Walking into the lobby of the El MaPi by Inkaterra boutique hotel in Machu Picchu is like walking into a hip Soho boutique hotel. While not at all what you might expect from a hotel at the foot of Machu Picchu, it is a nice surprise and a great mid-range option for comfortable accommodation with all the amenities you would expect at a fair price for this town where over-priced rooms are the norm. It’s decorated in a slick modern style using primarily recycled and reclaimed materials including the chandelier made from empty pisco bottles and the long reception desk from recycled metal.
El MaPi is part of the more affordable arm of the Inkaterra hotel group ‘ByInkaterra’ that also owns the fabulous Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel on the edge of town. Located slap bang on the middle of the main street in Aguas Calientes, this über modern hotel boasts one of the best bars in town as well as a good restaurant (also open to the public) that serves breakfast from 4am, a decent buffet lunch, an a la carte dinner menu as well as a very filling box lunch for those who want to picnic up at Machu Picchu itself.
Recent re-furbishment means that all rooms are now superior deluxe rooms with a modern, minimalist feel and soothing white, beige and turquoise colours and distressed wood furniture. They also have seven junior suites if you’re looking for a little more space with a seating area and coffee machines. All rooms have excellent bed linen and high quality mattresses and come complete with inspirational quotes stuck on the wall and all the services you would expect in this price range such as free wi-fi, hair-dryers and in-room phones.
The same Inkaterra sustainability ethos is found throughout this hotel with ecological messages such as ‘reduce your carbon footprint’ strewn around the hotel to educate guests on how to contribute to making the hotel as ‘green’ as possible. Be warned, El MaPi is one of the most popular hotels in Machu Picchu favouring a lively, hip crowd so do make sure you book well in advance.
