Don't read too much into the negative reviews. There is a lot of misunderstanding. And don't let the "3 star" tag fool you.
Beautiful and luxurious hotel with a lot of personality. All of the pictures I included are taken at/of this hotel!
Staff are kind and caring! They have fluent bilingual staff so don't be afraid to interact and ask for help! They will also try their best to understand and help you either way.
They have a pamphlet to explain the spa pricing, reservation rules, and options, be sure to ask for it! I included a picture of it (as of Nov 2023). The 1 hr Andean massage and private sauna+pool+jacuzzi was really wonderful and romantic experience. The private spa by itself is about $20 per hour. Massages range from $55-90 and automatically includes an hour of the private spa for free. Definitely recommend the bundle.
The room itself is quaint and rustic with a pretty window view and a fireplace. The bathroom is equipped with a jacuzzi jet too.
The dining experience is overall wonderful. The food is fresh and delicious, and every spot to eat is spacious, private, and picturesque. The breakfast is self service and self-explanatory buffet, and the staff allow privacy to the guests to enjoy a peaceful and quiet meal, with light meats, cheeses, fresh juices, fruits, coffee, eggs, waffles, etc. The dinner service is with traditional wait service and has varied food options that are local delights and restaurant specific dishes. The service is soooo lovely and attentive. They also have a pool table tucked away in the restaurant, free to use.
The location is central, bustling, tourist friendly, and perfectly SAFE. Every person needs to be let in through a gate. Surrounded by restaurants, stores, and bars, with a short five-ten minute walk to every location of import in this part of Arequipa, and most importantly, right next to the gorgeous monestary!!
The only con(ish) is that this is an older establishment so you should expect that the foundations are modest. Like there weren't a lot of outlets to charge our phones, the power surged and went out in our room for a bit and had to be turned back on, and it was advised not to throw toilet paper into the toilet. And check out is a bit early (10am). Oh but there is no elevator so it is not accessible friendly. :( But these issues were minor for us and did not really impact our stay overall.
I can't rave about our stay enough! Oh and they have such a cute cat that roams around and gives gentle love. This place totally ruined regular hotels for me! I can't wait to come back.