Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel, Machu Picchu

Perfect location, great service, wonderful food. 5 stars all the way. Just at the entrance to the park

When planning my trip to Machu Picchu I weighed the pros and cons of staying at Sanctuary House. If cost is no object, then staying there is a resounding yes. If cost is a determinant, then all things considered, I conclude it is worth the splurge. I traveled with my adult son and we had a small patio room with two beds. You cannot beat the location. It is the only property within steps of Machu Picchu. The alternative is to stay down the mountain in the town of Agua Calientes or spend all day traveling from Ollyantaytambo or Cusco. Personally, I was not a huge fan of Agua Calientes. Although Agua Calientes is located in the midst of breathtaking nature, the town itself feels like one large souvenir shop. This is the case even if you stay at its nicest accommodation. You simply will not have the same experience as at Sanctuary Lodge. The ease and convenience of being able to walk out of the Lodge to and from Machu Picchu alone is with the price in my opinion. Moreover, since I have some mobility issues, it was a godsend to not have to go up and down the mountain on the bus or stand in long lines. Dealing with the horrible buses going up and down the mountain was unpleasant, especially durning high season when lines were over an hour long at times, with often grumpy bus attendants who herded everyone about. I would say that you don’t stay at Sanctuary Lodge for opulent rooms. The rooms are relatively standard, fairly small, albeit clean and well-appointed. The beds were quite comfortable and the bedding was soft (which I cannot say for all of try accommodations in Peru). If you are full-board, the rooms include all sorts of amenities and the snacks and minibar are included. It should be noted, that it does not appear that any of the rooms have a direct view of Machu Picchu. We had a small room with a small patio. The patio had no view. It was cute, but we actually had no time to spend on it. I observed that there were rooms that had a large patio with a view onto a shared lawn. It was much more spacious but no privacy. It is a small property, so there isn’t a lot of places to hang out. However, it does have a nice shared yard with sofas,chairs and other shared space to relax, either before your check-in, during your stay or after you have checked out. The view from the back of the property, if you walk up the hill a bit, is priceless. If you find a feee chair, the view and sense of peace there is also with the price tag. The Spa was wonderful. Quite small, but the massage was great. I had Maria and my son had another masseuse, who was also excellent. Reasonable priced relatively speaking. One of the real highlights of the property is the staff. They really go above and beyond. The travel concierges, Cinthya and Orlando responded to a plethora of questions and assisted with details of the stay in advance of my stay. When we arrived, we were greeted at the train station by Sebastian who has a beautiful smile and makes you feel

Location was spectacular, service was awesome, view was breath taking and memories will last a lifetime.

The hotel is literally at the entrance to Machu Picchu which is probably the biggest attraction. It's extremely expensive but other than the location, it's not that special. It's a nice splurge but wouldn't go back. You're really only paying for the location. The rooms were small, the bathroom was tiny, and there was no actual spa. Nonetheless, the staff is exceptionally welcoming and friendly. The service is 10/10.

This is my third time in Machu Picchu and this time I decided to stay at the Sanctuary Lodge Belmond Hotel with my daughter. It was one of the most beautiful experience we have ever had. The staff’s service, kindness, and anticipation of all our needs -from our arrival at the train station at Machu Picchu Pueblo to our departure with the bus- showed the high level of training of everyone involved. John picked us up at the train station and counseled us about the best way to visit the Sacred City. We loved the check-in at the scenic terrace with Manuel, our meals at their amazing restaurant and the service and conversation with Issai. He gave us "Chapo”, a delicious traditional beverage made of banana and cinnamon. After visiting the archeological site and climbing Waynapicchu, we were welcomed by superb relaxing massage. The gorgeous property has tiered terraces to watch the sunrise from and a magical orchid garden with a waterfall that were so inspiring. The whole team made our stay one of the most beautiful experiences in our lives and we truly enjoyed Machu Picchu in a totally different way. I highly, highly, highly recommend the Sanctuary Lodge. Congratulations to its team.

It’s not often that you can stay at a full hotel and feel like you’re the only one there, but that was our experience here. The staff were so attentive it felt like they were only there to help you but of course they were doing this for another 30 rooms of guests, but the staff are so amazing and professional they pull it off. Everything here is incredible, the staff, the rooms, the views, the restaurant, the gardens, the location. I wouldn’t change a single thing, and if I ever come back I’ll be sure to stay again

Love the location and everything about this hotel. Will certainly recommend this hotel to others visiting Machu Picchu. The hotel even provided a sport bottle for guests to use on their excursion to Machu Picchu.