US$10–25

Palmira Hotel (Av. Belaunde 978, Urb. La Primavera, tel. 074/22-4115, www.palmirahotelchiclayo.com.pe, US$14 s, US$21 d) is a low-budget hotel that is a five-minute taxi ride from Chiclayo’s busy and noisy downtown. Rooms are clean and have wall-to-wall mirrors and nice bathrooms. There is WiFi, cable TV, 24-hour room service, laundry, parking, and a café-bar. Ask for the cheaper rooms (US$9) and the suites (US$29)! Definitely a good value.

US$25–50

The remodeled Hotel Paraíso (Pedro Ruiz 1064, tel. 074/22-8161, www.hotelesparaiso.com.pe, US$25–30 s, US$27–38 d) is on Parque Obrero, a few blocks away from Plaza de Armas. Rooms have modern baths, cable TV, and ceiling fans. Executive rooms include breakfast and WiFi. Amenities include a workout room, Internet stations, a 24-hour restaurant, parking, lockers, and a boutique store.

Eras Hotel (Vincent de la Vega 851, tel. 074/23-6333, www.erashotel.com, US$33 s, US$40 d with breakfast and airport transfer) has clean rooms painted in light colors. They have cable TV, minifridges, and phones. The hotel has laundry service, Internet, and a restaurant. There are executive rooms for US$45.

US$50–100

The design of Hotel Casa de la Luna (José Bernardo Alcedo 250, tel. 074/27-0156, www.hotelcasadelaluna.com.pe, US$53 s, US$68 d, breakfast and airport transfer included) is a modern and minimalist version of pre-Columbian Sicán decor. It has 26 colorful rooms, with WiFi and cable TV, arranged around a tiny garden. There is also a small restaurant and a rooftop pool. The suites are worth the money (US$100) and include hydro massage.

Gran Hotel Chiclayo (Federico Villarreal 115, tel. 074/23-4911, www.granhotelchiclayo.com.pe, US$84 s, US$98 d with breakfast) is a classic hotel in the city. Large rooms have baths, cable TV, WiFi, and telephones. Features include an excellent restaurant offering room service; a café serving cappuccinos, pizzas, pastas, and salads; a casino; and an elegant circular pool. Prices include a welcome cocktail, a morning newspaper, Internet, and airport transfer.

Inti Hotel (Av. Luis Gonzáles 622, tel. 074/23-5931, www.intihotel.com.pe, US$54 s, US$69 d with buffet breakfast) is the former Inca Hotel, a three-star lodging six blocks west of Chiclayo’s Plaza de Armas. Rooms are carpeted with sound-proofed windows, cable TV, Wifi. There is a suite with Jacuzzi (US$80) and a good restaurant-bar-café called El Kero.

Garza Hotel & Casino (Av. Bolognesi 756, tel. 074/22-8172, www.garzahotel.com, US$80 s, US$101, US$171 suite) is situated halfway between the airport and the Plaza de Armas. There are 94 rooms, all with minifridges, air-conditioning, WiFi, cable TV and good bathrooms. Amenities include a swimming pool, restaurant, and casino.

Over US$100

Costa del Sol (Av. Balta 399, tel. 074/22-7272, www.costadelsolperu.com, US$101 s, US$118 d, US$180 suite, with buffet breakfast) is a couple of blocks from the Plaza de Armas. The intimate rooms are decorated in red and tan and have refrigerators, phones, cable TV, WiFi, and big bathrooms. Up on the roof, the whirlpool tub, dry sauna, and clear-paneled pool make for a relaxed afternoon. Facilities include a small gym, good bar, and restaurant.

Outside Chiclayo

If you enjoy natural beauty, we urge you to stay at the beautiful Los Horcones de Túcume (Lima tel. 01/241-1866, www.loshorconesdetucume.com, US$32 pp with breakfast) in Túcume. This rural lodge, built according to the building techniques of the ancient Moche culture, is in the backyard of the 26 massive pyramids of Túcume, which are 33 kilometers north from Chiclayo and 22 kilometers from the Museo Tumbas Reales.

Twelve airy rooms, made of adobe and algarrobo beams, open up to covered terraces and views of the surrounding fields. Bamboo trellises drip with purple poinciana flowers that shade outdoor spaces from the hot sun. The hotel, designed by its Peruvian architect-owner, Rossana Correa, has a pleasant harmony that appeals to people from around the world who come here to be close to Túcume and enjoy starry nights.

Los Horcones has horseback riding and a good, affordable restaurant. Not far away is the old town of Túcume Viejo, well known for its shamans and traditional medicine use. Don Víctor, a reputed shaman in the area, lives nearby the lodge and works with visitors upon request.

© Ross Wehner and Renée del Gaudio from Moon Peru, 3rd Edition