HotelBest Western Embajadores

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80 out of 100 (2 Sources)

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trevorbrock (58)
Belfast, United Kingdom

96%

very good

[trevorbrock, 11.09.2007] My first ever stay in Lima was over 20 years ago. It was a sobering experience with military guards highly conscious of the terrorists in the country, and with safety on the streets from pickpockets and muggers, a serious problem. Things have improved in all kinds of ways, and Lima is now a destination I would commend as a holiday / tourist experience. It still has a very high crime rate, and first-time visitors need to be ultra careful. In very recent times, people I know personally have had watches and jewellry grabbed from their arms; others have got into a taxi hailed on the street, to be driven to a waiting gang who stripped them of money, credit cards, cash and passports. We found the staff of the hotel very wise in their advice, and heard them suggesting to other guests that they should not wear expensive watches or carry expensive cameras with them, when walking around the area. Hotel staff know what is best, and should be heeded.

85/100

Room [more][less]
80/100

Size
90/100

Cleanliness

I am rating this hotel from a South American point of view, rather than comparing directly with American or European hotels.The room contained a double bed, bedside cabinets, a built-in wardrobe with a safe included, a shower room with sink and loo, a small fridge and a stand for cases, plus a TV on the wall. Yet there was still plenty of room for us to move around without feeling cramped. It was perfectly clean, by any standards. We were surprised to see a modern TV in the room, and even more pleased to discover CNN in English as well. The hotel is supposed to be about 10 years old, and I imagine that most of the furnishings were the original ones. I guess the walls had been painted more recently. The effect was fairly modern Latin American ! - perfectly acceptable to us. Our view was a bit limited since we were in the rear of the building - we were looking out over other buildings in the area, but could just about see the sea which is not far away.
89/100

General hotel amenities [more][less]
80/100

Appearance/Architecture
90/100

Lobby Atmosphere

It is a functional building with no special features in terms of architecture. When we arrived - very late at night - we were treated very well. We were expected and I had informed them that we were not landing at the airport until after midnight. So it was well after 1.30am when we arrived by taxi, and they got us through the check in process and up to the room, in just a few minutes. The good treatment continued the next day. We had a few hours to spend in Lima before moving further south to Tacna on a late afternoon flight. The hotel staff advised on the length of time it would take to get to the airport at that time of the day - much less time that I would have allowed, but they were spot on!! They advised which taxi would be cheapest and safest for us, and we were delighted with the result.They encouraged us to leave the room around the official check-out time, but assured us that our cases would be kept under lock and key until late afternoon. When we said we wanted to walk along the coast a bit, they were clearly concerned for our safety, and advised which streets to use, which direction to walk along - and where the best shopping was to be found. All of this was done in very good English.
The hotel is linked to wi-fi and can provide business services. I was not able to get linked up with my pda, but I did not spend very long trying, as it was not really needed. We did not spot any bar in the hotel, nor any directions to the pool and leisure facilities. Again, we did not look for them at 1.30 am, and we spent the next day enjoying the area, so I would not put the fault on the hotel.
60/100

Food & Beverages [more][less]
60/100

Food Variety
60/100

Food Quality

Breakfast was included in our very cheap rate... I think we paid about £30 for the room through HotelClub. It was our only disappointment. I preface my comments with the acknowledgement that we did have a good sleep, we did lie late because of our late arrival from Colombia, and we entered the breakfast room about 20 minutes before breakfast was to finish. The buffet table was untidy, unclean and a bit sparse. The waiter who flitted in and out of the room, seemed reluctant to get us cutlery, and generally offered no help to us. There was no milk left, and when we asked for some, had to wait a long time before it arrived. The fruit was being attacked by a lot of flies, the coffee was lukewarm, and the bread was far from Peruvian best.
92/100

Location and surroundings [more][less]
100/100

Location (City)
90/100

Transportation Connection

I had been in Peru many times before and in Lima several times as well. Usually accomodation was in hostals or missionary guest houses, and usually nearer the central area of Lima. I chose this location deliberately as Miraflores is quieter, more relaxed, safer and more interesting. By taxi, it is only 15 minutes from the commercial hub of Lima, and taxis are so cheap, that it is well worthwhile heading for the coastal side of Lima.
In recent months, the "mall" form of shopping has arrived in Lima, and so there are very high quality shops in a shopping precinct, about 5 minutes walk from the hotel. It has good security presence, and the tourist police are plentiful around the district. Purchases of Peruvain items is limited, however, and what is on sale here, is outrageously expensive in Peruvian terms. You should expect no different when the shops share territory with global designer stores, Hugo Boss, Nike and suchlike. Most of the entertainment locally is located in the hotels, themselves, with casinos, discos etc all around.