"The high ceilings and expanse of white painted walls hung with a dazzling collection of modern art" make the hotel feel like an extension of owner Susana de la Puente's adjacent gallery, says Andy Lynes in The Independent. The 17 rooms include five atelier' suites that feature "walk-through open bathrooms" and their own foyers or private terraces. However, the cheaper junior suites may be better value: they still have "king-size beds and some include a roll-top bath". Avoid the ground floor as "the period wooden door offered little insulation from the noise of the hotel".
Local celebrity chef Oscar Velarde oversees the El Comedor restaurant. He uses local ingredients to create a menu offering Peruvian specialities and Mediterranean flavours.
Doubles from £248, including breakfast and afternoon tea (see www.hotelb.pe, or call 00 51 1206 0800).
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Hotel Paracas is a "haven of quiet, contemporary style", says Cond Nast Traveller. "Two-storey bungalows' are scattered through a garden that stands in startling contrast to the surrounding coastal desert." The rooms are "languidly spacious, though the muted decor of beige, bamboo and pale wood errs a little on the bland side". But the public areas are "cheering", with a "glass-walled bayside bar", which is the ideal spot to try the local cocktail, Pisco Sour. "With an excellent spa, multiple swimming pools and an atmosphere of poised calm, the hotel provides a pleasing blend of repose and activity."
The resort offers "inspired retakes on traditional Peruvian dishes" and there is "quite enough variety to keep a fussy palate satisfied for days".
Double rooms start from £109, for a room only. For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com, or call 00 51 56 58 1333.
The best restaurants in Lima
Astrid & Gastn
Perroquet (00 51 1611 9000) at the Country Club Lima Hotel offers a good introduction to Peruvian cuisine. "Start with sea bass ceviche, or a trio of causa (yellow potato mash) with fillings of avocado and crab, chilli and shrimp, and sea bass in a sticky pickling mixture." Three courses la carte costs around £15, based on two sharing.
Rafael (00 51 1242 4149) is "set inside a vivid red 1920s house with a modern interior and Art Deco details". Chef Rafael Osterling's "warmly welcoming restaurant serves Peruvian fusion with Mediterranean influences". Think pizza prosciutto, and figs alongside ceviche of sole, scallops and guacamole. Mains include a "stew of North Peruvian grouper cheeks with vongole, calamari and confit potatoes". Three courses la carte costs around £29 a head.
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