Hotel Boutique La Angostura

Our requested taxi hadn’t been booked by reception, and we nearly missed our bus to Arequipa. By then I was close to a panic attack. When we checked out, we also couldn’t get even a partial refund because, we were told, refunds weren’t in their policy. This is an expensive hotel compared with others nearby and better places in other parts of Peru, so I’d spend my money elsewhere. The party at the pool was the worst part. A whole family staying at the hotel had a gathering with a big speaker right below our window. With the gap around the door letting in cold desert air, their loud music and voices made sleep impossible. Reception only reacted after we called, and first asked them to turn the music down a little. It took three more calls before the music stopped, while the talking continued. Around midnight we gave up and tried to sleep anyway. It felt as if the staff didn’t care or hadn’t noticed. Hotel policy apparently lets guests bring visitors into all the shared spaces, which may feel odd, annoying, or unsafe to you. The other guests could be heard clearly through the large openings in the shared bathroom vents. There was no privacy at all, sometimes with everyone using the bathroom at once. The shower itself was decent, but the water pooled instead of draining. The Wi-Fi barely worked on one side of the room. We also found a large gap between the door and its frame. A window we couldn’t close was fixed quickly, though. It started out somewhat okay. The bed seemed fine, but the bathroom was cramped, there were no outlets by the bed, and the bedside tables had no lights. The staff spoke very little English, though they were friendly enough. Breakfast was extremely basic: eggs, two white rolls with jam, juice that seemed possibly watered down, and poor coffee with grounds at the bottom. It wasn’t badly cooked, but it came wrapped tightly in plastic that pressed on the scrambled eggs. This may have been the worst hotel we’ve ever stayed in, even worse than party hotels in places like Lloret de Mar. Seriously, skip it.

The bed was so uncomfortable that I left with back pain. During our two nights there, music from what may have been a concert or club nearby went on until 3 am both nights, and even earplugs couldn’t help. When we asked about it the first night, staff didn’t know anything. They moved us to another room, but it was even louder. The private bathroom had a large opening through the shared wall with the neighbors’ bathroom, so we could hear them as if they were in our room. There was no privacy in there at all. I also didn’t feel the place was clean. I suspect the blankets aren’t changed after each stay. Breakfast was basic and a la carte. The staff didn’t speak English, so we had to use Google translate the whole time.

The buffet breakfast had fresh fruit, eggs, bread, juice, and more. There’s also a restaurant with plenty of options and good cocktails. Our room had a really comfortable bed, and we slept well before heading out on our next tour. It’s a cute hotel with a nice view and a pleasant pool. The only odd thing was that when we left the bathroom door open, we could hear noises from another bathroom. Maybe it was upstairs, though we weren’t sure, since there wasn’t a room beside ours.

The grounds are beautiful and well kept, and check-in was easy. Our spacious bed was comfortable, and the room got plenty of daylight with blackout curtains too. The Spanish shower had good pressure and temperature, the pool was clean, and the fitness center and breakfast were decent. It was quiet and affordable.