Casa Andina Select Paracas

Getting around was easy thanks to the guy who runs the hotel’s associated taxi company, who was great. The hotel itself sits in a secure, closed area with a nice pool, and the room and other services were great. It is a bit away from Paracas “town,” though, and I didn’t feel safe walking around the area.

The view from the beach is beautiful, though the oil rig offshore made me wonder whether it was safe to swim, and the water didn’t look entirely clean. There was lots of plastic trash, too. A birthday party had a balloon arch, and several balloons were blowing into the ocean, where they could strangle sea turtles, despite the hotel’s signs saying “we want to protect the environment.” 😒 The place was packed with people and kids, so the pool was crowded and there was nowhere to sit by the pool or beach. Everything meant a wait: the elevator, the front desk, breakfast. We came to vacation and ended up standing in lines. Staff were only “the required amount of friendly,” and seemed strained. I also had to pay an extra $50 tax because I didn’t have my paper of entry from the Bolivian border. The reservation never said I needed to bring it. I signed up for the LIFE program with Casa Andina hoping for some perks, but everything was subject to availability and none applied to us. We paid $350 for two nights in what was essentially a motel six. The first room smelled awful and the AC didn’t work. We waited half an hour for someone to check it and move us. One building is better than the other, and I’m not sure how they decide where you go. In our replacement room, the TV didn’t work and the refrigerator barely stayed cold, so our food went bad. At night there were bright lights around the room, including the television and bedside light, that wouldn’t turn off. We couldn’t find a switch, and tried draping things over them (see photos). The hallway and front lights stayed on all night, too. There were no shades on the bathroom window, so we had to keep the door closed, and going in at night woke us right up. Much better hotel options are up the road. Just being honest.

It’s about a 7 minute drive from Paracas, and the hotel has two restaurants. The poolside quesadilla was excellent. Breakfast was good, and you can order eggs from the kitchen at no extra charge. Casa Andina is a year and a half old; the rooms are large and well equipped. A winner.

I wasn’t a fan. The pool felt too small, the food wasn’t very good, and the prices were too high.