Tupiza's a small town so there's not much choice, hotel-wise; luckily the guidebook-favorite Hotel Mitru deserves its great reputation.

We arrived on the overnight bus at 6AM, waking the very young hotel clerk for check-in. It seems 6AM is the first check-in time, so anyone arriving earlier might be out of luck. A double room with private bath cost $12 including breakfast. The bathroom was pretty spacious and spotlessly clean. We hit the fairly comfortable beds immediately on arrival...after all, a night spent sleeping on a bus is a night spent uncomfortable. Mitru's TV system included Cinemax so I drifted in and out watching "Badlands."

Cheaper accommodations are undoubtedly available, but in Bolivia, a few extra dollars goes pretty far. Rooms are arranged around a courtyard, with a few different outdoor seating areas and balcony walkways outside the upstairs rooms. Tupiza is set among gorgeous red mountains, making the daylong clear blue skies especially amazing from the balconies. There is a small, unheated pool, which only children were brave enough to use during these crisp fall days. The dining area is open and airy, with a fairly basic buffet (best to stick with yogurt and pastries). Hemmy was sick during this portion of this trip, so it was nice to know we could request tea at any time. There is a TV area which staffers liberally use—it has better reception than the rooms, possibly more channels.

One of the special features of this hotel was supposedly nightly showings of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," but the first night we tried to watch it at 8PM they said it was too loud for the people staying near the TV area, and the second night at 6PM, one of the Tupiza Tours secretaries had inexplicably taken the DVD home.

Tupiza Tours is the agency attached to Hotel Mitru, and the only contact point for reserving rooms at the hotel ahead of time. Beatriz Torres was quick to respond to all my emailed questions, confirmed the dates for our Salar de Uyuni tour and booked our room. Entry to the agency office is right next to the hotel entrance from the outside, or just past reception from the inside.

All the staff members were very sweet, from the smiling kitchen workers to the19-year-old receptionist who originally admitted us (and then became our biggest fan—he said he wanted to understand Asian culture). Location was good, but the town is so small there probably aren't that many bad areas to stay. Next-day laundry service is available as well. Comfortable and relaxing, Hotel Mitru is a great place to unwind in Tupiza.

Hotel Mitru

<   previous      •      next   >