Gran Hotel Bolivar Lima

The historical aspect of the hotel is certainly impressive and gives it a unique charm. However, it’s clear that absolutely nothing has been updated since the hotel was first built. I understand the appeal of preserving history, but there are ways to maintain a property so that it ages gracefully — unfortunately, that’s not the case here. The moment we walked into the lobby, we were overwhelmed by a foul, nauseating smell that followed us all the way to the room. The walls were dirty, the curtains were stained, and the overall condition felt neglected. The only indication that the room had been cleaned was the strong smell of bleach, which mixed unpleasantly with the persistent odors in the hotel. Despite its potential, the experience was disappointing due to poor maintenance and a lack of basic cleanliness. With some care and investment, this place could truly shine — but as it stands, it feels like a beautiful building left to decay.

We stayed here so that we could spend a day and a half in Lima before flying home and because it seemed close to the sites we wanted to see. It is close to the sites. But that is about all it has going for it.||There are old hotels that have worn charm. The Waldorf Astoria 15 years ago comes to mind. ||And then there are hotels that are old, clearly not being maintained that are running on the fumes of their illustrious past. This is one of then. ||You can tell that 50 years ago this hotel was the epitome of class. And about then they apparently stopped giving a damn. ||The check in area is drab and uninviting. The wallpaper is peeling. ||The hallways are long and dark. Almost spooky. They brag about having the first two working elevators in Peru. Only one works now.||The rooms. Good lord the rooms. If you like period furniture and fixtures this is the place. Because they have changed nothing for decades. Not the soiled arm chair begging to be reupholstered. Not the chandelier with burnt shades and light sticks held together with masking tape. Not the bathroom straight out of 1930, including the tarnished mirror. Certainly not the outlets that look like they could catch fire if you glance at them the wrong way. Every surface needs a paint job but you would need a hazmat crew first to remediate the lead paint. ||One of the major chains should buy this place and thoroughly revamp it. Or it should be put out of its misery. The latter probably makes the most sense because central Lima is basically a derelict ghost town.||If you are looking for old school charm, this is not the place. Just stay in Miraflores with the nouveau riche.

We arrived at midnight. The lobby had a musician film crew & the music was loud. Filming went on past 6am. None of this was posted on their website. I guess we know where their priorities lie. We had just finished a 5-6 hr. bus ride back from Huacuchina. We all still needed a shower or bath. after all the music & filming went on all night. guess what??? NO hot water in any rooms. NO heat/ rooms were very cold. It is middle of May. The bathrooms are huge & they have that step up. The internet is great at this Hotel but very slow. By now it was 9am. : Coffee & Breakfast took a long time coming & there were only 2 tables. There are not a lot of people staying at this hotel. it does not take that much time to make coffee. Very Opulent Surroundings but we did not feel like Kings or Queens or even their guests. Service was SLOW. There were 3 of us. Rooms are okay. There were many, many tours going on. I guess that's how they make their money. not many people stay here. I would not recommend staying here for any money & the busy, busy, noise. & just the musicians that took over. We ended up getting our one night money back & then we asked for a refund for the next 2 nights & we left. I'm happy we did. not at Bolivar any more. the manager was a wonderful, polite, & apologetic person but the Hotel has to be updated. Internet, hot water, breakfasts etc....

This hotel was the best we stayed at in Peru, for its faded glamour, grand hallways and beautiful fixtures and fittings. Staff were friendly and helpful and the rooms were spacious and well equipped. The hotel looked a little worn but well looked after and original features had been kept, which was perfect in showing how film stars and politicians lived in 1924. The hotel celebrated its 100th birthday 2 days after we left. If I ever return to Lima, that hotel will definitely be my base. And the pisco sours there are the best we had in Peru, and we had one daily for 3 weeks, so lots to compare with!

A very nice hotel, however there are some services a little outdated, also the area is not so safe, has a very friendly staff, they provide a good breakfast.

What a beautiful hotel. Stepping back 100 years. Real grand. Very close to the historical centre- short walking distance.

The food and drinks were very good, but the service was somewhat distant; they should be more committed to their customers and were quite cold in their approach. However, what surprised me the most, and I won't let this go unnoticed, is that one of the glasses broke on the table because I accidentally bumped it against another glass. I called them to be careful, and they told me they would charge me for it—a cheap glass—but the lack of delicacy impressed me. If I hadn't mentioned it, they wouldn't have noticed. I've never seen anything like this anywhere else: charging for a cheap glass."

Looks great on the outside, but inside is old and worn and needs updating. My kids’ first reaction after walking through the cavernous hallways and entering our room was: “this place feels haunted.” I felt the same way. The hanging lights in the foyer were crooked. The rooms were large and spacious but the furniture felt dated (old but not charming). The elevators creaked. The bathroom grout were yellow and the some of the electric outlets didn’t work (they were also all close to the ground, none easily accessible at table level like the modern hotels). The bed mattresses look old and so do the blankets in between the white laundered sheets. There is no hairdryer. ||We are a family of four and got a two-room suite. There was one bathroom with a dated bathtub with plastic curtains. The hot water ran out after 1 shower that was 10 minutes. (Also, the “H” knob gave cold water and the “C” knob gave hot water, we had to follow the instructions on the wall to get hot water). So the remaining 3 of us took cold showers. All 4 of us slept in one room because the place felt haunted (also with two rooms there was only one heater). The streets was loud outside and the security gates kept screeching at midnight.||All this was especially disappointing given the grandeur of the hotel exterior and lobby. I went back and checked the Google reviews and many were based on visitors who didn’t stay here and came mainly to check out the historic lobby and the bar. This hotel has good bones and could be so much more. But sadly in 2025 the stay here disappointed.