El Mapi

Blending nature (the hotel sits at the base of a rainforest-covered cliff), with modern nurture, this is the Aguas Calientes hotel to base yourself at for that 5.30am bus – guaranteed to get you to Machu Picchu before the crowds. The departure point is minutes from the lobby. So are the town’s best bars and restaurants.

Rooms are decorated in modish off-whites with wall-high glass overlooking the lush surrounds. Public areas covered with living walls of moss and ferns, screened from each other by faux-Inca wattle partitions. There’s a beautiful spa with a heated indoor pool and valley views for tired post-Machu Picchu legs. The bar serves great cocktails.