We stayed here in Dec 2011 as part of a three week tour. We were very dissapointed with the quality of the hotel and found it to be tired and needing a bit of tidying up. However the biggest issue by far was the noise from the street at the front and the noise in the hotel corridors. There is absolutely no noise insulation as the floors are finished in cheap timber laminate and every footstep, wheeled case and conversation can be heard in the poorly furnished rooms. Also at the front of hotel are the streetlights which shine through the thin curtains illuminating the room. We did ask for and where given an alternative room immediately. We feel that the hotel doesn't deserve it's 3* status in its current condition but with a lot of work could be a nice hotel. We also noted that when people where going out to visit the town etc they were leaving the room keys on the reception desk where the remained. This is very bad practice and the receptionist should have been putting the keys away for safe keeping.

The Taypikala Cusco Hotel is right in the midst of the old city - next to the Koricancha Temple and a five minute walk from the Plaza de Aramas. You can't get a better location for the price. The interior is like a museum with antique weavings decorating the walls and rooms...a must see rare and beautiful collection. Staff is helpful.

Interesting hotel...we stayed in 3 different Taypikala's on the trip, and each one was about the same. The bathroom fixtures had all been updated, but they didnt work. The faucets spun around over the beautiful glass bowl sink, the blow dryers (if they had them) didn't work for more than a couple of minutes, reading lights over the beds had fallen off or were broken, toilet paper holders had fallen off the walls, etc. You get the idea.
However, we loved the place each time. Great staff, etc.
To get to the rooms was a challenge...down stairs, outside, up stairs, down the hall and then maybe up more stairs? Very peculiar. They were all pretty large, and some had jacuzzi tubs which actually functioned.
If you don't mind quirks...it is a great place.
The food was adequate, but expensive. In Cusco, I'd walk a couple of blocks to Tartessos...lunch or dinner...out of this world if you are a foodie.

Overall this hotel was an alright place to stay. My favorite thing about the hotel was the location. It was close enough to the happening places but far enough away for a low noise level. Everything we wanted to do in the city was within walking distance.

My least favorite things was the lack of hot water, included breakfast, & service. I was really hoping for a hot shower or bath during at least one of my three nights there and never quite got that, only lukewarm. There was a shower with running water so I can't say it was a complete failure! Another note is that the included breakfast was not very good at all so you will probably want to chow down elsewhere. A note on the service, the front desk failed to deliver a time change message from our guide so he came all the way to meet us and we had not received his message so we never showed for his arranged meeting which was a bummer for him. It was also out honeymoon and this was in the paperwork and there was no mention of it or anything special done to recognize the event :-(

I'd say you can probably find a better place for the money but if you can't it's an average safe place to stay. There was nothing special about it.