Hospedaje Monte Verde

It's a lovely place for a family stay, with excellent service. There are shops nearby for the things you need, and the area is central and commercial. A taxi service right next to the hostel can take you wherever you want, so I'd highly recommend it.

We were in town for work, and the location made getting around easy. The bus terminal next door has trips to Lamas and Moyobamba, with a BCP ATM a little farther along and bakeries, restaurants, and gyms nearby. Our deluxe room had two sections: a bedroom with air conditioning, plus another area with a minibar, table, and sink. It was clean, and they serve continental breakfast. The staff were friendly; we left our keys when heading out so they could clean. There’s also a sitting area and a small garden.

The room had a mini-fridge, which was handy for keeping fruit, food, and drinks, and the city felt quiet with good security. Breakfast was simple but tasty: fried egg, bread, butter, jam, coffee, and juice. I would have liked local food options, but it was fine. The place is clean, free of mosquitoes, and the service is excellent. Turismo Selva, the interprovincial minibus station, is right next door, and the main square is fairly close. Mototaxis are easy to find. I asked for a large room with air conditioning because the city was so hot. The first room was small and reached by an awkward metal spiral staircase. They kindly moved me to one twice as large, with a balcony and furnished anteroom. I loved it, but it had only a fan, no air conditioning. I felt like I was slowly cooking in that heat. I’d have given five stars if that room had air conditioning and if they’d charged me in dollars as shown on Booking.com, since I was charged in soles. Still, I had a nice experience, and there’s a lot to see at the tourist sites around town.

I recorded what happened from the moment I entered the room, and showed the manager the evidence after she tried to blame me. Eventually she let slip that she already knew about the room’s condition. When I pointed that out, she laughed and said she’d move me to another room if I stayed until the next day. The bathroom was broken, and the smell was so awful and suffocating that I couldn’t even shower. I asked to switch rooms, but they said they were full. That didn’t seem true: I called to ask for two rooms with the same features as mine for that same day, and was told some were available. To my face, though, they kept saying no. Not even an hour had gone by, and they still wouldn’t move me. The manager was rude and discourteous. She said, “What do you want me to do? There’s no other room. Stay or leave; we’re not going to tie you down.” I tried to be polite and reach an agreement, then asked for a refund so I could go to another hotel. She refused. They told me I could leave, but they wouldn’t give me another room or my money back. They offered no solution, and wouldn’t even give me the complaints book. The previous managers were friendly and helpful; this new one acts as if she can walk all over customers. The service was terrible.