Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel

Urban efficiency and modern design aren't usually associated with a UNESCO World Heritage site, but Sumaq (Quechua for excellent or beautiful) is pulling off both. Half of the 60 orange-and-white rooms have balconies overlooking the river; the other 30 have big windows facing the mountains. Indigenous design elements recur throughout the hotel: the Andean cross motif turns up in bathrooms, and on headboards and blankets; and Machu Picchu's architecture is mirrored in the stacked-block look of the floor tiles and squared-off faucets and dinnerware. Energy conservation is a priority here: turning on lights requires an electronic keycard, and corridor lighting is motion activated. Take a "lost city" tour set up by the hotel on request, the hotel porter's daughter, Lisette Aragon made an excellent guide.