Casa Blanca Lodge

My shower kept switching between lukewarm and cold. When I arrived, no one was at reception, and I found staff asleep out back. They couldn't find my reservation and wanted to turn me away even though I had a confirmation email from the property and a booking number. The place was hard to find, and there are better, cheaper hotels closer to town.

What a hotel! It's the best I've stayed in Peru. The garden was gorgeous and charming, and the rooms were huge and beautifully decorated. The photos don't show how much better it looks in real life, maybe 20 times better. Everything was very clean, and the three of us got three queen-size beds. They even had a cute dog. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat!

The suite had plenty of room for our family of four, and the beds were soft. They also provided extra blankets and a hair dryer. We stayed three nights and loved the beautiful views. There was loads of hot water with good pressure, though I noticed some ants, so I'd rate cleanliness 4 out of 5. The bathroom layout was unusual: toilet and shower together, with the hand basin outside in the bedroom area, but it was easy enough to get used to. Breakfast was fine for us, though I can see it not being enough for everyone. There were two kinds of fruit and yogurt, one bread, strawberry jam, butter, cereal, coffee, milk, and different teas, plus eggs if you wanted them. The staff were friendly, although sometimes I couldn't find the receptionist. It's close to everything, and a good place to relax.

The staff went above and beyond when our train to Machu Picchu left before breakfast service. They packed us something to take along, and someone even got up at 4:30 am to hand it over and let us out since the hotel locks up at night. That kind of care really matters. The hotel is also excellent value for the price. We loved the peaceful, beautiful courtyard and room, and there were plenty of places to sit and enjoy views of the town. It's right by the things you'd want to see and do, and about a 15-minute walk from the train station. We'd read other posts about hot water, but ours was fine after running it for a few minutes.