La Casa de Carmen

I barely slept in this dark, dingy, uncomfortable room. Every footstep, voice, and bit of movement outside came through, and noise started by 6am, with someone cleaning or doing other things. The bathroom window was broken or missing, so I had to ask them to cover it with a cloth temporarily just to use the bathroom without being seen from outside. I’d booked a week but could only manage two nights. When I told the owner why I was leaving, he got upset and said he’d charge me for three nights for the inconvenience, even though I’d stayed two and was ready to check out by 10am. It’s cash-only, and using a card costs 10% commission. My tip would be not to book more than one night ahead. Get a feel for the place first and decide if it’s worth staying. It wasn’t for me, and there are plenty of better places for less.

The family feeling and the vibes brought us back to stay with Carmen after our Machu Pichu trek. It’s a unique place, full of colour, charm, and history, in the best neighbourhood. 100% recommended! Gracias Carmen! Saludos de Víctor y Frank

My room smelled really bad when I finally got in, and the owners acted like nothing was wrong. Earlier, my taxi driver and I weren’t even sure we’d arrived at the right place. The entrance was small, dark, and sketchy, with garbage and building materials everywhere. I mentioned it to the owners and they blamed the neighbours, but while I waited in the patio for them to hurriedly clean my room, I realized the people doing the remodeling and leaving the garbage were actually them. They seemed to have forgotten to prepare the room, and I could see and hear everything from the patio. I didn’t see the sheets being changed, but I’d rather believe they were than dwell on it. It was very cold in the room that evening at the end of May, around 7°C. There’s no heating unless you pay extra, and apparently that night it wasn’t available. After I insisted, they made me a hot water bottle and made me feel like I was being dramatic. They even said, “this night it will even drop below 0°C”. They offer laundry for an extra 10 soles per kilo, but it isn’t express. I used the laundry next door for the same price, got express service in 2 hours, and was happy with it. After reading the reviews, I expected something different. I honestly didn’t enjoy the stay and was glad I’d only booked two nights. At a hostel in cusco, I got warm water all day and heating for a third of the price.

The indoor patio was my favorite part of this lovely place by the beautiful San Blas neighborhood. The hostess was so kind and made us feel at home. If I come back to Cusco, I’ll stay at the Casa de Carmen again for sure!