Grand Bolivar Lima

Liked the old fasion style

I liked the ancient style of the hotel and the friendly staff. It was fine experience after several cold nights in Cusco. Got super assistance from the policeman at the door, Elvis Cristian, to get a unique souvenir the last minutes before we left for the airport. Unfortunately I cannot reach him by mail to thank him for his help.

Best regards from

Torill and Dag Stenersen

Bodoe, Norway

Faded glory

Booked online with Peruvian tour operator Turinetperu. Had always heard of the Bolivar. Don't expect 2006 commodities. This hotel still lives in the 20's, but has extraordinary ambiance. Location in the centre of Lima is no longer an advantage due to perceived high crime (we had no problems). Rooms are cavernous and spotless. Very comfortable beds, but everything is ancient, including the bathrooms and the staff. If you are looking for all mod cons, look elsewhere. Wouldn't want to stay a week, but for a couple of days it's a priceless experience. Rates are better now than they were 40 years ago!

Still A Grand Hotel + Machu Picchu The Highlight

The Gran Hotel Bolivar is still a Grand old hotel albeit a bit

worn and now down to only a 3 rating (short on amenities, so

bring your own shampoo, etc.) but beautiful if you like antiques

and historical sites. The restaurant was nice and service good.

Our room was clean but a little warm because A/C did not mean cool,

just air. The water went off twice, but worked most of the time and

the hot water was hot.

The location was great just as we had heard...just 3-4 blocks from the

Presidential Palace and a Cathedral with catacombs as well as the

oldest library we have ever seen!

The streets along the way were lined with shops and restaurants

and if you go, take a look at the tops of the buildings housing

those shops and restaurants, the architecture is quite beautiful.

If a taxi is needed they're very reasonable and the drivers are

friendly and helpful (if you speak spanish). One drove us to

the Port of Callao and nearby small town of Barranco where he

got out of the taxi and walked us down to a picturesque lane

that led to a look out cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Another, took us to Miraflores where we got off at Larcomar

(a tourist spot) where we had a nice buffet lunch at Mango's

out on the edge overlooking the ocean. An hour or so into

the meal the fog rolled in and completely engulfed everything

below us (including a lovely restaurant that was situated out

IN the ocean)!

We travelled by plane (TACA) to Cusco on modern planes which

the airline claimed to be state of the art. The service was

fine for the short 1 hour flight, contrary to what we heard

prior.

Then a clean and comfortable train (Peru Rail) took us from

Cusco to Machu Picchu, they even served us a snack meal, as

good as what you get on airplanes these days! Of course

the scenery was fantastic! At the base of Machu Picchu we

changed to a shiny new Mercedes bus to enjoy the rest of

the ride up to Machu Picchu. The transportation quite new

for a seemingly poor country.

The 'piste de resistance'...Machu Picchu, simply breathtaking

and luckily the weather could not have been better.

After a few hours of climbing in the high altitude, we finished

the day with a relaxing lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge Restaurant

and unfortunately, managed to find some rather lovely desserts

to top it off.

happy travels,

kwbb

Terrible Service

The location of this hotel is good, right downtown, but the rest is well under accepted standards. There is no shampoo in the bathrooms, the included breakfast is basically bread and butter with coffee and we had to change rooms because of hot water issues. At the very end, they overcharged us. When we confronted the staff the next day, they acknowledged the error but refused to refund the money, offering us a credit for a subsequent stay. When we asked to talk to the manager, we were told she only shows up sometimes and does not have a fixed schedule. A very bad experience overall.

A tired Grande Dame

This hotel is a tired grande dame. The hotel itself, structure and all, is truly beautiful; I'd compare it to the Brown Palace in Denver. Unfortunately, the economics of Peru have caught up with it.

The details are amazing, from hand-cast door knobs to the gorgeous stained glass ceiling, but updates, well, are limited. I was there with my father (75) and son (8), and the room was more than adequate - three twin beds in an enormous room. The bathroom was adequate, though modern conveniences not there. Service was fine; room was clean.

That part of town is unique - right on a large plaza, with lots of "local color" around. I felt very safe, so, if you want old, beautiful, but by no means luxurious, this hotel is good for you. We paid $55 U.S. for one night there, showing up at their door at midnight.

The room smelled

Our room (supposedly a junior suite, but really just a large bedroom with an area right outside the bedroom that had a wobbly desk and chair) had a musty, mildew type odor that did not dissipate. I agree with previous poster about the hazardous 10 inch step to the bathroom. The bed was uncomfortable, tiny, and the linens and pillows had an almost sewage-like odor. The furnishings are old and depressing looking--the fixtures in the bathroom looked like they were out of a junior high school locker room, circa 1930. The restaurant/cocktail lounge also appeared to have seen better days; linens were gray and wrinkled, and in the afternoon, at least, the tables were not decorated with anything--no candle, lamp, flowers, nothing except a salt and pepper shaker. The desk service was nothing to write home about--when my husband asked if he could cash a traveler's check, the response was (in Spanish)"Go someplace else."

Ancient rooms

The common areas of this hotel are very nice but the rooms need serious updating. We rented a room just for the day as we had a late flight and I was releaved that I did not have to use the ancient shower. The bathroom is really, really bad with very old white tile and an original toilet with a hand pump flush. There is a 10 inch step just to get in and out of the bathroom and I couldn't stop wondering how many people had tripped over it in the middle of the night. The sheets in both beds had rips and the comforters stained. I hope this hotel gets it's act together as it has such potential and is at a great location.

Excellent service!!

Gran Bolivar Hotel is a modern hotel, built in a historical place.

Excellent rooms, Good food, and people who work there very friendly .

I feel like home. I wil return. They also have travel agency.

Trujillo a beautiful city in Peru.

Loved this hotel

Stayed here Sept 2004 and absolutely loved it. It is a large, grand, stylish, old hotel bedecked with marble and chandeliers where I could imagine wonderful black tie parties and masked balls happening in times gone by. It's quite surreal and had a very shiny, restored, old fashioned car in a corner of the huge vestible (a black mark 1 ford, or something like like that), and a stylish 1920's type of elevator. The place is spotlessly clean, very well maintained, with very nice staff, and the place is clearly loved. My room was fab, with shiny wood block floors, comfy tasteful furnishings, and a gorgeous old bathroom with lovely white enamel bath & original art deco tiles. The food and cocktails were marvellous, and I can't recommend this place highly enough. Although please don't go if you are one of those rich, moaning, never happy, seen-it-all people, who are never satisfied - this place is far too nice for you. It's quirky, with charm, and atmosphere - and deserves to be savoured and appreciated!

One day I'll go there for a pisco sour(I,ll stay 4 a dream vacation)

I visited Peru several times and stayed in the Grand Bolivar.

My wife and I still talk of the grandeur, the service, the profesionalism. We 'll recommend anybody to visit Lima. Peru and a few nights in the Grand Hotel Bolivar.