Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba

A hotel could certainly do a lot worse for a location than the Sacred Valley of the Incas, on the way from Cusco to Machu Picchu. And, given such a spectacular location, a hotel could get away with being a lot less impressive than Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba. But as Peruvian tourism continues to boom, especially among high-end travelers, the demand for what Inkaterra has to offer seems insatiable. (So don’t be surprised if you leave with a hunger for more.) The lodge and its 24 outlying casitas are set on a hundred acres of land on a hillside overlooking the valley, with the green slopes of the mountains as a backdrop. It should go without saying by now that hotels like Inkaterra are as sustainable as they come — this one grows its produce via zero-carbon methods, using oxen and hand tools rather than industrial farming techniques. It should also go without saying that extreme sustainability can comfortably coexist with top-flight luxury. The rooms are unpretentiously styled, paying their respects to local craftsmanship and decoration, and their comforts are discreet, though high-end — including heated floors, down duvets, modern electronics. And some luxuries are timeless: the view of the Andes from your private terrace, for instance. The restaurant, with its “earth-to-table” concept, places you in touch with the land in a way few dining experiences can match, and as you’d expect, the hotel bar pours a more than suitable pisco sour. But what you’ll remember the most about the Hacienda Urubamba might not be the hotel itself so much as its surroundings — from here the hiking offers all the drama of the Inca Trail, without the crowds.