five-star hotel
Hotel ratings are often used to classify hotels according to their quality. From the initial purpose of informing travellers on basic facilities that can be expected, the objectives of hotel rating have expanded into a focus on the hotel experie ...
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
built in the 17th century on Inca foundations. The hotel is located two blocks from the
Plaza de Armas
The ''Plaza de Armas'' (literally Weapons Square, but better translated as Parade Square or parade ground) is the name for Latin American main squares. In the central region of Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo and in Central America as ...
.
History
Seminary
In keeping with the decrees of the
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described a ...
regarding the training of the
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
Bishop of Cusco
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cusco ( la, Cuschen(sis)) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese with see in the city and old Inca imperial capital of Cusco, in Peru.Colegio Seminario de San Antonio Abad (College Seminary of St. Anthony the Abbot) and entrusted its administration to the
. Its purpose was to provide training to young men who wanted to serve the Church, especially the sons of impoverished '' conquistadores''. It was built on the foundations of the palace of the Sapa Inca
Túpac Amaru
Túpac Amaru (1545 – 24 September 1572) (first name also spelled Tupac, Topa, Tupaq, Thupaq, Thupa, last name also spelled Amaro instead of Amaru) was the last Sapa Inca of the Neo-Inca State, the final remaining independent part of the Inca ...
. A major earthquake struck and damaged the building in 1650. In the process of reconstruction, a Baroque-style chapel was built.
In the mid-20th century, the Jesuits obtained the financial support of Cardinal
Richard Cushing
Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder ...
, the
Archbishop of Boston
The Archdiocese of Boston ( la, Archidiœcesis Bostoniensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New England region of the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the whole of ...
, for the building of a new seminary. The school moved to this new facility in 1965.
Hotel
At that point, the seminary buildings were acquired and remodeled into the hotel that it is now. The Hotel Monasterio is considered a historical landmark and is protected by Peru's National Institute of Culture. There are stones around the entrance doors that still have the original Spanish Arms Escutcheon. It also has a portrait of the 18th-century Bishop José Manuel de Sarricolea y Olea. The former chapel contains old paintings and gold plated frames. In the center of the hotel, there is a courtyard that holds a fountain and an old cedar tree that is 300 years old. The hotel includes Peruvian-style restaurants and a bar that include the following: El Tupay Restaurant, Illariy Restaurant, Deli Monasterio, and the Lobby Bar. It was inaugurated after extensive restoration by the Chairman of Peru Hotel, Peruvian entrepreneur Lorenzo Sousa, in 1995, considered the promoter and pioneer of luxury tourism in Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, as well as luxury train service thought southern Peru.
Hotel Monasterio is currently a 50/50 joint venture denominated Peru Orient Express Hotels SA, between Lorenzo Sousa and family, and Orient Express Hotels Ltd, and has won most of the awards in the industry for Peruvian Hotels during the last 15 years.
Hotel Monasterio was obtained by the Sousa group after the privatization process of Entur Peru during 1994 and it opened its doors in the CADE of 1995. Since then Hotel Monasterio has been remodeled two times to update its rooms and common areas, it was the first Hotel to include oxygen inside its rooms to decrease altitude sickness.
In 1999 Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. took over management of the hotel.
In 2014 Hotel Monasterio was renamed as Belmond Hotel Monasterio. This marked the change of the Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. name to
Belmond Ltd.
Belmond Ltd. (formerly Orient-Express Hotels Ltd) is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide. In 2015, the company had 35 deluxe hotels, 7 tourist trains, 3 river cruises and rest ...