Above: The former convent is set in a plaza behind Cuzco’s main square.
Orient Express has opened the doors to Palacio Nazarenas (Plaza Nazarenas 144, Cuzco, Peru; 511/610-8300; palacionazarenas.com), an all-suite boutique hotel and former 16th century convent in the Incan capital of Cuzco. Palacio Nazarenas features state-of-the-art oxygenated rooms, the first outdoor infinity pool in Cuzco and a restaurant overseen by one of Peru’s most exciting chefs, Virgilio Martinez.
It has been one of Orient Express’ most ambitious projects to date, and is the result of four years of painstaking excavation and rebuilding. Several Incan artifacts were unearthed in the process and are showcased throughout the hotel. Of the 55 suites, the deluxe Z-Collection suites stand out for their preserved colonial or Inca arches and views over either the Andes’ Ausangate mountain or picturesque San Blas district.
