My girlfriend and I were stranded for a day when our the airline we were due to fly out on (Peruvian Air) suddenly declared bankruptcy overnight. As we ducked out of the quickly deteriorating sh!t-show that was unfolding around us at the airport, our cab driver suggested we stay at La Gruta for the night while we worked out a plan B. As we pulled up, the staff greeted us warmly and offered us some tea. In less than five-minutes we were in our room, a nicely sized suite with a sliding glass door that opened up into a beautifully landscaped outdoor area complete with lounge furniture, soft grass and a lovely little calico cat who quickly came over to say hello. We spent the evening relaxing under then sunset before departing the following day. The staff was warm and attentive, the bed was comfortable and the experience was exactly what we needed after a VERY long morning. BONUS: La Gruta is located about 10 minutes by foot from Plaza De Armas in the center of town. A short walk will take you past dozens of cafes, restaurants and bodegas before you reach the Plaza, so a quick bite to eat or a cup of coffee is never far. If you want to explore the area by foot, this location is an excellent starting point. If you're looking for a simple, clean, safe and comfortable place to stay during your visit, check out La Gruta, you won't be disappointed. PRO TIP: During our walk through the Plaza, we were pickpocketed by some scammers claiming to be students studying english at a local school. A young girl asked in broken english if she could interview us while her friend recorded the interview on his phone. During the 'interview' someone slipped my iPhone out of my pocket - I never even noticed. I suspect that the guy with the phone "recording" the interview was actually streaming live video to a third person who was working with them in the crowd, helping them locate us so they could snarf my phone while I was distracted. As a New Yorker, I was honestly more impressed than upset at how clever they were. They were, as Jaime Fox so famously said in his seminal film Miami Vice, "smoove." Anyway, keep your gear secure and in a zipped pocket. The Plaza is crawling with pickpockets and scammers. Stay frosty.…
I stayed in hotel La Gruta for a week during August. This is the busiest time of the year in Peru, and La Gruta was the perfect place to relax. Near to a park, not next to a road but 10 meters from it, ideal. The garden is quiet and beautiful, sitting there reading a book is great after a long busy day. It is really close to Arequipas main square, I walked a couple of times, but getting a cab is an easy and cheap option too. In La Gruta, the breakfast is really good with a lot of food, great bread, different juices, eggs and cornflakes. Its personnel is friendly and helpful, you can ask them anything. I recommend to let them wash your clothes, they iron them and perfectly deliver them in your room. Last but not least, the great rooms. The beds are amazing and cleaned every day, the shower is great and hot, which isn't everywhere. It is big, has a lot of chargers, excellent WiFi, and I had nothing to complain.…
I had a very pleasant stay here, the staff are friendly and helpful. It seemed like they cleaned the room every time I went out for more than 10 minutes. Great location, easy walking to the center of town.
Beautiful private garden that invited you to explore their courtyard. We had a private bed and bath off yet another small courtyard. Our wonderful rooms had a wall of glass to enjoy the view. Many times during our day you could hear then cheering at the local soccer match. What I like most was it was a great place to start and finish a motorcycle trip around Peru. We had a excellent meals and service while we were in town. Another nice fact was it was a short walk to city's court yard.
This is my second stay at La Gruta. this is the perfect place to launch a motorcycling tour of Peru. The bikes are all lined up outside the hotel, Lars conducts all the business at the hotel. The hotel is very clean and comfortable, the staff is very friendly and accommodating, breakfast is a little limited but that is pretty topical through out Peru. You are just a short walk from the main square with plenty of restaurants to choose from.
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