Belmond Hotel Monasterio occupies a building constructed in 1592 as a monastery for Cusco’s Seminary of San Antonio Abad, and the conversion to a hotel kept the original cloistered courtyard, a section of stonework the Spanish built directly onto Inca foundations, and a chapel ceiling whose frescoes have survived largely intact for over four centuries.
Rooms and suites are arranged around the original courtyard, with several offering oxygen enrichment as standard, a genuine consideration at 3,400 meters for guests arriving directly from sea level. The property’s restaurant occupies what was once the monastery’s refectory.
The hotel sits two blocks from the Plaza de Armas, close enough to walk to Cusco’s cathedral and main square, far enough that the courtyard stays quiet once the doors close behind you.