Orient-Express will bring its sixth hotel to Peru with the 2012 debut of Palacio Nazarenas in Cuzcos in the heart of the Andes mountains. The property- a Spanish colonial building dating back to 1715-is the culmination of a three-year restoration project carried out under the guidance of eight full-time archaeologists and the supervision of Peru’s National Institute of Culture.
The renovation project, overseen by architect Enrique Palacio, has been part restoration and part new build, with the original 18th century features being preserved and the modern buildings replaced with new structures to better maintain the original architectural design, with whitewashed adobe walls, bricked archways, and wooden verandas and balconies painted a vivid cobalt blue to match the skies.
With no heavy machinery permitted on site, over 315,000 cubic feet of earth was excavated by hand. The architectural and archeological team uncovered pre-Inca and Inca walls, some of which will become part of some guest rooms and public areas. A large chapel by the entrance to the property will be restored and preserved as a guest lounge. Other artifacts and objects discovered during the excavation will be exhibited in the hotel’s library.
Leading the way on interiors is Janna Rapaport. The hotel’s 55 suites, many of which have fireplaces and views towards the hillside Inca site of Sacsayhuamán or Cuzco’s cathedral in the Plaza del Armas, features bathrooms with under-floor heating and Peruvian travertine marble. To combat the symptoms of altitude sickness (Cuzco is 11,000 feet above sea level), oxygen softly scented with the essential aromas of Andean flowers and herbs will enrich the atmosphere of each suite via the ventilation system.
In addition, Orient-Express scoured Peru to find the best artisans, such as a collective of female textile weavers in the town of Chinchero in the Sacred Valley, a wood carving specialist who is undertaking a six-month project to carve the hotel’s reception desk, and Peru’s best painting restorer to work on frescos uncovered during the renovation work.
