Many tourists who come to Lima only spend a night or two in transit, but those who come for a longer time for business reasons often need a San Isidro hotel. That’s the neighborhood where most of the financial companies, the multinational headquarters, and the largest Peruvian company offices are based.
Sometimes this area can make sense for tourists too. Even though Miraflores and Barranco have more restaurants and bars you can walk to, San Isidro has some of the best hotels overall and the only spot for some of the international chain names. If you’re tied into a specific loyalty program for earning/cashing in, it may be worth staying in the business district for that reason. Taxis and Uber rides are both quite reasonable in Lima. You’ll often spend $5 or less to get from A to B and San Isidro is a bit closer to the airport than the other neighborhoods.
If you’re heading to Lima on your Peru trip and decide it makes sense to be in this neighborhood, here’s where to stay in San Isidro.
Country Club Lima Hotel
For lovers of small luxury hotels with a real personality, this is the best hotel in Lima. Housed in a 1927 mansion filled with 300 oil paintings from back when conquistadors were carving up territories, Country Club Lima is like no place else in the city. With a clubby leather and wood bar, a restaurant with a lovely terrace, and a swimming pool, there are plenty of places to relax. Add a bright conservatory area with stained glass for high tea and one of the prettiest lobbies in Peru to get a great location for business meetings or a romantic end to a vacation in Peru.
Rooms went through a recent round of renovations and are now a great mix of classic bones with some contemporary touches. Snag one with a balcony to look over the improbably country club golf course right in the city. Rates start at $190 in slow months but can top two grand for the Presidential Suite in peak periods. See a full review of Country Club Lima here and get more information on the official website. Book there or at Expedia.
Swissotel Lima
The Swissotel in Lima manages to pull off an amazing feat day after day: Swiss efficiency in the heart of Latin America. If you’re looking for European service instead of things happening when they happen, book a room at the Swissotel and stop stressing.
The training program here has a reputation of being the most robust in the country and it is backed up by regularly updated rooms and public areas that seldom disappoint. With multiple restaurants, a big lobby lounge for three-hours coffee meetings, and a nice outdoor pool in a spacious garden area, this luxury hotel near many international headquarters buildings is a dependable choice for expense account road warriors. See a detailed review of the Swissotel here and check prices online at Hotels.com.
Westin Lima
For a while there this was not only the highest building in Peru, it was one of the highest in South America. A few soon bumped it off its perch, but it still has more floors than some of the highest ones, at 34. So if you want a real birds-eye view of Lima, this is the place to stay.
This Westin is no cookie-cutter chain hotel though. It’s got interiors designed by Tony Chi and the Maras restaurant is headed up by well-known Peruvian chef Chef Rafael Piqueras. The Westin Lima also has one of the largest and best spas in the whole city. See rates and book online here.
Atton San Isidro by Pullman Hotel
This full-service business hotel is attractive to look at, has well-equipped rooms, and the rates are usually a good value. I found a whiff of distrust permeating this hotel though. Theft-proof hangers were in the closet, my minibar was locked and I wasn’t given a key, and I had to insert my room key in four different door locks to get to the gym, making me feel like Maxwell Smart in the old TV series.
Rooms are outfitted in standard mid-range business style, designed not to offend (or delight) anyone. The gray carpets and white and gray walls have few adornments and the laminated wood catalog furniture has a matching headboard attached to the wall. The desk chair is ergonomic enough for a few hours of work, however, and there are plenty of outlets on the desk and by the bed.
The pool complex here is really nice and the restaurants are better than you’d probably expect. If you need a reliable, no surprises business hotel with a good lobby for a few drinks with prospects, the Atton is a worthy choice. Check rates online here.
Hyatt Centric San Isidro Lima
I haven’t set foot in this one, so I can’t speak from personal experience, but the Hyatt Centric in Lima gets high marks from guests and the interiors are much hipper than you would expect from a business chain hotel. In addition to the chic lobby, bar, and guest rooms, there’s a swimming pool on site and rooms come with robes, slippers and 24/7 room service.
Rates at the Hyatt Centric are no bargain, often running $250 to $350, but if you’re a Hyatt Rewards member you might get an upgrade to a nice suite on the company tab. See more and book online here.
Novotel Lima
In many parts of the world, the Novotel brand of French chain Accor is nothing to get excited about. Here in Peru though, the Novotel is one of the top places to stay in San Isidro. This is partly because of its terrific location around the corner from the Swissotel and near the most pricey commercial real estate occupied by the likes of KPMG and Microsoft. It’s also a rather new hotel, opened this decade.
The Novotel in San Isidro is usually one of the best values around, often at less than $80 a night for a standard. There’s a swimming pool, a restaurant open for all three meals, a bar, and free valet parking even. See more details and rates here.
If this isn’t enough choices for you or you need to earn points from another program, there’s also a Wyndham Dazzler, a Radisson, and a Hampton by Hilton in the same area.
Best hotels in San Isidro article by editor Tim Leffel. Over the course of a decade and a half, he has been hosted at some of these properties while researching articles for other publications such as Imbibe, Global Traveler, and Luxury Latin America.