Palacio Nazarenas is Cusco's most romantic hotel and the one to choose if you want a true luxury base in the city. It is an all-suite Belmond property on Plaza Nazarenas, a few minutes' walk from the Plaza de Armas, built on Inca foundations and layered with five centuries of history. Every one of its 55 suites has oxygen-enriched air, which helps at 11,150 feet. A heated outdoor pool sits in the courtyard.
For honeymooners, it combines atmosphere with real comfort. You sleep in rooms carved from a colonial palace and convent, swim in warm water under the Andean sky, then eat at Mauka, the hotel's Andean restaurant led by chef Pía León. The hotel has appeared on the extended list of The World's 50 Best Hotels. It feels like it.
Expect rates from roughly $900 a night for two in a Junior Suite with breakfast, rising sharply for the larger suites. It suits couples who want Cusco on foot by day and a quiet, beautiful retreat at night.
Highlights at a glance
- 55 suites with oxygen-enriched air
- Heated outdoor pool in a historic courtyard
- Mauka, the Andean restaurant led by chef Pía León
- Building with Inca foundations, a colonial palace and a former convent
- Quiet Plaza Nazarenas, minutes from the Plaza de Armas
Why Couples Love Palacio Nazarenas
The building does most of the seducing. According to the hotel's history, the site was an Inca palace before the Spanish rebuilt it in the 1500s for the conquistador Mancio Serra de Leguizamón. In 1644 the Jesuits turned it into a college for aristocratic children; later it became a convent. Belmond restored it and reopened it as a hotel in 2012. Walking through the cloisters you pass original stonework, painted walls and quiet corners that feel far from the street.
The practical luxuries matter just as much. Oxygen enrichment makes sleep easier in the thin air. The heated pool in the courtyard is a rare treat in a cold mountain city.
The location helps too. Plaza Nazarenas is one of the calmest squares in the center, yet the cathedral, San Blas and the best restaurants are a short walk away.
Suites to Book
Every room is a suite. The four categories differ mainly in size, outlook and history.
- Junior Suites (30 to 39 square meters) sit in the most historic part of the building, with a small sitting area and dining table. They are the entry point and full of character.
- Studio Suites (40 to 121 square meters) offer large marble bathrooms, separate sitting areas and views.
- One Bedroom Suites (62 to 68 square meters) have high ceilings, garden views and an in-room pisco station. This is our honeymoon pick.
- Signature Suites (69 to 130 square meters) add the most striking historic details, notable views and private terraces.
If altitude worries you, any suite will help, since oxygen enrichment runs throughout. Ask for a room away from the main courtyard if you are light sleepers.
Food, Drink and the Spa
Mauka is the flagship restaurant, led by Pía León, one of Peru's most celebrated chefs. It focuses on Andean ingredients and the produce of the surrounding highlands. Book a table for your first full evening, once you have adjusted a little to the altitude.
Senzo Bar serves small plates and pisco cocktails, a relaxed alternative to a full dinner. In the afternoon, the hotel offers tea with Andean botanicals, a good way to rest between sightseeing.
Hypnôze Spa bases its treatments on Inca and Andean traditions. After a day climbing Cusco's steep lanes, a massage followed by a swim in the heated outdoor pool is the best antidote. For variety, some of Cusco's best restaurants are a short walk away in San Blas and around the Plaza de Armas.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
Cusco's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can explore most of it on foot from the hotel. Start with Qorikancha, where the Dominican convent was built over curved Inca walls of the Temple of the Sun. Walk down Hatun Rumiyoc to find the twelve-angled stone. Spend an afternoon in the workshops and cafés of San Blas, a short climb uphill.
Above the city, Sacsayhuamán's massive zigzag walls are best at sunset. Hire a guide for a morning, then walk back down.
Couples with different energy levels do well here. One of you can take a cooking class or browse San Pedro market while the other joins a half-day hike or a bike ride in the hills. Meet back at the pool. If you visit in late June, Inti Raymi brings huge crowds and pageantry to the city.
Getting There
Cusco's Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) is about 15 to 20 minutes by car from the hotel. Most US travelers connect through Lima, from where the flight takes about an hour and a half. Belmond can arrange a private transfer.
The historic center has narrow, one-way streets, but cars can reach Plaza Nazarenas. Inside the center, walking is the best way to get around. Taxis are inexpensive for longer trips. The hotel can call one for you at night.
Many couples arrange their itinerary to visit Cusco last, after a few nights in the lower Sacred Valley, so they arrive acclimatized. Belmond also runs trains and hotels in the valley and at Machu Picchu, which makes it easy to book a connected trip.
Is It Worth It?
If budget allows, yes. Palacio Nazarenas delivers the best combination of history, comfort and service in Cusco. The oxygen-enriched suites make a real difference at this altitude. The heated pool and Mauka would be reasons to stay on their own.
It is expensive for Peru. Rates climb quickly in the larger categories. Junior Suites are the smallest rooms and some couples find them tight for a long stay.
If you want colonial history at a lower price, JW Marriott El Convento Cusco displays Inca and colonial remains on the site of a former convent. For a smaller, more intimate house, Inkaterra La Casona has only a handful of suites on the same square. Choose Palacio Nazarenas when you want the city's most complete luxury experience.
Good to Know
At about 11,150 feet, Cusco takes most visitors a day or two to adjust. Take it slowly on arrival, drink plenty of water and go easy on alcohol the first night. If you have health conditions, talk to your doctor before the trip.
Cusco is cold after dark, even in the dry season from May to September, when nights can drop near freezing. Pack warm layers for both of you, plus comfortable walking shoes for steep cobbled streets.
The US State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution. In central Cusco, normal city sense applies: keep valuables out of sight in crowds and use taxis called by the hotel at night. Dress is smart casual at Mauka; there is no formal dress code.
Insider tips
- Book a One Bedroom Suite for extra space and the in-room pisco station.
- Schedule Cusco at the end of your Peru trip, after the lower Sacred Valley, to arrive acclimatized.
- Reserve Mauka early and go on your second night rather than your first.
- Swim in the late afternoon, when the courtyard catches the last sun.
