If you’re looking for a hotel near the Huacachina Oasis in Peru the choice is pretty simple. The attraction is so popular with backpackers that every property alongside the oasis is a hostel. Except one: the DM Mossone Ica Hotel. Is it worth a stay here? Or should you book a hotel in Ica and commute to the oasis? Let’s take a look.
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I booked this hotel for Thu-Sat July 3-5 as a getaway from Lima for the Fourth of July.
Those two nights came to a total of $78.42 each after taxes, making the hotel competitive with nearby hostels. DM Mossone Ica has an Expedia rating of 7.6 from 339 reviews. Check the Expedia rates for your dates.
I chose this hotel because it’s the only one on the Oasis. It also provided a good chance to use a portion of my annual Venture X travel credit, making these nights $0 out of pocket.
DM Mossone Ica Location
When you arrive to Ica by bus the Huacachina Oasis is about 10-15 minutes from the bus station by car or tuk tuk. As you can see on the map there’s a road reaching out from the main city and into the desert.
The oasis is only about one city block in size, so nothing there has a bad location, but DM Mossone appears to have been the first thing built there and has the best and largest placement at the front of the oasis. The view from the restaurant’s outdoor area is phenomenal.
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Staying here means you won’t have to get into a car again until you leave. DM Is a small Peruvian chain that specializes in properties with a privileged location next to landmarks. The location is a 10/10.
DM Mossone Ica Property
The hotel was built in 1920 in the Spanish Mission style and it gives the impression of being even older than that. It truly feels less like a hotel and more like a place a religious pilgrim would stay. That comes with pros and cons.
The pros are that the courtyard, restaurant and concourse are beautiful. The con is that the room is as rustic as it could possibly be. Breakfast is included in the room rate and it’s a below average buffet. I didn’t love it but the choices around the lake are limited anyway.
The rocking chairs outside the rooms are a great feature. The courtyard is a very attractive place to sit and pass time, especially if you’re not interested in hanging around the bar area at a hostel. The pool at DM Mossone Ica is fantastic, located under a massive dune with a full privacy wall and tented loungers. One of the best hotel pools I’ve seen anywhere.
DM Mossone Ica Guest Rooms
I didn’t arrive here with very high expectations, so I wasn’t disappointed. But objectively these rooms stink. None of the conveniences or luxuries of a modern hotel. It’s much like going back in time.
I booked a queen bed but was given two singles. They were firm and had only sheets as they were made up. A blanket was included in the dresser. There’s no glass in the window. Just the wood shutters and a barred screen. So there’s a lot of street noise coming through, and noise coming through the door as well. Huacachina is a small and generally quiet place, but you might hear music from a neighboring property.
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The floors at DM Mossone Ica were slippery at check in and after being made up. I imagine they fight a constant battle with sand in the rooms, as all the guests are out playing in the desert. But I didn’t really like slippery floors as a solution. I also had a problem with the shower leaking a tremendous amount of water, spilling out into the main room. Subsequent showers were not as bad as I was on guard against the problem, but the shower will leak some no matter how careful you are about it.
About Huacachina Oasis
If you’ve never seen a desert oasis it’s really a sight to behold. It’s not unlike being inside a Bugs Bunny cartoon. It’s really larger than life.
The naturally occurring lake is about the size of a city block. A horseshoe shaped promenade encircles most of it, lined with restaurants and vendors. At the end opposite from DM Mossone Ica there’s a small beach area (no swimming) and an entrance to the dunes (3.60 soles tax to enter, about $1.00)
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The dunes reach up over 1500 feet in elevation and are an incredible natural landscape that could rival Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. You can take any number of tours out here that focus on dune buggies and sandboarding, or just climb up and explore on your own a bit. But be warned: walking around on the dunes is physically taxing and not as easy as it appears.
Bottom Line
If you’re coming to Huacachina you definitely do want to stay at the oasis. The road to and from the city is very unpleasant and not walkable. The city of Ica generally is poor and dusty and not at all impressive. After you go out onto the dunes it’s really nice to have your shower right there waiting for you.
Are you better off here than in a private room at one of the hostels? I don’t know. It’s hard to say.
But considering the low price and outstanding location of DM Mossone Ica the room is worth putting up with during your stay. I would recommend booking here, particularly if you don’t enjoy backpacker culture.
