Best Independent Style Hotels in Cusco

Relais and Chateaux’s Cusco property is a 16th-century Colonial mansion house, an early home to the conquistadors, that’s been sensitively restored to retain its original glory. Ideally located at the Plaza de las Nazarenas, it has just 11 beautifully appointed suites arranged around the central patio, with decor blending antiques and artefacts. Sustainability is key to the ethos at Inkaterra La Casona, with ‘zero carbon’ organic products and local suppliers that support biodiversity. Chef Rafael Casin operates an earth-to-table dining room. His cuisine respects native ingredients and cooking traditions served in atmospheric surroundings with exposed stone walls.

Set on the bank of a gently flowing river in the charming town of Aguas Calientes, the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel offers rustic-chic guestrooms as well as excellent in-house guides. The hotel is set in a densely wooded reserve at the foot of the misty mountains and serves as a real haven for nature lovers. The hotel complex consists of low-slung colonial-style buildings, which are connected by a series of rough cobbled footpaths, while the interiors are elegant with subdued lighting and décor and splashes of colour provided by Andean and tartan alpaca blankets. True luxury lovers will want to make sure that they book one of the huge villa rooms, which come complete with wood-burning fires, large dining areas and cosy living spaces. The onsite Café Inkaterra has a roof thatches with palm leaves and provides guests with views over the railway line as they enjoy dishes such as causas, lomo saltado and alpaca meat.

As much a museum as a hotel, this 16th-century mansion holds an impressive range of chandeliers, pillars, polished wooden and stone floors, antique furniture and in excess of 300 pieces of colonial artwork – some of which are priceless. 43 bedrooms come with an innovative intelligent oxygen system, iPod docks, DVD players, minibars, organic toiletries, bathrobes and slippers – some have wooden four poster beds and sitting rooms. Visit UNNO spa to gain a balance of mind, body and soul. Dine at the Mishti for a taste of Peru and at the Khasikay Bar for tapas and pisco based cocktails.

This elegant establishment has a reputation for being one of the finest hotels in the whole of Peru due to its sumptuous guestrooms and gourmet dining opportunities. The hotel can be found on the edge of Aguas Calientes and provides guests with stunning views across the steamy valley all the way to Machu Picchu. The polished wooden floors and hardwood furniture that can be found throughout the hotel is accented by colourful Peruvian rugs and bright and bold paintings. Guests are treated to huge marble bathrooms, while the rooms that face out onto the valley are especially stunning and should not be missed.