Monasterio, a Belmond Hotel, Peru

Overview

Monasterio’s stately arches and cloistered gardens reside at the intersection of ancient and colonial Cusco. Built atop Inca stonework, the hotel’s restored monastery walls now shelter lounges bathed in lantern light, original murals whispered to life during guest gatherings, and echoing courtyard fountains. As evening falls, guests drift down stone corridors tracing the lives of monks who once lived here – now replaced by attentive hosts and ritualized amenities.

Each room is an homage to eras gone by: from vaulted ceilings crafted from local cedar to balconies overlooking Plaza de Armas or the hotel’s candlelit courtyards. Soft alpaca bed throws and original colonial furnishings speak to a heritage that is revered rather than recreated. Evenings feel quiet and evocative: sipping aged wine in subterranean cellars or reading by firelight in former monastic chambers that now pause time.

Dining at the former refectory offers museum‑caliber cuisine – locally sourced classics plated with invention. Guests embark on curated morning treks to sacred grounds before return to a peaceful hotel setting steeped in history. In Monasterio, the past whispers through antiques, stones, and centuries‑old icons, yet each guest experiences it as contemporary calm – heritage worn lightly, worn lovingly.