| Reviews: 2 | Photos: 5 | | Jiron de la Union 958 Plaza San Martin |
 | Lima Gran Hotel Bolivar Lima Reviews | 1 - 2 of 2 |  |
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 | Gran Hotel Bolivar Lima: Grand accommodation, at budget rates
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 The atrium from the grand staircase by Eish We loved the colonial grandness and splendour, from the car on display in the entrance, the chandaliers and marble staircases, to the wooden floors and stately furniture in the room. It is a historical building, built in 1924 to house visiting dignitaries attending the centenary celebration of the Battle of Ayacucho, which was the final batle in the Peruvian war of Independence. The hotel is in the centre of Lima, and as it happens, the night we stayed was also the time of a political rally and demonstration. The police had cordoned off the hotel as the political speeches were being made from the hotel's front staircase. Our taxi driver parted the police by telling them that the senora (me) was pregnant! We ate a lovely dinner on the patio cafe of the hotel, protected by electric fencing from protesting demonstrators in the street outside. The cafe has a wonderful view of the street vibe: the hooting cars (many with hooters that sound like police sirens). Our room had SPACE (high ceilings plenty of floor space), and was very comfortable, to the point of being luxurious (for a $80 room for 4 people in 2005) after much of the backpacking or budget accommodation we used previously. The room rate is open to negotiation, but do that before you arrive. Our taxi driver had negotiated a reduction for us. There are 104 rooms, and we delighted in getting gloriously lost trying to navigate to our room. The rooms have en suite bathrooms (including bath tubes if you believe their web site), TVs and balconies.
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Well, having so much family in Lima, I wouldn't stay in a Hotel, right? Still I thought I'd add a tip of the Hotel Bolívar, so you can go see it, even if only to have a "chela" (beer) just like I did. The Hotel Bolívar takes it's name from the "liberador" Simón Bolívar, and it was built to commemorate the independance of Peru. This was one of the first luxury hotels in Lima, and in its rooms many famous people have stayed during the years. Nowadays the hotel could be doing better, and while I was there I heard that some people even wanted to close it down. However it's very nice to go and explore the inside (especially at night when it feels like a ghost might just appear around the corner!). if you go to the bar the prices won't be crazy high, so no reason why not to go and enjoy a Cusqueña or a Pisco Sour!
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