My husband and I stayed at the Hostal de Las Artes for one night. It was $17 US for a matrimonial room with a private bathroom. The staff did not speak English and blasted music from some back room, although thankfully it was turned off at night. There was free Internet access and they held our bags for us after we checked out for the day until we were ready to go to the airport. All in all the staff seemed eager to please, but the room smelled pretty musty and we didn't even attempt the shower, which looked dirty and was curtainless. The only real plus here was the building itself, because it was an old mansion the ceilings are high and the decor has real character. The cactus garden in the aea outside our room was also pretty but the taxidermy in the lobby was pretty creepy. All in all, I don't think I'd stay here again.

After arriving in Lima we went to the Hostal de Las Artes for our short stay in the city. The accommodation is reasonably located, with lots of restaurants nearby, though the walk to the centre is a bit dodgy (though you can get a taxi for 5 soles, or under $2 to the central square). There is also a local supermarket with an excellent selection. It is like a big Tescos in England (or a large supermarket in the US) and the hostel gives good maps to the various nearby attractions.

The room was also fairly comfortable though the shower wasn't particularly good and no toilet paper or towels were provided. The hostel was also quiet and had good internet access.

Unfortunately the hostel isn't owned by the Dutch anymore, and unlike the Dutch who always speak excellent English the new owners speak virtually none. This meant that they wouldn't move us from our double room on the first night to a triple room on the second saying that we had to already pay for one double room. The staff also seemed to be obsessed with locking the front door, which we had no key to so we couldn't get out without shouting for the staff. The worst case of this was when we got back to the hostel at 10pm on the second night, and we saw the staff about to lock up, after asking them to give us a moment to buy a bottle of water, we came back 2 minutes later and found the hostel locked which really wasn't very good customer service.

This place is a perfect place to spend a cheap night or two in Lima (which is really all you need in Lima). The beds were comfy and there was plenty of hot water.

Positives:
1. Very inexpensive
2. Perfectly adequate for a hostal
3. Friendly staff

Drawbacks:
1. It was a bit musty and damp.
2. The shower did not drain properly.

We spent one night, before traveling to Cuzco.
Located close to Old City, so you can walk, clean and safe place, friendly staff, pick-up $12 from the airport. Can't ask for more than that from Hostel:)