Hotel berhampiran Mirador Carmen Alto, Cayma District

Nice decor and styling in the rooms, large and comfortable bed (we had a private room just a bit back from the pool area). The inclusion of a fridge was a plus point. The cleaning staff were helpful and courteous. When we checked in, the guys working reception helped us up to the room with our luggage (I had been volunteering in Arequipa for 2 months prior so had a few bags). However, when I asked on our way out if they had anyone available to help take our luggage to the taxi, it was a hard “no ofrecemos ese servicio” 😕 So I guess it depends who’s working that day as to what level of service you get. The bar area around the pool was nice with lots of seating options to chill out, but the water in the pool was absolutely freezing and even cold water swimmers wouldn’t be in there much more than 10 minutes! I removed quite a lot of bugs during my swim, so a regular clean with a net wouldn’t go amiss. The worst aspect of this place was the obnoxiously loud and unrelenting music. I couldn’t even get peace and quiet in our private bathroom. I get that the poolside party is their vibe, but I really don’t think they need quite so many hours of it in their schedule. With retrospect, I’d have chosen a quieter hotel. Finally, we booked a massage. I thought it would be a nice way to round off our trip, the price was equivalent to about £30 GBP which I thought was a good deal. I’d had an excellent massage at Selina in Baños, Ecuador, so I was looking forward to it. Well, both my massage (hot stones) and the one my boyfriend had (regular massage) were so comically bad that we still joke about it 6 months later. I asked the masseuse in fluent Spanish 5 times and in a variety of different ways to really use a bit more pressure, but no…. the two of us spent an hour each being half-heartedly rubbed with oil by someone who clearly had received very little training and was unable to locate any knots, any areas of tension, anything. I actually left more tense than I went in! I did tell the reception so I sincerely hope they have recruited a new massage therapist. Overall, there are some benefits to Selina such as the relative proximity to the city centre whilst also having a pool. However, I wouldn’t rush back and didn’t find it quite as good as the other Selinas I’ve stayed in in Central and South America.

We would definitely recommend this hotel. We stayed for four nights and everything from the service to the room was 5 star plus. (Bed, WIFI, Hot water, fridge, complimentary breakfast, view, fluffy towels etc) We stayed in the King room with the balcony overlooking the city, you can see the church clocks from the Arequipa Cathedral and we were a few steps from Plaza de Armas. Lots of great restaurants near by and the area is completely safe for walking in the evening. (perfect location) A shout out to the staff of Ariquepay Hotel - Graciela, Jonathan, Nickel and Jose. They take great pride in their jobs and took good care of us! Great value for the nightly rate. Would definitely stay here again. We highly recommend the hotel!

Cozy and clean, the service attitude is excellent, the breakfast is good

The hotel is located right on the main plaza ( Plaza de Armes) so it is incredibly easy and safe as a single female traveller. You can walk to many of the main attractions, have a wide range of restaurants to choose from and can easily find water/ A**s as all within a 2 minute walk. Room was spacious and spotless with a comfortable bed and lovely toiletries available.staff were always friendly and helpful. There is a small gym on site, pool is small ( but unheated!) but on a lovely roof terrace. If I was in Arequipa again I would happily stay, but equally I would look for the chain in other South American cities.