The 'romantic' within me so wanted to have an unforgettable experience at what I had hoped would be a truly majestic experience (based on fellow traveller's reviews). My comments will no doubt cause controversy with a few, but I wish to be honest and assist others in making an informed decision about staying at this hotel. I wish to premise this review with the fact that I did indeed take advantage of a last minute promotional rate (thank goodness) because I do not warrant that it is worth anywhere close to the rack rate of c.$600 per night. Also, I am in the Travel Industry and as such have visited nearly 70 countries and stayed in numerous top quality hotels and resorts over the years. This does not mean that I value my opinion any higher than someone who has travelled less than I have, but inevitably I do have a lot of situations that I can refer to as a 'yard-stick' measure. My review may appear harsh but I have to take into consideration the expense of staying at The Monasterio.

This was not the first time that I had stayed at an Orient Express hotel. I do appreciate that every hotel has individual standards but the service here was very much dependent on whom was on duty that day. First of all the good points:

- Darwin (Guest Relations) - superstar of the hotel. He offered exemplary service and attempted to fulfil all requests made of him.

- Caesar and Hugh (meeter/greeter at airport and driver respectively) - 2 people who showed true Peruvian warmth and accompanied us on a few organised trips/drives

- Illariy restaurant - the quality of food at Dinner was superb. There was not a huge selection on the menu, but what they did offer was delightfuly cooked and presented.

- Location - it was pleasant to be just a couple of blocks away from Plaza de Armas and accessible to all of the cathedrals/markets/shops etc..

Negative points:

- I completed the hotel comments form and have not received a reply from the hotel manager thus far. No doubt their only reply will be to this one, where they have more visibility (am I being sceptical?)

- Hotel room was more 3 - 4* not 5*. Rickety and hard bed (two twin beds pushed together to form a King bed). I'm not particularly fussy, but both my husband and I woke up with stiff backs every day (guess we're getting on a bit?!)

- Hair-dryer - it was one of those horrid (and dangerous) dryers stuck to the wall where the element gets extra hot, burns the scalp and you worry that it will sizzle the roots. I asked for a hand-held one and they did eventually deliver it. I expect this at a Holiday Inn Express/Hilton Garden Inn not at The Monasterio.

- Peru Rail staff at the hotel. The lady who worked at the hotel was positively snotty, no other word for it. My husband was told by Caesar to confirm our reservation and ask for the bags that had been left for us at front desk in anticipation of our trip on the Hiram Bingham. He scurried back to the room totally embarrassed saying that she had dismissed him and made him feel incredibly stupid for asking about either point. Lo and behold when we mustered up the courage the next day to ask another gentleman on reception he at least looked for us and then found the (very nice) Orient Express bags that had been indicated. Please don't get me wrong, we are not people who seek out 'freebies' but we had been told that the bags were meant for us as part of the Orient Express experience and were excited to receive them. It was merely the attitude that the lady gave and instead of going the extra mile she said 'I do not know what you are talking about, there are no bags for you' and with a dirty look and closed the matter.

- Staff at the hotel, some of the concession workers (jewellery/gift shop) do need to crack a smile every now and again instead of 'checking out the customers from head to toe with disgust'. I was often embarrassed to walk through the lobby area for fear of being given filthy looks by some of the people there. We were dressed for comfort with a little bit of style at least!

- Patio could not be used until night #3 as despite our request they did not change the light bulb outside until very late on night #2. In their defence they had left an apology letter alongside 2 bags of chocolate gooseberries that needed to be eaten within three weeks. The gesture was nice but it was apparent that they were using the chocolates that were very near their end date!

- Breakfast selection. The only cereals on offer were of high sugar and no substance - something like fruit-loops. I don't require a huge selection but it really was poor. The atmosphere was very regimented with the Maitre D' clearly trying to get everything done on time but as such the staff lacked genuine smiles. It's only breakfast! Help your staff to enjoy it more and the customers will too.

- No Virtuoso recognition. We had used the services of a Virtuoso travel agency to book our stay and they have amenities/room upgrades/receptions etc. with properties that they work with. The Monasterio said that they had never heard of Virtuoso and that we should work through other companies such as Abercrombie. Very disappointing.

All in all, this hotel really missed the mark with us. The above points may appear trivial to you, but when you consider what this hotel charges and the way that it describes itself as one of the best hotels in S. America, it is in no way deserving of such pomp and ceremony. Having stayed at several 4* and 5* hotels in S. America I wouldn't hesitate in recommending many others, but alas the Monasterio is not one.

My final point would be to say - save your money for the Hiram Bingham train - now that is worth every penny and a truly delightful experience!