El Reducto

I reviewed this hotel last month and would have said it was passable but not excellent. The outward appearance of it is very low-key....no neon sign; in fact almost no sign at all. I still would have to say the facilities are far from new and there is not much luxury to be found here, but in terms of the quality of its people, and of value for the money, El Reducto was top notch. Very few of the staff speak English beyond the basic greetings, but again and again, they went out of their way to be helpful to us. The rooms are basic but very clean. Towels are replaced daily. There is no air conditioning but the temperature was consistently good in March and April, when we were there. They also have a good elevator that accomodates six people. A simple continental breakfast was provided daily from 6 until 9:30. The location of the hotel is also very handy to all your needs. It is located at the end of the oval shaped Parque Tradiciones, the focus point of a nice upper middle class neighborhood. It is also located just 5 minutes walking distance from simple budget cafes with excellent food, pastry shops, laundries, and a market (Mercado Surquillo#1) where anything you may need can be found. There is also a Wong Supermarket about 6 blocks away. Our whole group of travelers felt that for the incredibly low cost of $31.50 U.S. per double room, the Reducto was an exceptional value. Although all the staff was super, our special thanks go to a very competent desk clerk named Joel for all his help to us while staying there.