Accommodation Scams in Cusco

Hostel Overbooking and Bait-and-Switch

Budget hostels in the San Blas neighbourhood and around Plaza de Armas accept advance bookings, take deposits, and then claim the room is unavailable on arrival, redirecting guests to a sister property of significantly lower quality at the same price. In some cases the "alternative" property charges a higher rate. The original booking confirmation is dismissed as a computer error.