La Casa Suiza

My first night in Huanchaco I made the big mistake of staying at Hospedaje My Friend. Yuck. I walked up the street to La Casa Suiza and made a reservation for the next night. La Casa Suiza is impeccably clean (though the room above the kitchen is prone to ants) and the staff is really friendly.

A dorm bed is 15 soles per person, and does not include breakfast (7 soles). The shared bath is meh, but certainly not the worst i've seen. There is a ground floor patio and a rooftop terrace, a TV lounge and 3 computers for free internet. they also have a book exchange, but it's not great and is a 2 for 1 plus 2 soles deal. the location is great, maybe 3 blocks from the beach.

Definitely the best value in this beach town.

This hostel was once run by a Swiss couple but the only evidence of that presence is the red cross outside the building. The new owner is Peruvian and the place has become quite run down. My room was the low point of the hostel. The walls were stained and filthy and there were even dubious flecks on them. The sheets emitted a terrible odor that not even the open window could fix.

On the plus side, there is a fireplace and tables up on the roof that seems like it would be convivial if there were more guests staying there. There is wireless internet and the reception area is nice.

To their credit, they were painting and doing extensive renovation on the first floor bathroom while I was there. So maybe hold your breath and see if they are going to renovate the rooms and launder the linen better too.

All in all, a mediocre place, but maybe be looking back up...