Sanctuary lodge Hotel machu picchu

Machu Picchu

Peru, the third largest country in South America has always been an exceptional tourist destination. The Spanish conquistadores came here in search of El Dorado and instead found the Incan Empire, a civilization which fascinates people to this day thanks to the remains of Machu Picchu and the Empire’s ancient capital city of Cuzco.

Machu Picchu was a sacred city, and although it is considered to be the jewel of Incan architecture, it was almost forgotten for centuries. Built in the 15^th century, the city first appeared and thrived between 1438 and 1534 before losing its prestige after the death of Emperor Pachacutec, although it was never totally abandoned.

The rebirth of Machu Picchu came about in 1860 when a German team rediscovered it and more importantly in 1911, when American architect Hiram Bingham published a series of articles and books designed to re-evaluate the historical importance of the site and spread its renown. In the eyes of the world Machu Picchu has become the symbol of the height of Incan civilization.

A gateway to history

It’s often said in the contemporary luxury hotel industry that what counts most is the location or as professionals sometimes emphasize: “it’s all a matter of location, location and location!” High standards of luxury can be found in hotels throughout the world, but what differentiates them is placing them in exceptional settings. The Belmond Sanctuary Lodge Machu Picchu has undoubtedly met this challenge thanks to its location at the entrance to this legendary site and by being the only hotel to do so.

Staying at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge is therefore much more than enjoying the comforts of a luxury establishment. It means being in direct contact with one of the world’s most mysterious ancient cities. Although it has been written about and studied for years, Machu Picchu remains an extraordinary and enchanting venue, thanks in part to the surrounding scenery with its incredible summits.

The hotel is a lodge which offers privileged access to the site. Guests can be there in the early hours of the morning before the first tourist buses arrive, or at the end of the day after the last ones leave in order to prolong the pleasure of wandering through the 15^th century paths alone.

Highly experienced guides are available to guests as well as specially created itineraries in order to discover Machu Picchu under the most favorable conditions possible. The hotel’s 31 rooms and suites offer guests a cozy and relaxed atmosphere decorated with local crafts as subtle reminders of Incan art.

Surrounded by nature and lush gardens, the lodge is an intimate and respected site with the most beautiful views of the Incan city. The hotel also has a lounge bar and an internationally renowned gastronomic restaurant with Andean specialties on its menu.

The romantic and exclusive nature of the Sanctuary has attracted numerous couples and newlyweds thanks to its secluded nature and its dream like location. Finally massages and aromatherapy sessions are offered, inspired by ancestral Incan methods.

Machu Picchu inspired one of the world’s greatest poets, the Chilean, Pablo Neruda who, in his « The Heights of Machu Picchu” wrote: “Machu Picchu is a journey to the serenity of the soul, to the eternal fusion with the cosmos, there where we feel our own fragility. It is one of the greatest wonders of South America; a resting place for butterflies at the epicenter of the great circle of life…One more miracle.”