Excerpt from 2002/09 EastCoastDude - Living it up in Peru

I stayed at a place called Los Suites Apart Hotel. Off the main drag, quiet area seemed very safe. Staff was friendly. $45 a night 10% discount if I used my Visa. Address 446 Avenida Grau. Phone number 447-6415. Big bed, kitchen, mini bar (if that's what you want to call it), couch, chair, 2 bathrooms. Not sure why both were so small, your knees hit the wall when you sat down. I only stayed 2 nights. Had I not been so exhausted I would have left immediately. They advertised jacuzzis and being a lot closer to the beach than they were. Must have been a typo they stated. Even if I had forgiven that sooner or later I would have had enough. Room service doesn't open until 7AM. 7:10 AM I need coffee and food. Restaurant is on the 6th floor room service doesn't deliver coffee and breakfast. Never did figure out their definition of "room service" Ok so up I go I need coffee and food!! Only the dishwasher was there. Others were late. No food, no coffee. I'm gone. Wanted to spend the morning getting familiar with the area anyway.

Quick update.

I decide to give this place a second chance. Under new management. I like the location and other than the previous problems liked it. DUMB DUMB decision. STAY AWAY.

Was pleased until I was ready to check out. Suddenly the girl tells me someone burnt the carpet in my room. confused and stunned. They wanted me to pay for a new carpet. Upstairs to check it out. Instant rage. Yes it was burnt, but they had to move the night stand to find it, I had to bend over to see it as it was smaller than my little finger nail. Battled and argued over the entire thing until had to give in or miss my flight to Iquitos. Never will I return and little revenge on my part would feel much better of all of you did the same.

Eastcoast dude;
I am heading to Lima shortly and wondered if you had a direct phone number for Rosemarie or Beatrice?
Thanks

RT here. Literally, here at Las Suites.

I wnated to try somewhere new and cheap this trip.

PROS:
Inexpensive: I'm paying about $35 for the Senior Suite.
Chica-Friendly: When I came home last night and got my key at the front desk, the clerk didn't bat an eyelash at the chica with me.
Good Location: It's about a ten minute slow walk to the Pizza Alley/Parque Central area, and five minutes to the Vivianda Supermarket on Av. Pardo.
Quiet Street
Air Conditioner: Not always available at the lower-end hotels
Internet: After setting up a static IP, there's internet in my room.
Electronic Safe in Room

CONS:
No Blackout Windows: The light comes in early.
Small Room: Yes, it's a suite with a separte sitting area and kitchenette. But it's small. Not tiny, but small. I tried to pay the difference and upgrade to an Executive Suite, but there were none avaiolable, so I didn't get to look at one.
Older Hotel: Not really run-down, but it is not a new and shiny property.
Room is Slightly Musty: I had to buy some incense.

There's some sort of restaurant on the 9th floor, and breakfast might be included -- I don't know. I went up there to get some hot water for tea, and they were very accommodating. There is a room service menu in my room, and they claim to be open from 6:30 in the morning to 10:00 pm.

All in all, if you're looking for something economical, more or less centrally located, and don't need all the modern trappings of a newer hotel, this could very well be sufficient. Their website is: http://www.suitesaparthotel.com/en/index.htm. The phone number on their business cards is 447-9000.

(Message edited by rtgooch on November 23, 2006)

RT here again. I guess that I want to amend the above report to add: You Get What You Pay For.

I came back to the room yesterday afternoon to find that they had switched out my hot water heater, evidently to one that didn't work (the one that was in there leaked slightly - no big issue for me).

I reported it when I left for dinner and was told "no problem, we will get right on it." When I returned at midnight, the guy at the desk had no clue about this (or pretty much anything), but he insisted that the security guy go up with me.

So I had some security guy in my room at midnight Saturday (prime mongering time). He turned on the hot water, put his hand under it, and then announced that my hot water didn't work. I don't know the Spanish version of "no shit," so I just threw him out. All the front desk guy kept saying was that he was sorry. I agreed with him.

This morning, I went to the front desk. Of course, being Sunday, there was no maintenance guy, but I told them that even if there was, I didn't want to waste my vacation hoping that they fix my hot water, and I want a new room, or two nights money back so I can move somewhere else.

In the girl at the desk's defense, she understood why I was upset, and I'm typing this from a new room with hot water.

Also, the showers in both rooms drain real slowly, so you're standing in dirty water, and there were a few roaches in the first room. I probably won't stay here again.

(Message edited by rtgooch on November 26, 2006)

Final update: When I left for dinner last night, both the day desk clerk (the good one) and the night girl (the liar) were there. I was pleasant to the day girl and just stared at the night girl.

I guess that they discussed it after I left, because when I returned at 11:00, the night girl offered me room service breakfast (as close to an apology as I was going to get, I suppose). A nice gesture. We discussed the time, figuring that I had to check out at 7:30, so they would send breakfast at 7:00.

7:00 am rolls around and no breakfast. I put off my shower to wait. 7:10, nothing. 7:20, nothing again. Just as I finish cursing and start to jump in the shower, the door knocks at 7:25. It's the guy with breakfast. Totally useless.

I don't eat and go downstairs to check out. The 'good' clerk is there. No hassles, except that she wanted me to pay for the rooms, even though I prepaid through my travel agency. Again, she's good. When I told her that I prepaid, she just asked me what agency, and tore up the credit card slip, and told me to have a good trip. She didn't make me stand there for an hour while she made a thousand phone calls. If I had a business, I would hire this girl -- the hotel doesn't deserve her.

So, in conclusion, I do not recommend this hotel, unless you want to stay there and tell them that you prepaid when checkout time comes around. At that price, it is probably not a bad value.