Good beds -- we slept very well; good shower -- plenty of hot water; the breakfast was also fine -- the usual light "continental breakfast" plus one egg cooked to order. The staff was also quite friendly; all know their way around Arequipa and gave good advice. Oddments are that potable water is not supplied -- you have to go to the store and buy your own. (The hotel also sells bottled water, but at about twice the store price.) The outdoor patio for the breakfast was a little cold in the early morning. And finally, the walk to the Plaza de Armas is indeed 15 minutes, but a brisk 15 minutes with not much but empty streets between the hotel and downtown All in all, a clean, comfortable, newish hostal for a good price. (Others have mentioned that the building is a historic one. That's true, but the rooms in the back patio are relatively new, cement and I imagine cement block construction. One odd thing in the bathroom is that there's a glass shelf just a few inches above the sink for toiletries -- but it blocks half the sink and makes it tough to lean over and wash your face. Not a big enough deal to not recommend the Nueva España, but something the owners might redesign.)
