Country Club Lima Hotel

With a cosmopolitan flair reminiscent of Golden Age Hollywood, a clientele who demands luxury, and an international guest list that includes a who’s who of public figures, Country Club Lima Hotel serves as a reminder that classical elegance and modern luxury can form a perfect union.

After 2 years of planning and construction, the hotel opened in 1927 with a ceremony presided over by President Augusto B. Legula. The President’s remarks helped the hotel become an unofficial seat of power as artists and thinkers, ambassadors and envoys, international business moguls and Peruvian power players flocked here to rub elbows with their fellow elite. Surrounded by the exclusive Lima Golf Club and the hotel’s polo grounds, Country Club Lima continued its run as the place to be seen in Lima, a trend that continued through the 1950s (when Hollywood icon John Wayne met his Peruvian wife, Pilar Pallete, at the hotel) and to the present day. Walking the grounds, having drinks at the English Bar or dining at Perroquet, the hotels’ award-winning restaurant, you’ll likely catch a glimpse of a someone familiar, an artist or musician, a political figure, or an up-and-comer there to enjoy the serenity, drinks and food like you.

New Classic

The most recent renovations to this boutique property were extensive and sought to preserve and highlight the hotel’s 1920s Hispanic architecture while delivering modern updates throughout. Stunning marble floors, high ceilings with dark wooden beams and exquisite mosaic tilework in the lobby serve as an introduction to the hotel’s look and feel. Add to this an impressive collection of more than 300 artworks in the public areas and guestrooms – hand-carved furniture, gilded mirrors, paintings, sculptures, textiles and more – and you have a luxe ambience.

Deluxe Accommodations

Each of the 83 guest rooms and suites are decorated with works from the Pedro de Osma Museum, not the norm. Marble finishes in the baths, luxurious tapestries (that double as upholstered headboards), understated floral displays, and a bevy of small details combine to create a “just right” kind of opulence. Lavish touches like fine linens, plush towels and robes, grand wooden doors, and an intricate lighting system are standard. Suites are large enough to accommodate separate living and dining areas, and several rooms have terraces and balconies looking out over the city, Lima Golf Club, and the grounds.

From time to time, Country Club Lima Hotel partners with luxury brands to create an unparalleled guest experience. Currently, a partnership with Dom Perignon has transformed the Presidential Suite into the Suite Dom Perignon. In addition to posh accommodations, the suite comes with a host of VIP benefits including airport transfer, in-room check-in/check-out, welcome caviar upon arrival, a bottle of Dom Perignon 2009 each day and butler service. Guests also have access to a private cellar loaded with a selection of Dom Perignon vintages paired with a charcuterie menu.

Fine Dining

Perroquet, Country Club Lima Hotel’s restaurant, has been recognized as one of the best hotel restaurants in Lima. Even with the city’s reputation as a culinary destination, the restaurant stands out. Perhaps it’s the terrace overlooking the Golf Club’s back nine that adds to the appeal, but more likely it’s the blend of Peruvian and international dishes. The ceviche – with corvina, tuna and other fresh fish, – and causas, a dish of yellow potatoes, boiled egg, onion and crab, shrimp or sea bass – bring big Peruvian flavors to the table while the Certified Angus Beef served in a dish like Lomo Saltado make good on the promise of excellent steak in South America.

At the English Bar, a popular spot for writers and artists, the bar staff serves what many believe to be the best Pisco Sour in Lima. Pisco, a grape brandy, lends itself to the drink, and ordering one is the rule of the day if for no other reason than to watch the bartenders at work.

Chill Out

A large outdoor pool and a well-equipped gym give you active options – if you’re not playing golf or powerwalking to the ocean – but relaxing is on the menu as well. Yaku Spa offers massage therapies, facials, and body treatments you’d expect from a hotel of this caliber, but also day packages to pamper you.

If you want more grassroots activity, think about that walk to the ocean. A pleasant 10-minute stroll and you’ll have reached the cliffs overlooking the Pacific. Maybe you’ll spot surfers in the breaks or paragliders riding the wind as it climbs the cliff’s face. Whatever you see, the hotel will be a welcome sight upon returning.