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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.

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What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 544 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • I just wanted to say thank you so much for organising such an amazing holiday.
    We absolutely loved it, even though Jessica was ready to give up walking for good ????
    Our guide, Mustafa, was great. Really helpful, friendly and informative.
    We loved all the accommodation, and especially the first night and the Riad.
    All of the staff at every location were so friendly and helpful.
    Thanks again for organising such a great trip.

    MissingRebecca H reviewing Marrakech & Mountains Family Holiday on 09 April 2026

  • Thank you yet again for another meticulously organised and executed holiday (our 5th with you). Every aspect worked perfectly.
    Please could you pass on our sincere thanks to your agent in Sri Lanka; Lakshita, our driver and guide, absolutely made the trip for us - he was so keen for us to have the best experience possible. He was organised, kind, interested, punctual, the car was always spotless, and he was an excellent driver. His extensive knowledge was really appreciated by us and was exactly what we had hoped for in a guide. I think the highlight for us was our day in Anuradhapura (7 hours of absorbing history and culture), but there was so much to learn and absorb every day. He also made several suggestions for things that he thought we might like that weren't in our itinerary, and then booked them for us. These included an ayurvedic massage after climbing Sigiriya, a cultural show (an hour of touristy fun!), reef snorkelling with turtles (a real highlight for me - I wish we could have stayed all day), a lagoon boat trip and visit to a cinnamon island, a turtle sanctuary visit, and a gemstone factory visit. He also managed to get us a private tour of Lunanguga, which Peter thoroughly enjoyed. We also really enjoyed the tea factory tour.
    Our guide for the hike was also really excellent, and he and Lakshita made sure that our day was perfectly tailored to our (my) ability.
    All our accommodation was also perfectly selected. Our favourite was the Ceylon tea trails bungalow (just perfect!), but The Villa Bentota came a close second as a perfect way to relax at the end of the trip. Our villa and the grounds at Uga at Ulagalla were also beautiful.
    (Our only slightly disappointing day was the whale watching - no whales wanted to be seen on that particular day, plus I was very sea-sick despite taking meds! The tour organisers offered us a repeat day the following day, which we declined! Having said that, being out on the water was still enjoyable, up to a point...).
    I'm sure I've missed out something - we basically loved it all and felt that the balance of the itinerary was perfect for us (we used the 'rest' day in Galle to do the snorkelling, lagoon, and turtles)
    Thank you very, very much.

    Missingfiona g reviewing Sri Lanka Highlights - Classic on 27 March 2026

  • Nicola and I had a brilliant time - the weather made it pretty
    challenging at times, but Mustafa and Mohammed looked after us
    superbly. We loved the variety of scenery and places - as you mention,
    the only downside is the rubbish in the villages, such a shame. The
    meals that Mohammed drummed up on the hillside tracks were amazing - I
    am glad we knew that our mule would eat the leftovers because there was
    no way we could finish them! The standard of the breakfasts were far in
    excess of the bread and jam you mentioned, even in the basic gite which
    was freezing - we were warm once in bed, but the temperature in the
    living room was a bit depressing after a very windy descent, sitting
    wrapped in coats, hats and blankets while we waited for our dinner! The
    sleeping bags provided were excellent and we were toasty with our fleece
    liners and an extra blanket. We were very grateful that Mustafa's boss
    upgraded us to the eco lodge the next night (don't know whether this was
    because of the gale force winds on our descent the day before...) - it
    was lovely.

    We were incredibly lucky with precipitation - although we were walking
    in a few inches of snow on day one and it absolutely poured that night,
    we experienced no rain during the day until we were lining up for our
    farewell photo at our pickup point, when the heavens opened!

    Due to the weather, I think I'd describe the terrain slightly
    differently - a few good paths, but often we were on very stony ground,
    slippery wet mud (oh, that clay does stick to one's boots!), slidy thin
    gravel or else just making our way down a hill after rain had washed the
    original route away. Occasionally we walked short distances on roads,
    which Mustafa was apologetic about, but it was hardly the M6! We took
    our time and never felt unsafe, but people with dodgy knees or hips
    might need to be careful. Mustafa looked after us very carefully in the
    high wind gusts (as a sailor, I reckon at least Force 9 - over 50 mph on
    a bare hillside), promising Nicola that he wouldn't let her mother blow
    away!

    Although we needed to be back in Marrakech on the fourth night, I think
    if I were going again, I would prefer to trek for four days and spend 3
    in Marrakech, which I found a bit overwhelming, but this is just
    personal taste!

    Our room in Daar Housnia was lovely, and we appreciated the heating -
    the rest of the building is definitely built for summer! There seemed
    to be some confusion over our arrival - the manager said we had
    originally been booked into the downstairs suite with double bed and
    bath in the middle of the room, but that he thought it was more suitable
    "for two ladies, not a couple" to upgrade us to exactly the room you had
    shown us photos of! The breakfasts were delicious. The wifi was fine
    for Nicola's meetings.

    MissingMonica S reviewing Morocco Trek & Marrakech Holiday on 16 February 2026

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