The national and reliable hotel chain Casa Andina (www.casa-andina.com) has three of its “classic” hotels at ideal locations in the center of Cusco. Two are within one block of the Plaza de Armas (Santa Catalina Angosta 149, tel. 084/23-3661, cac-catedral [at] casa-andina [dot] com, and Portal Espinar 142, tel. 084/23-1733, cac-cuscoplaza [at] casa-andina [dot] com, US$125 d), and one is near Coricancha (San Agustín 371, tel. 084/25-2633, cac-koricancha [at] casa-andina [dot] com, US$125 d).

These well-designed, comfortable hotels provide excellent service. The aim of the hotels is to reflect the local character of a place and give a genuine experience using local ideology and using local products where possible without sacrificing comfort and convenience. All rooms have down comforters, heating, and cable TV, and a generous breakfast buffet is included.

Guests are greeted by tuxedo-wearing doormen at the upscale, Swiss-managed Los Apus (Atocsaycuchi 515, tel. 084/26-4243, www.losapushotel.com, US$89 s, US$109 d). The rooms have wood floors, heating, comfortable beds, and cable TV. Breakfast is served in a nice glass-roofed courtyard.

The Hotel Arqueologo (Pumacurco 408, tel. 084/23-2569, www.hotelarqueologo.com, US$120 d standard, US$140 d superior) occupies an old colonial building. Rooms with high ceilings wrap around a rustic stone courtyard or overlook a grassy garden. The hotel tries to maintain a eco-friendly philosophy by having its own bio-veggie garden, recycling rubbish, providing a fountain with drinking water to refill bottles, and only providing TVs in rooms upon request. The first-floor café Song Thé has comfortable sofas, a fireplace, and French pastries.

The attractive boutique hotel Casa San Blas (Tocuyeros 566, tel. 084/23-7900, www.casasanblas.com, US$110 d, US$156 suite) prides itself on giving a personalized service. It is ideally located, set back off the Cuesta San Blas, and has great views of the city from its sunny roof terrace. Rooms are comfortable, have all the necessary amenities, and are decorated simply with traditional weavings on the walls. There are also self-catering suite apartments with kitchenettes. Sustainability issues are addressed by giving guests the option to reuse bedding and towels and re-fill water bottles, light bulbs are energy-saving, and there are double curtains to reduce the need for heating.

As the name suggests, Second Home Cusco (Atocsaycuchi 616, tel. 084/23-5873, www.secondhomecusco.com, US$110 s, 120 d) in San Blas really is a home away from home. This highly recommended bed-and-breakfast, owned by artist Carlos Delfin, son of the famous sculptor Victor Delfin, has three very simple but nicely decorated, light-filled junior suites: the skylight suite, the patio suite, and the balcony suite. Each has its own special charm. There is another great Second Home located in Lima.