Just got back from 10 nights in Peru: 4 nights Explora Valle Sagrado, 3 nights Belmond Palacio Nazarenes, and 1 night JW Lima (even though I booked 3 nights). Reviews and commentary below, including what you need to know about Machu Picchu that I didn't know, but wish I did. 

All images are of Explora except for the one from the balcony at the Belmond.

# Explora Valle Sagrado Review

**Setting**  
Way the fuck out of Urubamba, near a small pueblo called Urquillos. Think dirt roads. Farm village. Its isolation is its virtue.

I can’t overstate it: The setting is simply sublime. It sits on a working farm, surrounded by small homes and open countryside. The entire vista frames huge Andean peaks, often with moody morning fog. I genuinely think the setting alone is worth the stay. Incredibly peaceful. A real sense of place.

Other resorts nearer Urubamba couldn’t possibly have this feel. If you’re game for long, bumpy drives to and from the train or town, this is the place.

**The Explora Vibe**  
Explora nails its purpose. This is for people who come to hike, climb, and explore — 15,000-foot peaks, ATVs, the whole deal. Guests show up to dinner in hiking pants and Patagonia fleece. It’s a specific vibe and a specific crowd. You’re either into it or you’re not.

That also means the resort skips a lot of the trappings chubby travelers usually expect:

* No room service
* No coffee in the room
* No poolside service
* Restaurant with limited menus at limited hours

Most guests are gone all day anyway, so the countryside *is* the amenity.

**Rooms**  
Comfortable, minimalist, leaning slightly rustic but not rough at all. “Eco-lodge” fits. The only place to get coffee is the main restaurant.

So yeah, if you’re looking for spoiled luxury, this ain’t it. But if you can lean into the vibe and the sense of place, this might be one of the best stays you’ll ever have.

**Dining**  
This was the surprise. Limited menu because everything’s sourced locally and based on what’s fresh. But the food was spectacular — every single meal. Presentation was Michelin-grade: earthy ceramics, stone butter slabs, thoughtful plating. I honestly can’t imagine anywhere nearby doing it better. Four nights, four knockout dinners.

**Staff & Atmosphere**  
Consistently warm, friendly, and helpful. Anything we wanted, they made happen. What I really love about Explora is the lack of pretense. It almost leans casual — but more like being in someone’s home.

We left as full-on Explora converts and are already researching which one to visit next.

# Notes on Machu Picchu 

First, it's an absolute slog to get there. You gotta drive to the train. Then take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The train ride is obviously spectacular, though. Then you queue up in a complete nuthouse line for the busses to the park entrance. Then once you're inside the park it's just roped lines keeping everyone piled together, millions of selfies and photos, constantly.   
  
The whole thing feels like the worst version of crowded Disney World. Whatever wonder or awe or mystery you might expect to feel at the site is just completely ruined by a grotesque mass of Instagram madness. Beyond painful.  
  
In ten days trip, Machu Picchu was our least favorite day. 

If I had it to do over, I might skip it altogether. If I definitely decided to go, I would pay the logistical and costs to stay at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge for a chance to visit the park right at open and right at close.   

The site is too compact, and too crowded with people between ropes, to meaningfully enjoy at peak hours. 

# Belmond Palacio Nazarenes Review

**Setting**  
Right in the heart of Cusco, tucked into a small square. Off-the-charts vibes. We had a city studio suite with a balcony overlooking the pool, the city, and mountains in the distance — just gorgeous.

The hotel itself is a restored convent, and it feels like a museum in the best possible way. Tranquil courtyards, fountains, and little water features everywhere. You can’t walk ten feet without wanting to stop and just take it in. It’s next-level serene. You *feel* like you’re somewhere special.

**Room**  
Unbelievably well equipped. Heated bathroom floors, beautifully wrapped amenities, everything top-quality. Every single touch felt deliberate and thoughtful. Nothing felt mass-produced. It’s one of those rooms where you can tell someone obsessed over every detail.

**Service**  
These people are on another level. Genuinely out-of-control attentive — in the best way. I called the front desk asking for four bath towels. Either I misspoke or they misheard, because two minutes later four bath*robes* arrived. I love that so much. We laughed and fixed it, but I still can’t get over the fact that they didn’t even blink at sending *four bathrobes*.

The butler team runs on WhatsApp and will basically make anything happen. At first, coming straight from Explora’s chill, stripped-down vibe, it all felt a little stiff and performative — but it’s not. They pay close attention. They noticed I liked Acqua Panna and just kept restocking it without me asking.

The free minibar is a great perk too.

**Food**  
Here’s the one miss. For a property this refined, the food was… mid. We did room service a few times because I wasn’t feeling great, and everything was only okay. Breakfast was fine, but the coffee was borderline undrinkable. It’s weird — every other part of the experience is five-star perfection, but the kitchen feels a few notches behind. Maybe the chef was sick too?

# JW Marriott Lima Review

  
**Setting**  
Right in Miraflores, across from a park overlooking the cliffs. Great location — and that’s about where the positives end.

**Room**  
I booked this JW because it was relatively inexpensive and recently refurbished. I know JW quality is usually a step down from the chubby-crowd favorites — and that’s fine. I figured with new interiors, it would be perfectly serviceable since we’d be out exploring most of the time anyway.

But whoever designed these rooms is a complete lunatic. It’s like they’ve never stayed in a hotel before. They used the *same material* for the shower walls as the hallway and bathroom floors. So you get shoe marks, luggage scuffs, and dirt everywhere. The hotel’s been open maybe six months, and the floors already look wrecked. Hard to clean, already stained with coffee and wine spills, just utterly gross.

Then came the real fun. It’s 10 p.m., my wife takes a shower, no contacts in, and realizes the entire bathroom is flooded. There’s no lip or divider between the shower and the rest of the floor, so if the drain clogs even slightly, you’ve got a swamp.

We call maintenance. They confirm it’s broken and offer to move us. Fine. We switch rooms. Test the new shower, seems okay. I shower, we go to bed.

Next morning, I shower again — and boom, flooded bathroom *again*. Didn’t even notice until I stepped out and sloshed through standing water. Completely disgusting.

We call down again. They offer another room change. Hard pass. We decided we were out. 

At checkout, nobody even mentioned it. Just handed me the folio and a “thanks for staying.” Unreal.

**Bottom Line**  
Easily one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve ever had. Horrible property. Stay far away.

**Postscript**  
We switched to the Westin Convention Center afterward. Totally different world. Dated, sure — but solid. Reasonable club lounge, excellent pool and spa, and genuinely kind staff. A much better note to end the trip on. Awesome neighborhood too. 

Not sure I'd recommend it, but light years better than the JW. 

We loved Lima. So, if you're on the fence make time for Lima. Way underrated. 

TRIP REPORT: 10 days Peru -- Explora Valle Sagrado, Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, JW Marriott Lima