Hostal Joya Andina

The rooms were clean and felt like good value, and the manager was genuinely friendly. You could see he was trying. But reception was often empty, and the kitchen was basically unavailable, usually locked. The fridge had been broken for a while, and no one told us until we came back with food to chill. The manager offered to store some of it in his own fridge, but when we went to get it later, it had been thrown away. The location worked well, between the city centre and the bus station, but we weren’t happy with our stay.

Breakfast was a hassle: it was served in a tiny, windowless room with space for just four people, so guests had to take turns. No one mentioned this setup or the check-in time when we arrived. Staff then refused to honor our reservation, and when we asked to change things, said we were already past check-in. The place also felt dirty. There was hair in the bathroom, stains on the bedspreads, and the lounge chairs were torn and grimy. The common areas weren’t comfortable or welcoming either. I’d avoid booking here. Puno has other guesthouses at the same or lower prices with cleaner facilities and acceptable service.

We booked this hotel because late check-in was available, and arrived at 2:00 AM as agreed. It was around 0 degrees outside, but nobody came to let us in or greet us, despite several calls and attempts on the intercom. We eventually found a way inside and tried to find an empty room. Sorry to the guests whose rooms we disturbed in the middle of the night ;)

The room had a large bathroom with a shower and sink, and the floors and linens were clean. The location was excellent. But the comforters and towels had marks, possibly lipstick from previous guests, and the first-floor bathrooms were dirty, including the soap dishes, soap, and toilet. The lobby shelves were dusty too, despite them saying we’d lied about the cleanliness. We were given a double room instead of the triple we’d reserved. They knew about the change but didn’t tell us when we left in the morning, then denied that we’d wanted a triple. There wasn’t access to a kitchen either, just a closed room. Friends had recommended the place for its service, value, and kitchen equipment like a microwave and coffee maker, so this was disappointing. The breakfast space was a dim room on the first floor that barely fit four people.