We stayed in three Belmond properties during our stay in Peru–the one at Machu Picchu (reviewed here), as well as Monasterio in Cusco and the Miraflores Park in Lima. There are a ton of places to stay in both Lima and Cusco; options abound. Of all the places I’ve been recently (and for reasons I’ve mentioned before), for some reason I found TripAdvisor reviews about Peru to be pretty off. I don’t know if Peru attracts a different type of visitor, or I’m just getting more skeptical of TripAdvisor, or a combination of the two–but good hotel information seems to be more of a unicorn for Peru than it does for other places.
Here are three reasons I’d suggest the Belmond properties, not only at Machu Picchu, but also in Cusco and Lima:
1. Character. There was a crazy, weird, sort of secret praying sanctuary in our room at Belmond Monasterio. Yes, it was weird. But you know what? It was pretty neat to know that while they had re-purposed the monastery as a hotel, the Belmond retained so much of the original monastery character (including tiny, pint size windows and areas for lighting candles). Our rooms in Lima had adorable little courtyards with flowers and chairs–a nice change from the typical (often not even open-able these days) balcony of many city hotels.
Check out this Hidey Hole!
Wonderful Patio Area in Lima…That I Wish I Had More Time to Enjoy!
2. Location. In Cusco, the Belmond Monasterio is perfectly located in walking distance from pretty much everything. It’s easy to stroll to eat, to shop, to visit museums, and then take a break in their stunningly beautiful courtyard. In Lima, the Belmond is within sight of the ocean (great view from the roof deck pool), and in a nice neighborhood where you can go for a stroll or run. Both are very central, and great locations for exploring.
Beautiful Courtyard in Cusco
3. Cleanliness & Comfort. Obvious perhaps, but also one of the most important characteristics! Above and beyond all, the Belmond properties in Cusco and Lima were very clean (I have high cleanliness standards, too), with fluffy towels, comfortable beds with plenty of pillows, and good bath products. I used the gym in Lima, which was spotlessly clean and had great new, working equipment, as well as lime water just in case the regular water cooler wasn’t going to cut it.
Great View from the Belmond in Miraflores
I wasn’t familiar with Belmond properties before Peru, but a couple have popped up when I’ve been planning potential trips recently and I would not hesitate to stay in a Belmond again. (Pending cost, of course.) When you stay in the same brand of hotels on a trip, often one just blends into the next… this is definitely not the case with the Belmond properties in Peru, which is probably what I enjoyed the most. I really thought that even though Belmond properties are worldwide, they definitely were each very unique, unlike some major hotel chains.
Have you stayed at a Belmond somewhere else in the world? Tell me more!
