Hotel Morales

The hotel itself felt like about a three star property, and the staff member who eventually helped me was polite and friendly. She even said she’d make breakfast just for me. Still, the way check in went was bizarre and frightening, especially traveling alone at night. I arrived around 8 PM at a property on a small, quiet street outside the city center. The front gate was shut and every light was off. Ringing, calling the number, and knocking got no response. I began to wonder if I had the right place, so I tried going around the building. That meant walking through a pitch dark alley, where several unleashed dogs followed and barked aggressively. A neighbor happened to pass by and knew someone who worked at the hotel. He called her, and only then did someone come from another location to let me in. It took about 30 minutes to get inside. I keep wondering what I would have done if I hadn’t met him. The hotel was technically open, but from the outside it looked completely closed. Even in low season, they should message guests ahead of time, confirm arrival times, or make sure someone is there for check in. Once inside, the whole hotel was dark, and the staff member had to switch on the lights one by one. She told me I was the only guest during my stay. The property is quite large, so that felt strange. I asked her repeatedly, and she confirmed she lives in another building, so I wasn’t literally the only person in the whole compound.

The hotel made arranging hikes and other outings easy through its association with Peruvian Andes Adventures. I spent a week in Huaraz doing day hikes and a few other tours, and the room was clean and comfortable, the food was delicious, and the hospitality was first rate. It exceeded my expectations, and I’ll definitely stay there again when I return to Huaraz.

The service was really good and the rooms were nice. The bottled water for sale was very expensive, though, and we hadn’t been told about the extra 5% card payment fee.

Hisao, the owner, was one of the nicest and most helpful people we met on our whole trip in Peru. He went out of his way to sort out some of our backpacking logistics. The hotel also has a great climbing wall, and we’re glad we stayed there. We’ll recommend it to friends coming to climb. Hotel morales is a hidden gem in huaraz. It’s an easy walk to downtown, but the neighborhood is quieter and has breathtaking views of the mountain range. Our room was bright and spotless, and even better than the pictures. It was just the relaxing break we needed.