From US$129 Classic, US$159 Premium
– Fantastic breakfasts (worth the extra cost)
– You’ll need a Flash-enabled device to access their webpage (i.e. not your iPad)
I love Lima — the food here is incredible! Casa Inca is a charming boutique hotel in which to base yourself to eat up the delights of the world’s second largest desert city. From Casa Inca, you can walk to some of Lima’s most popular destinations (and to an abundance of restaurants), yet you’re on a quiet street away from the traffic noise.
Casa Inca is in the affluent Miraflores neighbourhood, just a block in from the Malecón de la Reserva and its lovely views 260 feet above the sea. Make sure you take a stroll along here in the evenings, or rent a bike from the hotel to go further afield.
Case Inca has 16 rooms (another six are on their way). Choose carefully — each room is sized and decorated differently, some have views and some do not, and the decor in some is a little tired. The website helpfully shows the layout and photos of each. You’ll be more than content with one of the Premium rooms. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen cable tv, mini-fridge, safe, and phone; beds have luscious down comforters. Wifi (included) is available throughout the hotel.
The building has historical significance: it was the last home of Julio C. Tello, a world authority on Peruvian archeology, founder of Peru’s national museum of archeology, and friend of philanthropist Nelson Rockefeller. Mr Tello is known as the Americas’ first indigenous archaeologist (he was Quechua). Books and artefacts from his time decorate the main building and there are several public rooms in which you can sit and soak up the atmosphere.
There are also three outdoor areas — the large second-floor terrace with views toward the cliffs and the ocean, and a front and back patio — to relax. They are all (as is the house) protected behind a high wall and a gate to which you need to be buzzed in. You do not have to worry about security here.
The hotel can arrange transfer from the airport (but double check the price if your plane is late; they charge extra if the driver has to wait and don’t seem to double check arrival times with the airline before setting out).
