The Best Hotels in Cuzco

A 16th-century convent a short walk from the Plaza de Armas, converted into a JW Marriott with enough restraint that the bones of the building still do the talking. Incan and Spanish colonial artifacts uncovered during restoration sit in museum-style cases along the corridors. The subterranean spa pool and a courtyard bar are good reasons to come back after a morning at the Cathedral or the San Pedro Market.

The lobby's vivid blue walls are a deliberate echo of a nearby baroque church, which tells you everything about how seriously this Luxury Collection hotel takes its surroundings. A five-century-old mansion turned hotel, it sits steps from the main plaza with cobblestone courtyards, stone arches, and carved wood alongside a hydrotherapy spa and rooms that don't ask you to rough it for the sake of authenticity.