Hostal El Balcon offers a great location in Cusco -- close to the plaza but quiet, with a great atmosphere.

After booking a room, I accidentally provided the wrong day for our flight information. This caused some confusion, particularly because my emails kept being returned with an error message. It would have been helpful if the Hostal had replied, especially because they kind of complained about the 20 e-mails I had sent over a period of a few days, trying to get past the error message. But there was someone to meet us at the airport and the staff was very helpful in meeting our needs. And with a little

The rooms were quiet, with a rustic charm. The only drawback was that the shower was a little weak. With a little more foresight we would have used their storage room for part of our luggage since we returned to the Hostal after visiting the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. All in all, we were very pleased.

I'll come back again... That's all I can say. This place will always be in my heart, my house in Cuzco. I really had a great time (I had to change my flight tickets twice!!!) Everybody is so friendly and I loved the rustic atmosphere. Rooms are clean and I had never experienced such service before during my trip in Peru. I stayed in a five ***** hotel in Lima before and sincerely... I prefer this magic place. There's also a beautiful garden, just in the middle of the hostal.
I'm a catalan guy from Barcelona that left part of his heart and soul in Cuzco. Thank you so much for your hospitality... I'll never forget Elisa and Talo, the owners of this place, and also all people I had the chance to meet while I was there. See you next time...!

El Balcon is a gem for the price. We were referred by an adventure travel group that uses them regularly, and it was a great recommendation. The rooms are small but charming and very clean, with rustic furniture and lots of wool blankets on the beds. Hot water was pretty reliable. Space heaters are provided; we were there in December, but didn't need to use them. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We booked a "matrimonial," which means a room with a double bed, but got two twins. This was not a big deal, and when the error was pointed out to the management, we were charged the cheaper rate. The ever-available coca tea helps with altitude adjustment, and the coffee, made from an essence, is actually quite good. Breakfast is wonderful, included, and made to order — fruit, eggs, and rolls, with freshly-squeezed juices. El Balcon is hard to find, situated on a narrow, steep, cobblestoned street, but once inside the door you find yourself in a lovely garden among old, old walls. The view from the second floor balcony is lovely. Highly recommended.

We paid $48 USD per night and enjoyed our stay. We stayed on the 2nd floor in room 2 which did not have a window except in the bathroom, but you could open panels on your front door. The view from the balcony is great, you can see rooftops and the Plaza de Armas. We stayed one additional night in room 7 which had a big window overlooking rooftops across the street. There is some street noise here but very peaceful for the most part. Rosa at the front desk is very helpful with recommendations, cabs, etc. They recommended a cab at night which only cost $1 USD from the Plaza. The walk from the plaza is about 10 minutes. Beautiful courtyard area with benches.