Hotel umiña

My wife and I stayed at Hostal Umina Cusco for 3 nights. Initially, we were a bit worried due to the reviews on here, and it's new status on Hostelworld, but we were pleasantly surprised. The staff was friendly, despite the language barrier. The two main ladies running the day to day were very bubbly and seemed to really enjoy themselves. Our room, while not large, was big enough (two nightstands, dresser, and small table). If we spoke Spanish, we would've watched TV, as the cable reception was good, and included quite a few channels. The wifi was solid. Free breakfast every morning that included bread, tea, coffee, jam, egg, and bananas with yogurt. It does get cold, but you are visiting the Andean region during the winter, so you should expect as much. I will say that this hostel is located in an alley, that was a bit complicated getting to, and if you arrive at night, it is a little intimidating. It is dark, and depending on which the main street you drive up (Choquechaca or Pumacurco), it is either up or down a large flight of stairs, we just thought of it as preparation for our treks. However, during the day, it is a really cool spot, as there are some good restaurants 2 mins away on Choquechaca, which is a sleepy street that feeds into the downtown area. We ate at the Vegan Temple and Natural Terra, both were fantastic and really affordable. If you go in with your expectations in check, I think you will find that this is a good budget hostel. Very happy we spent the first half of our Cusco stay here.