Guest reviews Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, Machu Picchu

by thegymlad St. Catharines, Canada

Straight up awesomeness

Belmond is literally one of my personal favorite hotel brands! Although it is less known compared to Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton. The stay was fabulous, from check-in to check-out, everything went so smoothly. The Belmond Hotel Machu Picchu is located at the door of Machu Picchu, not far from the mountains at all, which saves a lot of effort for tourists who visit early in the morning. Our rate came with meals, and it’s excellente. Overall a very comfortable stay!

by CherieC72 Sydney, Australia

It's All About the Location (and great food and staff)

My husband and I have recently returned from a trip to Peru. During our time here, we had 1 night at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge. Location : It is truly about the location. It is literally a hop-skip and a jump to the gates of the park. On our first day, we arrived just before lunch and had a private tour of the ruins pre-organised. Then the following morning, we were up early and in the park before the tourists arrived and wandered around the grounds by ourselves. This is the beauty of staying at the lodge. Again, it’s all about the location. We left Machu Picchu after lunch and headed back to Cusco. Accommodation : Our room, number 12 was lovely, but nothing over the top. However, there was nothing to complain about. The room was large, clean and with nice amenities. And they kindly upgraded us, which was a pleasant surprise. Food and Staff : Due to our short time here and our tight schedule, the only meal we had at the hotel was dinner and it was exceptional! The food that we chose was amazing and our waiter was excellent! To our surprise, they even prepared a birthday dessert for my husband, as they had his details on file from our booking. That was certainly a nice and unexpected touch. Before dinner we went to the free "Pisco and Potato Tasting” at the bar. This was where they talked to you about the origin of Pisco and taught you how to make some different Pisco cocktails. You also had the opportunity to taste a few different varieties of potatoes from the region, as Peru grow around 3,500 potatoes. Pricing : We had a package, which included 2 meals a day (breakfast and dinner) and our accommodation. It’s not a budget hotel, but you do get what you pay for. It's all about the LOCATION, the quality of food and the attentive staff. Overall, the hotel exceeded our exceptions and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others who are looking for quality accommodation and an exceptional location to Machu Picchu. Regards, Cherie Sydney, Australia

by Voyagearoundtheworld Berlin, Germany

Stay there for the location

The sanctuary lodge sits right in front of the entrance to the ancient inca citadel. In my opinion that is the only reason why one should choose the lodge. It makes a big difference in the evening and the morning that you can still wander around when almost all visitors have left the place and you are one of the first to enter the citadel respectively. For that convenience you pay top dollar. The hotel itself is nice, well maintained but lacks the top level other belmond properties have. Rooms and bathrooms are very tiny, nicely appointed but look rather outdated. We had a terrace room with a nice view of hyana picchu. All public areas of the hotel are small but lovely decorated. The restaurant is good, our waiter was a bit unmotivated but the whole dining experience was nice. Breakfast buffet.is good. Most staff is very friendly and helpful.

by davecindy2018

Amazing Machu Picchu!

It was a stressful time to travel (Covid-19) but the Belmond Lodge truly felt like a sanctuary. The room wasn't fancy but comfortable and clean. The staff are excellent! So friendly and helpful and the location is unparalleled. Exploring Machu Picchu was an incredible experience! The food was great too.

by JPEJFE Durham, North Carolina

Stunning location and incredible service

If you feel like splurging this has the advantage of incomparable location, being right outside the gates of the ancient city. This was a much greater advantage ~20 years ago when only guests at the Sanctuary lodge were allowed to enter Machu Picchu early in the morning and late in the afternoon...so at that time you had the ancient city to yourself. Now one can simply stay in Aguas Calientes and take an early morning bus up to the grounds. So it isn't as important to stay here - you can get the same Machu Picchu experience staying down in Aguas Calientes. That said, it's a beautiful place to stay. The staff is superb. I'd especially highlight Ingrid at the front desk who conspired with me to scatter rose petals in our room as a romantic surprise for my wife while we were out exploring. Romina was our waitress at the excellent restaurant and was extremely friendly and helpful. Finally, a true highlight of our trip was our Gide, Beltren. He took us our first afternoon around the ancient city. He is very knowledgeable and nice. He gave us great insight into the Inca people and their history with up to date information about Machu Picchu and current scholarship that sheds light on its origins and purpose. He is also an excellent naturalist, showing us a variety of indigenous plants while on our hike. We enjoyed our time so much with Beltren ("Bel") that we asked him to be our guide the next morning when we climbed Huyna Picchu, the peak looking over the ancient citadel. He led us up the original Inca steps and path to the top, an exhilarating trek.