Palacio Nazarenas, A Belmond Hotel, Cusco

Like its sister property across the street, this hotel also transformed a colonial-era cloister—this time a convent built on Inca foundations—into a charming boutique option for travelers to Cusco. A meticulous renovation restored the building’s stone facade and wood-beamed terraces, while bringing in contemporary comforts like extra oxygen pumped into the rooms for altitude acclimatization. The 55 individually designed suites showcase Spanish Colonial touches, including wrought-iron furnishings and four-poster beds. After days of hiking the Inca Trail or waking at the crack of dawn for archaeological site tours, guests can return here for an afternoon at the blue-tiled, zero-edge pool in the main courtyard or a treatment at the spa, with exposed Inca stones on the walls. Come dinnertime, meals feature Indigenous Andean crops in every dish.

The Standout: The cloistered courtyard, the beautiful botanical garden and the heated swimming pool Don’t Miss: The Peruvian cooking classes that begin with a visit to the local market of San Pedro

• The hotel’s garden and its Andean herbs used at the restaurant and for the exceptional spa treatments
• Local artifacts and books on Peru in the library
• Beautifully serene spaces where you can reflect on this deeply spiritual city

The sister hotel to Hotel Monasterio, the Palacio Nazarenas sits right next door and is a great boutique option for families who want a fabulous historical setting but also appreciate the bonus of a swimming pool and a slightly less formal atmosphere than the Monasterio. After years of meticulous renovation to the palace and convent, which includes an ancient façade, terraces, cloisters and sprawling ivy vines, Palacio Nazarenas now features the most beautiful suites in Cusco. Many of the 55 suites have balconies, heated bathroom floors, high ceilings with wrought-iron chandeliers and carved wooden doors. All incorporate Peruvian touches such as arched stone doorways or local textiles and can have extra oxygen pumped into them to help acclimatization to the altitude. In addition to the lovely pool area, the public spaces include a former chapel that is now a guest lounge, a library and the main restaurant Senzo, which boasts excellent Peruvian fare in a space reminiscent of an Italian osteria. Guests may also take tea or meals next door at the Hotel Monasterio. The Hypnoze Spa incorporates indigenous Peruvian herbs, coco leaves and Andean salts into its treatments. One of the special activities offered by the hotel is a cooking class, which highlights Peruvian traditional cuisine. The hotel is more “zen” and intimate than its older and bigger sibling and offers the solitude necessary to reflect on this deeply spiritual city.

Families and couples who appreciate a heritage-filled setting and resort amenities.