Las Qolqas Eco Resort

The property is beautiful, and although we only had two nights, we really enjoyed them. It's a short ride to Ollantaytambo's main center and the train to Machu Picchu. The main area has a kitchen and bar with great food, drinks, and service. The front desk was excellent and helped arrange rides and other accommodations. They also offer a convenient full laundry service at fair prices, especially if you're hiking. Shuttle service is available too.

I've stayed at dozens of Hyatt properties, and this is by far the best. The fresh air, location, and service were all 10/10, and it's now one of my favorite hotels. They gave us free breakfast, shuttles to the Machu Pichu train station, and help with absolutely everything. A must-stay if you're going to Machu Pichu!

The gardens are gorgeous and meticulously cared for, and the river sounds lovely. I also really liked the thoughtful design and decor in the lobby, dining room, and outdoor spaces. It's peaceful and quiet, and the rooms are nice with comfortable beds. Every so often you hear a dog barking at night, though far fewer than you'd hear at a hotel in town. A welcome drink and dessert in the room were a nice touch. Since the property is over a mile out of town on a dirt road, the included shuttle to town and the train station is helpful. The staff are friendly, helpful, and work hard. I also liked their efforts to be sustainable, including composting and cutting electricity use with solar lights at night. A couple of things could be better. There are no washcloths or loofah sponges for guests, which seemed odd to me for a hotel catering to foreigners, particularly Americans, with prices listed in USD. I've traveled a lot, including at other hotels in Peru, and hadn't encountered that before. I wish the hot tub had a seat so you could relax instead of standing the whole time. The food was a bit disappointing. I've stayed at ecolodges and boutique hotels around the world at similar prices and found the food underwhelming here. It's good, but small changes could make it much better. The breakfast fruit salad could have more kinds of fruit, and made-to-order smoothies with fresh fruit would be a nice addition. Omelets could come with South American staples like plantains and avocados, and the yogurt could have passion fruit or other fruit on top. A bowl of fruit by the water for guests to take would be lovely. They could also add a coffee and tea station, as many similar hotels include one. Honestly, the meals we've had at different restaurants in Peru were better.

The breakfast was the standout for me: the à la carte choices were excellent, and the food looked and tasted great. I especially liked the natural and elderberry yogurts, Andean dry cereal with quinoa, and the different mini bread each morning. The free shuttle was useful too. It drops you at a set spot on the edge of town, which is also where you’re picked up; coordinate through WhatsApp at least 20 minutes before heading there. They’ll also take you to the train station for free. The glamping tents are comfortable, with a good bed, screened flaps you can open for a breeze, and full-length blinds that let in plenty of daylight. In late October, days were warm and nights cool, so the tent heated up during the day and got chilly after dark. The enclosed wood fireplace helped. The bathroom was a decent size, though the shower sometimes ran out of hot water. The small river and mountain views were lovely. There’s also a little sauna, massage tent, and outdoor hot tub. A basic pull-up and dip bar would be a handy low-cost addition for a quick workout. We got a warm welcome with a non-alcoholic pisco sour and hot coca tea when we checked in late. It’s about a mile past the small town along a bumpy dirt road, and the property is quite dark at night, so bring a headlamp or use your phone light. I didn’t like the 10 a.m. checkout at an upscale place, especially one affiliated with Mr. & Mrs. Smith/Hyatt. I’d like to see later checkout times for Discoverist, Explorist, and higher status guests. Las Qolqas was a beautiful place to spend a couple of days, but the hot water and checkout time kept it from being five stars.