Polo Santa Monica

We felt the room was genuinely clean here, something we’ve rarely found at hotels in South America, thanks to the daily housekeeping. For the price, both the service and facilities are really good.

This is on a quiet street, so we didn’t have the drunken brawls at night that you get downtown. There’s an American-style mall within walking distance, and a supermarket about 5-7 minutes away. Cabbies know the hotel well, and you can just say “polo Santa Monica” to get there. Wi-Fi was stronger on the lower floors. The lobby was pleasant, and staff kept our luggage in a secure area for the day between checkout and our flight. The room was cleaned and maintained daily, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was good and ran from 6 to 9 a.m., which suited a coffee junkie like me since I didn’t have to hunt around town for my first cup. It was a little cold inside, but they provide a portable radiant heater. The bathroom was very nice and clean, with modern faucets and a sink, plus a full bathtub and separate shower. We had a very pleasant stay, and for the price it was an awesome place. Thank you :)

The bed gave me a sore back because it was two full-size beds pushed together, leaving a gap, even though we had booked a king. The pillow covers felt sticky and smelled strongly of chemicals. The bed cover didn’t fit, and when we asked for extra covers because Cusco gets cold at night, they brought more of the same ill-fitting kind. Staff said they’d look for proper ones, but didn’t seem to make an effort and never came back to us. The portable heater was poor quality, Wi-Fi was slow, and the water was never even warm. The small towels, lack of a hair dryer and toilet paper holder, and blackout curtains that didn’t reach the wall added to the problems. Reception played loud music all night, which we could hear from the fourth floor. There was no food or snacks for sale, breakfast wasn’t available at 10 a.m. or later, and although tea was offered, every cup was dirty. The staff were careless. They barely had any guests because of Covid and seemed to be slacking. Definitely not three stars. Worst hotel ever.

The walls are paper thin, so you hear people walking around and even having sex. The place is freezing, and the tiny heater is too bright to leave on at night. Hot water takes ages too. I had to let it run for five minutes before it warmed up. It also costs a lot more than other options.