For anyone who has stayed at Machu Picchu Sanctuary--are you allowed access to MP at night if you are a guest at the hotel?

Not anymore. There's a guard gate that they lock.

Hmmmm...so is the benefit of staying here just being able to see Machu Picchu at night?

The benefit is being able to get a head start through the gate in the morning and having a few hours there before big push of visitors begins arriving on the trains mid-morning. You can also stay later than anyone else, since everyone else has to head back down the mountain to catch their tran back to Cusco, or at least to get to their hotel in the village of Aguas Calientes.

I personally think the Sanctuary Lodge is WAY overpriced for what it offers.

My favorite place there (and a favorite of a lot of people here) is the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. It's in town, although a five-minute walk from the hubbub of the center of town. It's far less expensive than the Sanctuary Lodge and, I think, offers a far better value.

Thank you! We are doing the 4 day trek, and I was trying to determine if it made more sense to stay at Sanctuary or at the Inkaterra before heading back to Cusco. I think my question was just answered, and I was able to book at the Inkaterra (also known as the Pueblo?).

You're right, lorets. The Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel is now officially called the Inkaterra Machu Picchu. I think it's a great choice.

If you are doing the 4 day trek you enter thru the Sun Gate at sunrise on the last day. This is much more spectacular than the guard gate near the Sanctuary Lodge.

Please correct me if I am wrong, the Machu Picchu Sanctuary used to be aprox.400 per day and the Pueblo Hotel used to be aprox.200, so it was reasonable and a good choice. But now the Sactuary hotel has gone up to 700 and the Pueblo, now called
Inkaterra, is 400+...
Some inflation in Peru, WOW...
Personally I believe they are both overpriced, me must remember that most likely the manager of these hotels and personel are not paid huge salaries...so expenses surely are not comparable with expensive hotels in very expensive places.
Question is, if both the Sanctuary and the Inkaterra
(ex Pueblo) are set aside, what to we have next in line....

Graziella, I had no idea the Inkaterra/Pueblo had raised its rates that much. It would not be worth $400 to me. That's awful.

Several other hotels mentioned via the homepage of Fodor's site:

Next down in price is the Hatuchay Tower, a four-story building on the edge of town on the road up to the ruins.

www.hatuchaytower.com

I see by its website that it has raised its rates to around $150-180. That's not worth it either, in my book. Where are these people coming up with these rates?

I like the Hotel Presidente, right in town. Last time I was there, it was about $50 a night. That was a couple of years ago. I think I'll be back in MP before the end of the year. If I find out they've raised their rates too ...

There's also Gringo Bill's, which was always an old budget standby.

www.gringobills.com

I see those rates have gone up too. They start at $75. Unless he has really refurbished his low-end rooms since I was last there, that's also too much.

What's with this place?

The changes in pricing are not the result of rampant inflation, just simple supply and demand dynamics. With a stable political situation for some time now, people feel safe traveling to Peru now and demand has increased. Increase in demand = increase in prices.

The Presidente is now $60. My daughter and I are staying there in about three weeks. (Can't wait!)

Good, althom. I think $60 is a reasonable price for the Presidente.

I agree, hills, about supply and demand. I also recognize the expense of doing business in such a remote place and needing to have everything shipped in on the train. I think, however, that some of those rates cross the line.

Returned from Peru last night. High vacancy rate in Aguas calientes now, although we were not searching for high end hotels, just clean and quiet. Got a room for $20US . Just go and do a little walking, quite easy.