We chose this hotel on the basis of the atmosphere mentioned in previous reviews, and its close location to the central sights (we had a day to kill in Lima, and 2 nights). Certainly, the front lobby is gorgeous, with its stained glass domed ceiling. The staff were courteous and helpful. That´s about it. The room smelled musty and the beds were both hard and damp. The once lovely parquet flooring was peeling in the corners. The bathroom was adequate but very cold. A small fan heater was provided and we left that on all night on night 2, after freezing on night one. The breakfast was rudimentary, the highlight being freshly squeezed orange juice. We ate dinner in the restaurant once, which was passable. The service was very slow, but we have since discovered that is true of pretty much every place we have eaten at during our holiday.

Our room was just beside the elevator. Bad mistake. The elevator arrives and departs with a crash equivalent to the sound of a shipping container being dropped from a high height. Forget about sleeping through that.

The final straw was getting up at 3.30am to catch a very early flight to Arequipa and discovering there was no water at all - neither hot nor cold. We had to use wipes for a quick wash and fortunately had enough bottled water to brush our teeth. The staff told us they turn it off at night to work on the plumbing as they don´t expect people to be leaving very early. What rubbish. There are squillions of flights leaving Lima very early in the morning.

I will never use this hotel again.

My wife and I stayed for a total of six nights at the Gran Bolivar and loved it! We started by booking an inexpensive room for $30/night on Oribtz. When we arrived we learned we could book a spacious "Junior Suite" on the third floor with a balcony overlooking the Plaza San Martin for a very modest price, so we did and loved it. The view at night of the plaza with all the lights of builidings that are centuries old was magnificent. The location of the Hotel Bolivar put us within walking distance of almost anything we wanted to visit in Lima, with the exception of the National Museum. The Plaza de Armas is a couple of blocks up the street where you will find more colonial beauty with great restaurants all around the square. The taxi driver tried to convince us that we should go to Miraflores because of the new shopping center and quiet streets. We can do that at home. The food and attention in the hotel restaurant are a great treat for many travelers and so is the price. What ultimately made the experience truly wonderful for us was the warm greeting and care of the staff. Victor at the front desk speaks excellent English and enjoys sharing all kinds of information with guests. Marlon also speaks English and is a wealth of knowledge about the fabulous history of the building whose guests have included Nelson Rockefeller, The Rolling Stones, Santana and an endless list of dignitaries. The history, location, facility and personal attention combine to make this an unbeatable travel bargain and delightful experience!

The hotel is a very beautiful old hotel and most of the staff was very nice. The hotel is very close to the Presidential Plaice and many places to see close to the hotel. I would never stay at this hotel again because of all the traffic noise. We could hardly sleep because of all the cars and the car horns.

If you are interested in travel, not just tourism, this place provides a great experience. Built in 1924, it has been refurbished (not remodelled) to retain its old-world charm and grandeur. The rooms are huge, clean, and comfortable, if lacking in fancy add-ons like internet, shampoo and even drinking water, which you must buy. We had planned to spend half our time in the upscale (but boring) Miraflores area, but stayed here the whole week and loved it. The staff was very friendly and helpful.