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Casa Cartagena

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Upmarket boutique hotel steeped in history
- Well located for exploring Cusco
- Lovely central courtyard
- Butler service, spa, gym, yoga, cookery class

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Overview

This luxury boutique hotel stands out from others in the city of Cusco thanks to its fascinating history. Many centuries ago, the ground on which it now stands was the location of an Inca temple. Then, in the 17th century the current building was erected on the site; over the years it’s been lovingly preserved, with much of its colonial-style architecture and traditional decor attesting to its rich heritage. Though the hotel is very much a heritage building, parts of it have been furnished to modern standards to give it more of a contemporary, elegant and somewhat fanciful feel.

The high end accommodation comprises 16 air conditioned suites, all of which are handsomely furnished and have an ample amount of space. All suites have a somewhat eclectic and trendy feel, yet at the same time the décor and furnishings respect the city’s rich cultural heritage. While the hotel’s public areas are in the main historic building, the suites are grouped together in a separate building. All suites come with a balcony or patio and offer views of the hotel’s well manicured central gardens. In each one, there’s a 29” LCD TV with cable channels, an MP3 docking station, a hairdryer and a convenient two-way oxygen enrichment system - this is provided to enable those not used to high altitudes to easily acclimatise to Cusco’s relatively high altitude of around 11,150 feet. Guests are provided with canapés and a courtesy cocktail every evening.

La Bodge de la Chola is the hotel’s restaurant. It’s open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers an array of Peruvian dishes, including a wide range of local specialties. What makes the restaurant particularly interesting is the fact that it had some rather famous patrons in previous years, namely Che Guevara, a key figure of the Cuban Revolution, and the poet Pablo Neruda. The hotel’s spa is set across three floors and offers a full range of treatments and services. Some of its facilities include a hydrotherapy pool, a stone trail, a steam bath and a number of massage parlours. All products used in the spa are entirely organic and haven’t been tested on animals. There's also a private gym where regular yoga classes take place, and a boutique selling a variety of high-quality artisan souvenirs and products.

Guests are free to make use of the hotel’s butler service. The butler can carry out tasks such as preparing a bath with mineral salts, arranging trips to various points of interest in Cusco and even helping with unpacking and repacking luggage. Classes are available that teach guests how to make ceviche, a popular national dish, and Pisco Sour, the country’s national cocktail.

The hotel welcomes children, and while parents should note that there are no specific child-oriented facilities or services on site, there's plenty for families to do in and around Cusco.

What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 517 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • Yes everything went incredibly smoothly , excellent guide and set up u have . I might need a new pair of calves though !!! Thanks for sorting ALL the changes out. Regards Charlie

    Missingcharles b reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit on 03 May 2023

  • Hi Lisa, We had a fabulous time thank you. The accommodation and other ideation were all terrific - that’s so much for your help. The apartment in Cape Town was particularly good - we would never have found that: Boschendal was great as well and game lodge was superb. Thanks again, Alistair

    MissingAlistair A reviewing Cape Town, Garden Route and Kruger on 28 April 2023

  • Dear Lisa
    Well, we are back and still buzzing. We have had a marvellous time. The weather helped. We left Manchester in the snow and arrived in Marrakesh at 30 degrees. We were well looked after in the Riad. I'm glad we booked a meal for the first evening - ate it on the roof terrace. We can recommend that. It was delicious. We ate at the Foundouk, as per your recommendation and on the following night we ate at Le Jardin - got lost on the way to it!. We can really recommend Le Jardin.
    The following day we went to Majorelle gardens. Fortunately we had looked it up before we travelled because you have to book in advance online only from Jan 2023. We found our own way to the Medera Ben Yousef and Latifa took us to Bahia Palace - both were stunning.
    The following morning our lovely taxi driver Mohammond collected us to go to the EcoLodge. Yet another Mohammond made us very welcome. Again we ate well! You were right, the pool was freezing, but I can't sit next to water and not get in. Once you're in you forget how cold it is! I wasn't the only person to try the pool.
    Rashid, our guide for our walk collected us. He was brilliant. It was hard work, but worth it. I was determined I would make it. Kevin is fitter than me! The Berber family were lovely. We stopped when we were nearly there to see how rag rugs were made. When we got back Rashid and Mohammond confessed that Mohammond had said to Rashid that he should get us to a road if we got too tired and they would send a taxi (or a mule!) to collect us - or me, but Rashid was sure that I'd be OK. He was right. I think they wondered about these 2 70+ year olds. We can't praise Rashid enough. He had walked over from Imlil in the morning and was going to walk back after he left us.
    Thank you so much for putting our holiday together. We never thought it would be 3 years before we went. We are so glad we persevered. We did wonder what we had let ourselves in for as 2 oldies!
    Fiona and Kevin

    MissingFiona B reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains on 21 April 2023

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