors. I stayed in a dorm with 6-8 beds upstairs and liked having my own bedside table, lamp, and charging point.

I had a lovely time at this cozy, cute hostel. Breakfast was standard hostel food, but a very kind woman served it, and there were extra food and drink options. The Plaza de Armas is just two blocks away, so getting around is easy.

We stayed here for four days while adjusting to the altitude. We were there in June, and the rooms don't have heaters, so we slept in several thick layers. They do have rooms with private bathrooms. Breakfast is served, and the staff were wonderful about sharing information. You can leave your luggage there while you hike the Inca Trail or visit Michu Picchu. The main downsides for me were seeing a rat in the kitchen and watching how they hand-washed the sheets. I was very glad I'd brought a bed liner.

This is an old colonial-style hotel, but the room felt cold and noisy. It had lots of large windows, and it got really cold at night with no heater provided. They don't serve breakfast, just tea and instant coffee.