Staying at the Casa Andina in Cusco, Peru, on the way to Machu Picchu

Travellers will find possibly the best coffee in Cusco at La Valeriana, next to Casa Andina Standard. Photo / Winston Aldworth

Winston Aldworth checks in to the Casa Andina Standard Cusco on the way up to Peru's most famous tourist trap

Check-in experience: Slick and swift. I was travelling on my way to Machu Picchu with G Adventures, so walked in the door and one of the guides handed me my key as I hit up the urn of coca mate. There's a bowl of coca leaves to chew on as well.

The room: No. 220.

What's in the neighbourhood: Cusco, 3399m high in the Andes, sits sweetly in the heart of a grand valley. It's a gorgeous city and surprisingly big, with about 500,000 residents. Today it's the launching pad for Machu Picchu hikes, but around a millennia or so back it was the heart of the Incan empire. Get yourself a walking tour to learn about how ingenious the Inca were, how vast their empire sprawled and the awful fate that awaited the most beautiful young girls.

A room with a view? Nope. Rooms on the streetside get a nice look at an old monastery across the road, built on Incan ruins. Mine looked down on a basketball court which was annoyingly popular with loud local kids until way past my bedtime.

Noisy: See above. Fellow guests from all but the inward facing rooms noticed noise from outside. Pack earplugs.

Food and drink: Help yourself to the continental breakfast by all means, but avoid the coffee. A small bakery called La Valeriana is next door and they do a great line in cortado.

Dining after dark? Cusco has a couple of good restaurants, including Sumaqcha and Fallen Angel.

Fellow guests: As befits a launching point for Machu Picchu, there's plenty of polar fleece to be seen.

The final word: A decent stop on the way to Machu Picchu.