El Hostal de Su Merced is a lovely little place. The 4-star hostal is built in a 18th century mansion and decorated with 19th century furniture which really sets the mood for your stay in this beautiful colonial city. The hotel opened up in 1997 and hosted the meeting of South American Presidents - the Bolivian President himself has stayed here. It is a gorgeous property, and the owner (who I believe is French) has decorated it in a way that feels Parisan, with gorgeous flowers flowing everywhere, so light and bright with great views of the city.

LOCATION - The location is excellent - it takes you less than 5 minutes to walk to the main plaza, there is a laundromat just half a block down the street, and a supermarket. You can walk almost everywhere you need to go. The airport is 20 minutes away by taxi. Taxi all over Sucre costs about 10 Bs ($1.50) if you want to go to some places a bit further. There are tons of restaurants and bars within walking distance - we were there 5 nights and had a wide variety of food.

HOTEL - There is free wireless internet throughout the hotel. It isn't fast, but as long as you're patient there was no problem browsing the web. Just don't plan on much Skype or uploading of any files. There wasn't much else for amenities except for the lovely little balconies everywhere. We could sit out and watch the beautiful sunset from the rooftop with a (bad) bottle of wine, or just chill out and relax in one of the chair swings - the weather was temperate and comfortable. We stayed for 5 nights and we were glad we did - it's just a nice place to chill out and relax after a rugged trip through the Salar de Uyuni and Potosi. Keep in mind this is a 4-star hostal - and that is a Bolivian 4-star, I'd say more like a small 3-star, but with that perspective, this is a lovely place.

FOOD - This was a major down point, and really why I can't give it 5 stars. The breakfast was awful - the eggs (with ham) were always cold or empty, there was zero table service - you had to go into the kitchen to hunt down anyone ever to ask for eggs. You are then told they won't do omelettes, even though it's on the menu, only undercooked fried eggs. I asked for scrambled eggs - the guy showed me the crusty, cold ones on the buffet. I told him they were cold. So he grabbed some and put them in the microwave and gave them back to me. The coffee is only Nescafe, and the coffee pot was disgusting, and filled an inch thick with grounds. There was no juice most of the time, the bread was doughy, and the fruit was clearly recycled for about two days, as we watched it get browner and browner. We managed to get by with crepes (with honey, there was no syrup) and scrambled eggs (after tracking down service) for 5 days.

Dinner was just as bad. We ordered the "Spaghetti Su Merced" which was crusty and sticky with some kind of cheese, totally gross, we were starving or we would have just left it. Service, as with breakfast, was nonexistent - the server hung out in the kitchen the whole time and never checked on anyone. The wine served at the hotel is quite bad Bolivian wine, but better than nothing. We waited so long for our server to exist, we finally walked out of the restaurant. The service was not friendly or polite at the restaurant, nor attentive in the slightest. Too bad too, because the nice music and nice table settings it could have been very nice. We didn't eat at the hotel again after that, luckily there were lots of other good places to choose from. After a couple days we even contemplated going out to breakfast for the rest of our trip even though it was free with our room. A real contrast with the entire rest of the hotel which was charming and lovely. Plan on eating out.

SERVICE - Other than at the restaurant, the service at the hotel was excellent, by far the best we'd received in Bolivia in our two prior weeks. The front desk spoke good English (which was a first in Bolivia, most unexpected but most welcome!), and were always willing to help. The housekeepers did a good job and were sooo nice!

ROOMS - We stayed in Room #21, a Junior Suite at the very top of the hotel. Prepare to climb stairs if you stay in this one! However, the views of the church from the room were great, we could watch the sunset, watch the city from our room. Just outside was a platform where we could sit outside and do the same. The room was light and bright with big windows - a huge contrast to the "5-star" hotel we'd stayed in previously. There is no heat, so they include a space heater which worked fine - it's not that cold in Sucre, but gets a bit chilly in the night without the heater though the heavy blankets kept us cozy.

The bed is hard and springy, but cute. There were two desks in our room which we loved - I think they did this special for us because we requested it, much appreciated! There is a small 20" old-style TV but with tons of cable channels - even in English (amazing!). The room is decorated with antique furniture and lots of character. The bathroom is small and simple, with a few problems. There was paint peeling off the ceiling, the bathroom door squeaked loudly throughout our stay, and the shower head was corroded and old and didn't work well. The water pressure was heavy if you took a shower at non-peak times. However, it slowed WAYYYYY down if there were other people using it, to a trickle. One time the water shut off entirely for about 10 minutes! Then it came back on, slowly, and I was able to eke out a shower...barely. The next day it started really slow, then gradually got back to normal, which is like a bomb - so much pressure you're standing in ankle-deep water throughout the shower. Overall, we loved the room, just so atmospheric, and we told them about the problems when we left and they were enthusiastic to hear it, promising to fix it, so probably they will.

While the lack of an edible restaurant with service of any kind was a real downpoint, the bed was uncomfortable and the bathroom had some issues, our overall experience at Su Merced was wonderful. Such a beautiful and charismatic place, the perfect choice for a stay in Sucre.

I am travelling around the world. During this journey I stay/stayed in several hostels and hotels on every continent. For a week I ‘ve been a guest in Hostal de Su Merced in Sucre, Bolivia. I think this place is superb. The service in this hostel is grand and verypersonal. The complete staff is genuine friendly and very helpful. You really are treated as guests of this casa. The staff speaks English. The rooms are very comfortable and clean. The breakfast is amazing.
I think it’s one of the best places to stay on a global scale. Several 5 stars hotels can’t compete with this great hostel.

Friendly, kind, homely and comfortable. So happy to arrive here after our trip through the wilds of Bolivia. Conveniently situated just minutes from the main square Also near to an enormous supermarket, next to which was a laundry. This hotel was just what we wanted. Our room was very clean, the bathroom had a strong shower with fluffy towels, and the bed was very comfortable. Wi-Fi worked a treat and the staff just wanted to help. Minor complaint would be the breakfast. That quiche was so salty and the staff were busy eating their breakfast rather than serving us ours. Safe in our room was a cash box tin chained to the wardrobe. Good location, good value. Worth the stay

We spent 6 nights here in June of 2011. The weather was really cold outside, but the service and accommodations here warmed us right up. The front desk staff was friendly and always willing to help. The location is perfect--just a few blocks walk to wherever you need to go downtown.

We were so thankful to have a space heater in our room-it made the nights so comfortable. We also loved the shower--the water pressure was VERY strong, and VERY hot. Nothing like taking a hot shower when it's freezing outside.

The breakfast was lovely--nice white tablecloths, coffee, tea, espresso, fruit juices, vegetable juices, breads, cakes, eggs with ham, fresh fruit, and lovely music playing in the background. It was a pleasure to go to the breakfast room every morning. The server was also a delight.

Our room itself was comfortable--everything you need to be satisfied. There was also cable TV, a stand-alone closet, free WIFI, and a desk and chair.

The rooftop view of Sucre was amazing. Such a perfect place to drink a cup of tea and read a book. The gardens and courtyards are beautiful as well--well maintained, and very clean. There were also what seemed to be the most well-taken care of birds in all of Bolivia in a cage in the courtyard. It's very nice to see people take such good care of animals.

All in all, this is probably the best choice if you're staying in Sucre. The price was right, and you will absolutely be comfortable for your stay.