Belmond Hotel Monasterio

Belmond Hotel Monasterio occupies the former Seminary of San Antonio Abad, a 16th-century Jesuit monastery wrapped around a stone cloister on Plazoleta Nazarenas, a five-minute walk from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco's historic center. The building retains baroque archways, frescoed ceilings, and a sprawling courtyard garden anchored by a cedar tree said to be over 300 years old, lending the property a hushed, museum-like atmosphere rare among working hotels. Its 122 rooms and suites mix colonial antiques, hand-carved furniture, and reproductions of Cusco School religious paintings with modern comforts, and every room is piped with supplemental oxygen to ease the transition to Cusco's 3,400-meter altitude. Dining centers on Illariy, the hotel's main restaurant, which serves Novoandina dishes built around Sacred Valley produce, alongside a more casual cafe in the cloister for breakfast and afternoon tea. There is no pool, but guests have access to a small spa offering massages aimed at altitude recovery, plus a fitness room and a chapel used for occasional classical recitals. Service is formal and attentive, with a dedicated concierge desk experienced in arranging Machu Picchu logistics, private guides, and train transfers, making the hotel a popular base for travelers prioritizing comfort over budget at the start or end of an Inca Trail itinerary.