Katari Hotel at Plaza de Armas

This hotel is located in the central square of Arequipa with a beautiful roof terrace overlooking the square. Everywhere is a really easy walk from here. Unfortunately the hotel reception and public areas in particular feel a little bit tired and in need of a refurbishment but it was clean and the staff were friendly and helpful. The roof terrace is where you have breakfast and it’s the restaurant too. The breakfast was a little bit ordinary, there was a buffet area and some hot cooked items to choose from but the choice was limited and service was a bit slow. There was some nice freshly baked bread after about 7am which we’d recommend. Also the decaf coffee option was a jar of instant on the side for you to make your own, whereas they had proper coffee for those who drink caffeine. The terrace is a great place for sunset drinks. The rooms have a tap with filtered water which is great because you can fill your bottles and never run out. The beds were comfortable and they had a decent set of toiletry options. The hairdryer was a fixed one in the bathroom which isn’t very good for my thick hair but they were able to provide me with another ‘proper’ one which was great. We had a room overlooking the square for two nights and didn’t find the noise a problem even when there was a protest on. It finished by about 10pm anyway and after this it was pretty quiet.

Next to everything, staff was so helpful!

We stayed for 2 nights in a room facing the main square and Cathedral. The room is nice including a serviced breakfast on the rooftop. We had an early excursion the first morning, the hotel packed breakfast boxes for us. The location cannot be better with historical highlights and many dinning options within walking distance. We walked in the surrounding area at night without any problem. We had a "wet" bathroom, which is fine with us. Those who are not familiar with the concept may want to check with the hotel if a "regular" bathroom is possible.