What People are saying

Great hotel

beansson 30/07/2017 16:26

Great hotel. The room was very clean and the hotel is well looked after overall. The staff is very friendly and helpful.
The hotel is located in a very quiet area and I had a very peaceful night even if my room was overlooking the street.
The breakfast was good with a variety of food to eat.
The only two downsides are that the room was a bit too expensive for what it was. Also there are almost no shops/cafes around the hotel and the ones which are there are very expensive. The hotel food is also very expensive. I didn't expect to have to pay what I pay at home for food.

Perfectly OK, basic hotel

Jarko2015on 10/07/2017 16:09

Before booking your accommodation in Lima, it's best to decide what you want to do and see and then book your hotel close by. Lima is a sprawling, big city, with horrible transport issues. The traffic is snarled virtually 24/7 and you can waste hours in taxis trying to get across the city to the different neighbourhoods. If you want to explore the Historic city centre, then it's best to stay there, rather than trying to commute from Miraflores.

Hotel Santa Cruz is in Miraflores, very close to the cliff front that leads down to the ocean. In fact, one of the major stairways down to the ocean is relatively close to the hotel, although like all the crossings from the cliff top down and across the highway, it's one hell of a climb down and thus an even bigger climb back up. You can get taxis to the city centre for about S15-20 each way, but it will take at least 90 minutes in traffic.

The hotel itself looks very modern and polished from the outside, where you'll be greeted by a guard who minds the gate (and your luggage if you need to leave it), giving a sense of security, even though Miraflores is a very safe area. However, once inside, the property is less impressive and is in fact, very basic. There's a large sitting area in reception and there's also an atrium cafe, next to the breakfast room. This atrium creates a lot of noise that travels up to the rooms, most of which overlook the atrium and have no outside windows.

The rooms are large, but sparse. There is an empty fridge, a small desk and chair and a closet, but otherwise, it's just the bed with very harsh lighting. The bedding is old, but clean and the room cleanliness is of a good standard. There's a TV, but since I didn't switch it on, I've no idea what's available.

Rooms and the lobby come with free wifi, but you have to get a code from reception on a regular basis. Everyday it changes and the login process gets annoying. Once you have logged on, the signal is strong and reliable, but you won't get 24 hours out of your login. There's no water, kettle, tea, coffee provided at all in the rooms or lobby.

The bathrooms are large, with a large walk in shower. Unusually, the hot water was a problem in that it was too hot. Far too hot. The cold tap made little or no difference and it was very hard not to be scalded. Not a problem normally encountered, but definitely a problem. There's small bars of soap and sachets of shampoo provided every day, plus there's a hairdryer. The towels were clean enough, but had an odour of vinegar. They are changed every day.

The breakfast was the biggest issue I encountered. The restaurant is not all that large and they simply could not cope with the guests, even though it didn't appear the hotel was sold out. They simply don't have enough staff. One guy was trying to clear the tables, set out the food, help guests etc., and he was run ragged and couldn't keep up. The wait for food and indeed the longer wait for a clear table was ludicrous. The buffet isn't all that exciting or attractive either, but it's adequate. No toast, but there are bread rolls, alongside the scrambled eggs. There's some very unappetizing spam and weird cheese, otherwise, it's just cereal, very thin yogurt and basic fruit (pineapple and melon mainly), tea, coffee, watered juice. If you want drinking water, you'll have to ask. This is the biggest area the hotel needs to work on.

The staff are friendly and helpful, but a bit dismissive. One guest had a serious issue (not caused by the hotel) and the staff really did seem off hand and annoyed by them, even though the guest was in serious trouble. Hardly gave me confidence to witness their irritation. But it's a 3 star property with 3 star thinking, so it's not really surprising.

Not a huge amount to do surrounding the property, but the very high end stores of Miraflores are further along Santa Cruz avenue (Tiffany, Prada, Chanel etc) and the cliff front is close by. You can walk to the Miraflores shopping centre quite easily along the front, but it's quite a trek.

If you're coming to Lima for the history, this isn't the area to stay, although this hotel is perfectly OK for exploring Miraflores.

Home away from home

head4peruon 28/06/2017 23:49

I, along with my coworkers or international guests, always stay at Hotel Santa Cruz, when passing through Lima. I have stayed there many times over many years. The staff takes care of me like family, including the kitchen and housekeeping, who are so kind and friendly. They are efficient, accommodating and a wonderful resource for guidance when navigating the city. The food is delicious and the service is prompt and courteous. I Love HSC!

Nice attention - Excellent location - Friendly People - Amazing Ceviche¡¡¡

Daniel Aon 28/06/2017 16:12

Usually i don´t write comments about the places where i go, however i can tell that all the staff in Santa Cruz are nice and friendly and hardly you will miss home¡¡¡
The location is excellent, close of the most tourist places, restaurants, shopping centers, etc.
Food are very good¡ The cheff made us, the famous peruvian ceviche, i still missing it¡¡¡ I hope you enjoy the hotel as we do with my family.¡¡

Good Choice

Andrei Fon 29/05/2017 21:29

It's in a very good location , first being in Miraflores ,second being on the Santa Cruz which has a host of very good shops . The hotel is smallish and the rooms are close to basic but clean . Breakfast is rather restrained but considering the price all in all is good