Belmond Palacio Nazarenas

Hotel details

The Belmond Palacio Nazarenas in Cusco, Peru, is a beautiful hotel set in a former 16thcentury monastery and palace. Centrally placed, the hotel is located just a few minutes’ walk from the Plaza de Armas, that houses the city’s Cathedral and museums and is close to the bohemian San Blas quarter.

From the moment you arrive, everything at this 5-star establishment points to relaxation.

As you walk past the cloistered courtyard with its bubbling fountain, ancient Inca walls and aromatic herb gardens and enter your spacious and oxygen-enriched suite, you can almost feel the stress falling away. A private bar greets you and either you or your private butler can prepare drinks here using fresh ingredients grown and gathered around the hotel. The style of the suites is distinctly Peruvian with Inca tapestries and marble and stone surfaces.

But this a hotel that likes to pamper and the underfloor heating, freshly-cut flowers and iPad preloaded with a city guide are welcome touches.

And for those guests who have never tried Andean cuisine, the hotel’s Senzo restaurant will not disappoint. Specialty dishes feature indigenous herbs and are decorated with edible flowers, many grown throughout the hotel.

For lighter snacks and cocktails, the hotel’s pool, the only open-air heated swimming pool in Cusco, offers a great menu and superb views. This is also the place to try one of the Belmond’s Pisco tastings. Peru’s national liquor, a fine grape brandy, is distinctive to the region and the hotel keeps a fine selection for complimentary tasting sessions.