Peru Offers Upscale Hotel Options For Biz Travel To S.A.

Peruvian-bound business travelers almost certainly first will arrive in the capital city of Lima, which is home to a slew of business-friendly hotels and where connections are made to other Peruvian cities and other South American points.

Before leaving home, however, business travelers should be advised of several key aspects about Peru.

For instance, while it is often difficult to find nonstop, intra-Peru flights, Lima-bound travelers from the United States should search for nonstop or no-change-of-plane flights.

At press time, carriers offering New York-area to Lima nonstops included Continental Airlines out of Newark Liberty International Airport and Lan Peru, a subsidiary of Lan Chile, from New York JFK International Airport.

Also, prior to arrival in Lima, business travelers should arrange to have their hotel's car service meet them at Jorge Chavez International Airport. Since Lima is a great sprawl of a city that effectively lacks a center, hiring a car and driver is the only way to navigate it sensibly and safely.

Meanwhile, within Lima, government structures still congregate around the downtown Plaza d'Armas, but the key addresses business travelers typically need to visit likely will be in the upscale Miraflores or San Isidro districts. Invariably, these areas are where Lima's business towers and the quality hotels that serve their clientele are located.

For those with the option, the Miraflores Park Hotel should be the upscale site of choice. One of Lima's more deluxe properties, the Orient Express-owned property is a US$25, 40-minute car ride from the airport. The hotel claims elegant service, expansive views of the Pacific Ocean from 80 percent of its 81 rooms, fine dining and a well-equipped business center.

The Miraflores Park Hotel also features in-room Internet connections for US$10 per 24-hour period. Rooms feature spacious marble or granite bathrooms, fax machines and two phone lines with dataports. Also onsite are spa, sauna and massage services, an indoor squash court, rooftop swimming pool and a modern fitness center.

According to spokesperson Joanna Boyen, the Miraflores Park Hotel is primarily a business hotel, with 70 percent of its guests traveling on business.

"A big portion of our guests are repeat clients who come and go frequently on business," she said. "The hotel is also very popular with embassies and often is the choice of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for visiting dignitaries. North American travelers account for 35 percent of our clientele."

The Miraflores Park hotel also will arrange for reasonably priced car and driver service for transportation needs in and around Lima. That is critical since, in general, travelers should forget about using local transit and make no attempt to drive Lima's challenging streets and highways on their own. The hotel also offers direct links to its two other Peruvian properties: in Cusco and at the entrance to Machu Picchu.

While Cusco and Machu Picchu primarily are tourist destinations, both are world-renowned places of interest that should not be missed if a traveler already is in the region.

A visit to the Inca capital of Cusco and the ruins of Machu Picchu are well worth tacking on a few vacation days to experience. Orient Express operates Cusco's only upscale property—the Monasterio, a modernized 17th century seminary—and the Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel right at the entrance to Machu Picchu.

Another prime Lima choice is the Sonesta Posada del Inca in San Isidro. Close to key corporate office towers, banks and fine restaurants, the 134-room property also caters to business travelers and features a rooftop outdoor pool, free Internet access and other typical amenities. The Sonesta also offers support for visiting business travelers, including a corps of English-speaking drivers with vehicles.

Sonesta International Hotels also has another property in Lima, the 28-room Miraflores hotel, as well as hotels in Cusco, Puno—near the Peru/Bolivia border on Lake Titicaca—and in Arequipa, Peru's second largest city.

In Arequipa, the Sonesta del Inca—which is located directly on the main square—enjoys, according to many business travelers' claims, the most convenient and central location in town.

Another Lima business traveler favorite is the 244-room Swissôtel. Rooms feature spacious work areas, featuring oversize desks and executive leather chairs. The property includes a special executive floor with private lounge and meeting rooms.

Additionally, the Swissôtel offers six meeting rooms, pre-function space for up to 800 attendees, a 620-sq.-ft. ballroom, 10 private boardrooms, garden and terrace space for a tent accommodating up to 1,650 attendees, ISDN lines for videoconferencing and a well-equipped business center with computer workstations and Internet access.