Ollantaytambo train station, Sacred Valley

El Albergue Ollantaytambo

★★★★★

El Albergue is the most characterful place to stay in Ollantaytambo and probably the most convenient hotel for Machu Picchu in the whole Sacred Valley, because it sits literally on the railway platform. It opened in 1925 as the Hotel Santa Rosa and has grown over the decades into a small, much-loved country inn, with whitewashed adobe buildings, wooden balconies and rooms arranged around gardens full of fuchsia, passionflower, peach and avocado trees, where hummingbirds feed among the flowers. The rooms are simple and comfortable rather than luxurious, decorated with local textiles and wood, and they are a world away from the generic hotels near most stations. The property has become a small food and drink destination in its own right: El Albergue restaurant serves Andean and Peruvian dishes built around produce from the hotel's own farm, the Destileria Andina produces spirits on site, and Cafe Mayu roasts coffee and serves it by the tracks. Guests can also join the farm experiences, including a traditional pachamanca, the Andean feast cooked underground with hot stones. There are hammocks in the garden and a sauna for after a day at the ruins. The Ollantaytambo fortress and the Inca streets of the old town are a ten-minute walk up the station road, and the valley sites of Moray, Maras and Pisac, as well as rafting, biking and riding, are within easy reach. Fit: couples, food lovers and anyone taking an early train to Machu Picchu who wants character, gardens and a good dinner rather than a big resort.

Location math: you cannot be closer to the Machu Picchu trains than this. Guests walk from the garden straight onto the platform, which removes the stress of the congested station road at departure times and makes the earliest trains easy. The Ollantaytambo old town and fortress are about ten minutes uphill on foot, Urubamba is around twenty to thirty minutes by road, and Cusco is roughly an hour and a half by car. Trains to Aguas Calientes take about an hour and a half.

Who it suits: couples, independent travelers and food lovers who value atmosphere and gardens over facilities. It is a small inn, so do not expect a pool, a spa or large family suites, and train noise is part of the charm during the day; trains do not run through the night. Book well ahead for the dry season, when the limited rooms fill early, and reserve the restaurant for dinner even if you are not staying, as it is one of the best tables in town.

How it compares: the Sacred Valley's resort hotels, such as Explora or the Casa Andina Premium near Urubamba, offer more space and amenities, while guesthouses in the Inca grid of the old town put you among the cobbled streets. El Albergue combines history, food and the platform location in a way no other property in town does. Ollantaytambo sits at about 2,800 meters, lower than Cusco, so it is also a gentle place to acclimatize.