Tambo de Ollantay

At Tambo de Ollantay Hotel, the stay was comfortable and easy to manage. It’s in a very convenient spot near the train station, which made getting around simple. The staff were helpful, and they made eggs when I asked. A good choice for a simple place to stay in Ollantaytambo with a handy location.

The room was full of mosquitos, especially the bed. It was unbelievable. And if you’re sensitive to noise like I am, the roosters crowing every other hour make it hard to sleep. I literally woke up every 2 hours because of them. On the plus side, it’s affordable and well located, the staff are very friendly, and the hot shower doesn’t run out. Breakfast was mediocre, but better than nothing.

The location is great, halfway between the center plaza and train station, and the price is exceptional for this area. The owner upgraded my room from a street-view balcony to a Mountain View at no extra charge. Wifi was great. Every morning she made a simple breakfast, even when I woke up late: fresh squeezed sweet orange juice, eggs as you like, fresh bread with butter and marmalade, and hot tea. She also made cacao with water when I asked, though I couldn’t get avena even though they had it in the cabinet. There’s a gorgeous rooftop view, but no reclining chairs or desk to sit and write at. They let me hand wash a small amount of laundry and dry it with theirs. Each room has a desk and chair, extra blankets, and hot showers, though I didn’t get a hot shower every day and had to skip some. I didn’t ask for help. My room wasn’t cleaned or restocked with toilet paper until I asked on the third day, and I wish there’d been a bath towel for the floor after showers. I was messaging, I believe, the owner’s children, who speak English but were never on the property, to arrange tours. When I arrived, no one could help me, though it turns out most tours are from Cusco anyway. There is a kitchen, but I wasn’t sure whether guests could use it freely. I wanted to store fruit in the fridge and get hot water. One night, an old man who seemed to be a security guard followed me into the kitchen and watched me try to use the microwave, after pushing me over to operate it. It was as if he thought I’d break it, but he didn’t know how it worked himself and wouldn’t leave me alone. He wouldn’t let me use the kettle to make hot water. It would be nice to have a hot water canister available for guests throughout the day.

The hostel was just as described in my Expedia booking: clean, functional, and convenient. The staff were kind, accommodating, and attentive. We had a warm water shower, and the open balcony room had a nice street and mountain view. Breakfast was fresh, local, and hot. They even thoughtfully packed one for me to take along for my early morning Machu Picchu tour. The train station is a very convenient 10-15 minute walk down the same street. I’d recommend it. It was a good stay, with kind and very helpful staff and a good, fresh breakfast.