Casa Cartagena Boutique Hotel & Spa

Cusco admits another reading. It was written, in this case, by Italian architects: across a sixteenth- to seventeenth-century colonial mansion, they worked barrel vaults, lime-washed walls and a courtyard bathed in Andean light, introducing Murano glass, native wood, contemporary frescoes and original stone into a new dialogue. Sixteen suites, each singular. A hotel that reads in a low voice, without needing to underline itself — and that offers a less obvious, perhaps more personal, Cusco.

The Corner Junior Suite, with its two-window light and bathtub opening onto the courtyard, is the considered choice for couples; the Prestige Suite, with its private sitting room, for those seeking space. The hotel restaurant marries Andean produce with Mediterranean technique — the antipasti are memorable, and the wine list is among the most carefully kept in the quarter. The spa, beneath original stone arches, offers thermal baths: a rarity within the Andean city.