Hostal Universal Huaraz

Terrific central location with the markets right at the front door. Noise was not an issue as my room was at the rear of the hotel. Staff always available to assist with any enquiries, including offering to prepare breakfast at very early hours on days with early tour departures

Breakfast was quite limited.

Antonia and Dante are wonderful people and the owners of this Hostal. It’s clean and really huge rooms. They are so sweet and fun to speak with. They love the Andes and all the hikers that come through. I miss them. We stayed here thinking we would do the 4 day Santa Cruz trek but ran out of time. (I would stay in the area for 2 weeks to include time to acclimate and the hikes). We did leave our bags with the Hostal when we hiked.

I wish I could go higher with the ratings here as this place was truly exceptional. I stayed here for 6 nights while acclimitising for the Cordillera Huayhuash trek, and returned again for 3 more nights after the trek because it was so good! First of all, they upgraded me (free of charge) from a single budget room to their deluxe queen sized bed option. They cleaned the room every second day, helped me book day hikes the whole time I was there, and provided breakfast every day quickly and at the times I requested. The hosts spoke no English, and I no Spanish, but even with the communication problems I felt right at home. They held me bag for me while I went on the trek, even though I wasn't sure if I was staying in the hostal again when I came back. They took my laundry for 5 soles a kilo, which I believe is the standard competitive rate which was amazing to have (Same day service as well!). And then lastly, on the day I was leaving for the airport, the hostess brought me to the collectivo spot herself, which I never would have found as it's tucked away by the river. Honestly I can't express how much I enjoyed my time here, and the host and hostess really made my time in Huaraz stand out. The hostal really began to feel like a home away from home, especially when I was returning from the Cordillera Huayhuash. Also if you're worried about hot water, they have plenty, and the rooms are exceptionally clean and quiet. I did notice there were a few rooms right at the front of the building which probably did suffer from more noise, but the two different ones I stayed in were dead quite at night. Also another thing to be aware of is the location. It's situated right in the middle of the local markets, which I LOVED. Such a great atmosphere every time I walked to or from the hostel, and it's about a 5-10 minute walk from any of the main restaurants.

The owners were super nice, friendly and helpful! They prepared breakfast for me earlier than the regular time as I need to leave early for tours. They also took me to the autobus station on the day I need to go to airport - much cheaper than taxi, as the bus information was not on Google Maps so it was very nice to have the local help from the owners. I also like the fact that the hostel is near the local market which I enjoyed!

The rooms can get cold in late Aug as there’s no heater at least in my room.