Palacio del Inka, Cusco, Peru, Luxury Collection [Master Thread]
 

(Apologies in advance if there is already a thread on this property. I searched and did not find one.)

Planning a trip to Machu Picchu next year. Came across this property when I did a search. Looks like a really nice place in Cusco and probably a good location to "acclimatize" to the higher altitude for a couple days before heading off on the Inca trail.

The challenge is that the opening date is pretty close to when I expect to be there. Anyone (Lurkers?) have any other knowledge of the property's current status and if June 1 is even a realistic date? I've been burnt in the past with opening dates and pretty wary now.

Thanks.

Neither Thyetus nor myself have access to anything more than what is available publicly when it comes to hotel openings. It might be best to contact the property directly to gauge whether they are on schedule to open or not.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

This appears to be a management change in an existing property, Liberatador Palacio del Inka. Addresses are the same. In such a case, I'd have near 100% confidence in the opening date. It's interesting to look at the Libertador home page, and see the Lima Westin and Luxury Collection Tamba del Inka and Paracas properties. Perhaps there are still more to bring over? It would be great if the Arequipa property comes under the Starwood banner.

Nice find, SometimesFlyer!

Ah, that explains one part of it. The change in branding at the Palacio del Inka in Cusco.

But it does bring up something else. On the Libertador website, it still shows Tambo del Inka even when that is now bookable on spg and officially "open" as a Starwood since May 4, 2010. Huh? Can it be part of 2 different groups or are there special rules for "Luxury Collection" hotels? Or worse, is that going to go through another chain switch?

Thanks for your help folks.

Actually, you'd be much better off acclimatizing at the Tambo del Inka in the Sacred Valley. Urubamba is at 3048 meters, while Cusco is 3326, a substantial difference. Machu Picchu is even lower (counter-intuitive if you've never been to Peru) at 2430 meters. Many people who make Cusco their first stop in Peru (after connecting in Lima) suffer from altitude sickness, while those who head directly from Cusco to the Sacred Valley generally have fewer problems.

I did the connect in Lima, spend a few days in Cusco then go to Machu Picchu route and was fine. Be sure to drink the "tea" in Cusco. I had no problems in either city and even, to my daughters dismay was able to smoke cigarettes

This hotel has gone missing from the Starwood website. Anyone care to speculate on what's going on? Did Libertador change their minds?

Typo, disregard.

Nice Hotel
 

Palacio del Inka (sp?) was a nice hotel, I stayed there in late 06 and IIRC at the time it was just about the top hotel in Cusco.

I would seriously consider staying at both the Tambo and the Palacio, as it would be a great shame to go to this area and NOT see Cusco, but the Urubamba valley is also a great place to spend some time before taking the train or starting the trail.

()btw there is a lot to do in Peru and in this area that is at least as impressive as Machu Pichu, if not quite as well-reconstucted as yet - make time to see the other temple sites.

What does that mean, exactly? It's a typo that the hotel is no longer listed at spg.com, or the post was a typo?

I was also just looking for the property today, and I can't find any mention of Palacio del Inka. The direct link to the property from other sites now goes to a list of all Luxury Collection hotels.

I've been tracking this property too with the hope of using points for a visit in July. It looks like it's open now, but not with Starwood -- http://http://www.libertador.com.pe/.../2/cusco-hotel -- even though their other properties are (still) Starwood properties. Strange....

I checked into this with some folks in The Luxury Collection and they say that this hotel will still be joining Starwood, but it isn't going to happen until perhaps as late as July 2012 after it goes through an extensive renovation project.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Too bad. The latest press release doesn't mention the Palacio del Inka either.

http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20110302006004/en

Good to hear there are plans underway for a St. Regis in Buenos Aires! Hope it comes to fruition.

Starwood Cuzco Hotel Opening
 

Were you ever able to find out when the Starwood hotel in Cuzco is opening? We are planning on going in September and want to stay there to use points. Thanks

Welcome to FlyerTalk, marleneseidel! If you look at Starwood Lurker's post below, it seems as though the resort is not going to be joining SPG by September of this year. If you would really to make it on points, I would recommend staying at the Tambo Del Inka and using that as a base to explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley - the hotel is about an hour away from Cusco and offers a great relaxing environment. Or, you can find some accommodation in Cusco for a day or two to explore the city and move to the Tambo Del Inka (in Urubamba) for seeing the rest of the Sacred Valley. Have a fun trip!