| The Experience |

Perched high in the Andes, this Relais & Chateaux 16th century manor house is all about Inca immersion at its finest. With antique furnishings, local art and contemporary touches, the mansion seamlessly blends modernity with tradition. It was once the residence of Diego de Almagro, one of the original conquistadors who conquered the Incas. In 1825, El Libertador Simon Bolivar stayed here, the man who led Peru to independence from Spain. With so much history underneath the beautiful archways, this famed piece of property is possibly the first Spanish construction in Cusco.

| The Suite |

With only 11 rooms in the entire hotel, this boutique palace made us feel right at home. As always, everything is in the details, and Inkaterra doesn’t shy away from them. Upon inspection of the cloud-like king-sized bed, I noticed little presents everywhere: a box of chocolates on either side, a weather forecast for the following day, a booklet full of menus and the most incredible thing – a heating pad already making the bed warm for me. Out of all my travels throughout the past couple of decades, this was certainly a first. Never have I ever been greeted by a warm bed such as this. Literally. A warm bed. The standards kept going up, up and away. I was in love.

Upon entry into the bathroom, I noticed a large soaking tub awaiting my entry, and to accompany it, a large bottle of bubble bath. There is no greater reward after a Wayna Picchu hike than sinking into a hot bath. The red hues, the white marble, the fireplace, the heating pad and the chocolates were plenty to get me to come back again someday. After all, I wasn’t even able to scratch the surface with Inkaterra La Casona as my time from check-in to check-out totaled less than 9 hours. It was just enough to relax in a bubble bath, order delicious room service, devour my box of chocolates, write a few emails and get a few hours of sleep before hitting the next big adventure.

If you’re visiting Cusco, Peru, book a reservation at Inkaterra La Casona. For those adventurers ticking Machu Picchu off their bucket list: Treat yourself. You’ll want it after the lactic acid hike among the ruins. For maximum comfort, the suites are decked out with thermostat controlled heated floors, free wifi, flat screen TV with cable, DVD and iPod speakers. Located in the heart of the main square, the hotel couldn’t be in a more ideal spot for city exploration. Now having visited two out of the three hotels in the Inkaterra collection, I’m due for a visit to the Amazon Rainforest. I must keep the party alive, as all good things don’t come to an end.

Rates for 2014 can be found here.