Description
This old colonial home holds a lot of history and makes a great option for a stay in the Sacred Valley. La Casona is located in the small, peaceful town of Yucay, a few kilometers from Urubamba on the road to Pisac, surrounded by picturesque mountains in every direction. Originally built in 1810, La Casona once hosted the Venezuelan ‘Libertador’ Simón Bolívar. The hotel has since seen some drastic changes, including a few additions to the original house to accommodate more rooms, a restaurant, bar and a lounge area. Today it is owned by a local woman who has gone to great lengths to make sure that guests can enjoy the scenery by building a structure with plenty of large windows and open spaces and beautifully maintained gardens with fresh vegetables and flowers.

Insider Tips
- The original rooms, while charming, tend to be louder because they are closest to the street.
- The hotel will arrange transportation to/from the airport (US$40), Ollantaytambo (US$22) and Pisac (US$24)

Benefits
- A quiet, peaceful location with outstanding views
- Decent value
- Great hiking in the area
- Nice ‘small town’ feel

Drawbacks
- The staff speaks very little English
- The newer rooms lack character, despite having more comfort than the older rooms.
- Lots of tour groups stay here

Rooms
There are a variety of rooms here (53 in total) due to the fact that the original rooms have been kept true to form while the new additions have brought a more modern flare to the accommodations. All are relatively basic but nice, providing an adequate amount of comfort with individual heaters, safes and telephones in each one. The rooms surrounding the courtyard near the entrance are part of the old colonial home that was built in 1810. These rooms (numbered in the 100s) have tons of character with their antique furniture (much of it original) and high ceilings.

The newer rooms, surrounding the gardens out back, have a more modern feel with minimal décor incorporating wooden trim and Andean woven bedspreads. The beds are a bit soft, but they do the trick. Bathrooms are simple yet adequate and clean with decent water pressure, and come equipped with shampoo, soap and hairdryer. The new section also has some suites, which are two-storey loft-style units. The master bedroom is upstairs overlooking a sitting room below with an oversized chair, and a desk and chairs.

Food
There is a restaurant on the premise, “Don Manuel”, that will be your best bet for meals in the area. It is a pleasant setting amongst the garden with large windows to reinforce the view. The menu is varied including pizza, pasta and meat dishes (S 32 – 40). Some nights there is live music. A buffet breakfast is included in the price of the room.

Children
Children are welcome here. Additional beds can be put in the suites in order to accommodate families.

Rates
Singles US$75 – 95; Doubles US$95 – 115; includes breakfast

	Information:
	Location Plaza Manco II #104 – Yucay The town of Yucay is located a few km from Urubamba (51 84) 201 116 gerencia@hotelcasonayucay.com www.hotelcasonayucay.com