Pakareq Tampu Guest House

The room had a fireplace and jacuzzi, plus comfortable beds, a heater, Netflix, good internet, and breakfast included. Staff will make a fire for you in the room for 20 Soles. There’s also a big terrace above the restaurant with a nice view, a great spot for yoga. The service left us disappointed. We didn’t feel very welcome, and the room wasn’t properly set up: an extra bed we hadn’t asked for, just one bathrobe and one small towel instead of two, and no spoon for the sugar. We wanted to use the jacuzzi, but first had to figure out that the hot water hadn’t been turned on for us. We kept having to ask about little things, which made the stay tiring for the price. Nobody mentioned that we couldn’t use the heater while the fireplace was on, so the room filled with smoke twice before we worked it out ourselves. When we arrived, we had to ask about the facilities instead of being shown around. There isn’t much nearby. You have to catch a collectivo from the street, and only during the day.

The hotel itself is very pretty, and when we did see staff they were kind. But the service was poor. The front desk was empty whenever we came in, and breakfast wasn’t what we expected from the photos, it wasn’t a buffet. Staff called our room too often and at inappropriate hours. We had a bad experience with the service and food, so we left early.

The lack of drinking water was the biggest disappointment. When I asked, the female manager said the water was very clean for brushing our teeth, while also warning us not to drink it. That seemed dubious. Providing a bottle of water seemed like a small effort given that the tap water wasn’t fully safe. We also had bad pillows and a broken toilet door. The man at reception seemed willing to help, but the woman we think was the manager wouldn’t agree to anything. She’d mumble in Spanish in front of us, then say nothing could be done or nothing was wrong. The hotel repeatedly asked if it could help arrange a trip, but when I asked for a driver and English guide to Maras, they couldn’t find one. Someone in the lobby offered to drive us for a reasonable price, then the female manager started negotiating a higher price because of the hotel commission. There were problems with cleaning, the restaurant, the limited breakfast, and the service. We could hear the neighbors, and during our stay there were many families with children crying and shouting at night. Our double deluxe room felt like a spare room and didn’t seem to be cleaned regularly: there was dust, large spiders in the curtains, a toilet door that wouldn’t close, one bathrobe and two towels for two guests, and no chair. The open bathroom and the area above the door had no blinds, and the night lights shone brightly into the room.

Carmen was very accommodating when I had to change my reservation dates a couple of times. Once my boyfriend and I arrived, everyone was friendly and incredibly helpful. We were making our plans as we went, and the staff helped us organize the whole trip. The service was so good I wish I could give the place 10 stars.