Restored to its original grandeur, this storied sillar (white volcanic stone) colonial mansion is one of the finest hotels in Arequipa’s historic center – and is as much living museum as it is hotel. Inhabiting the 1794 former Casa de la Moneda (Mint House)—a National Historic Monument—it is Arequipa’s finest hotel and one of the most sumptuous hotels to stay in all of Peru.

Meticulously restored and remodeled in 2008 after more than a century of neglect, the hotel features high vaulted ceilings, 2 ample colonial courtyards, and an elegant gourmet restaurant. The lengthy restoration unearthed numerous surprises, including original frescoes, reliefs, and even a chapel long hidden from view. Five spectacularly large suites have unrivaled Republican-era flavor, yet the historic mansion has also been ingeniously adapted: a unique architectural skylight shields the main courtyard from Arequipa’s intense sun, and 36 new rooms occupy a sleek modern adjunct structure off a second interior patio.

Brilliantly illuminated at night, the hotel is in the heart of Arequipa’s historic quarter, just around the corner from the magnificent 16th-century Santa Catalina Convent and only 3 blocks from Arequipa Plaza de Armas.