Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado

My wife and I plus 4 friends stayed here in early June. Unfortunately for me I had a severe medical problem which began as I was leaving the UK, so nothing to do with the hotel! It meant that I was not on great form to enjoy their excellent food. However, I could not imagine a better, more serene place to relax and begin to recover. The reception contacted a doctor for me and got some heavy duty antibiotics sent from Cusco (I hasten to add my problem was entirely internal and not contagious!). Within a couple of days I was in great shape again. From the hotel we took the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu, and the early morning start was greatly assisted by the fact that they have their own private train stop. I loved the place, the people and the service. I would return like a shot.

Wow what a place the sacred valley is amazing this hotel is breathtaking ! The staff are excellent and friendly the scenery in the hotel gardens is just so beautiful it has an instant calming effect and you feel so relaxed ! I would love to stay again ! Gorgeous river runs through the grounds you are surrounded by mountains ! You can even feed baby alpacas or grab a early morning yoga session ! Totally amazing place.

This Belmond hotel is rustic but in a gracious way completely in harmony with the beautiful surroundings of the Sacred Valley. The arrival is amazing, as you drive alongside the train tracks that access the trains to Machu Picchu to enter the grounds of the hotel. Belmond have built this lovely hotel alongside the Urubamba river. They have even built there own train station for access to the Vistadome and Hiram Bingham trains. The trains run so infrequently that they do not intrude on your stay at all and it is in fact such a fantastic way to get to Mach Picchu, that the odd rumble and choo choo is totally acceptable. The rooms, suites are all set into the hillside overlooking the river, we had a small, beautifully equipped little bungalow number 21. The joy of this was it was slightly isolated from the main complex and therefore afforded seclusion. However it was close enough to reception and the pool area for it to be convenient and a small stroll took us down to the gorgeous restaurant. Our suite did not have a bath, but it had a lovely compact lounge area, a supremely comfortable very large bed and a compact bathroom area with excellent hot shower and good luggage storeage and hanging space.There was also a separate toilet cubicle off the lounge area. There are no televisions in the rooms, which is a bonus! although televisions can be provided on request. This is a place to acclimatise and relax when you are in the middle of a Peruvian adventure. There are tea making facilities in the room and we drank masses of coca and Munya tea to help acclimatise. The staff at the restaurant and reception are welcoming and very very helpful, our son rang from the UK and fixed us up with a couple of surprise Pisco Sours, and he was really impressed with their efficiency and helpfulness. We enjoyed gorgeous breakfasts,which were laid out in a buffet style and also included tremendous fresh cooked options. They have excellent local smoked trout at breakfast which was better than any farmed smoked salmon, especially teamed with the local scrambled eggs. The breads, pastries and cakes were amazing and there was a lovely selection of fresh fruits which I had every morning with Maca powder. We had three divine nights relaxing at this gorgeous resort, we had three lovely days out and about seeing the sights locally and we had some really special down time by the poolside, with excellent attention from the staff. There are two beautiful huge jacuzzi tubs built into the spa area, one inside and one outside, which are very hot and powerful a very lovely way to relax and look out over the scenery. Food in the restaurant in the evenings was excellent quality. A very special place to acclimatise, a must do visit!

Overall, a wonderful place to use as a home base while exploring the Sacred Valley area. Close to most major attractions yet feels very secluded and off the beaten path. Grounds are beautiful, baby alpacas are adorable, and views are breathtaking. Food was good but a bit pricey. Rooms were nice overall, but without any major ventilation they can get very stuffy and damp. Biggest disappointment was the spa area. We stayed 3 nights and for 2 out of the 3 days we were there, both the indoor and outdoor hot tubs were "not working." They were either "changing the water" (first day) or the "heater was not working" (third day).

Beautiful hotel reasonably close to the fortress at Ollaytaytambo and convenient for the train to Machu Picchu. Beautifully set in the valley with a very clear sky giving great views of the Milky Way at night. Locals selling crafts outside the hotel. Opportunities to do yoga, local cooking etc.