Titilaka by Andean

Style

Lady of the Lake

Setting

Water, water everywhere

Perched on a Peruvian peninsula on the rambling banks of Lake Titicaca, an hour from any town, all-inclusive stay Titilaka by Andean looks and feels removed from real life. Plunked in the middle of some of the world’s most remote and spectacular surroundings, this isolation is also steeped in history, just a boat ride from the birthplace of the Incans. It’s not just about the outdoors here: local artwork, excellent fare and dazzling rooms remind you of the lengths the staff go to create splendour in this tiny, secluded and breath-stealingly scenic spot.

Facilities

Rooms

17, including two suites.

Checkout

10am, but flexible, subject to availability (at half the room rate). Earliest check-in, 1pm.

More Details

Rates at Titilaka include all meals and drinks (except premium alcohol), daily scheduled group excursions, and shared transfers to and from the airport.

Also

Unfortunately, Titilaka by Andean is not suitable if you have mobility issues.

Hotel Closed

Mid-January each year for refurbishment.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Massage room, TV/reading room, DVD library, free WiFi throughout, gardens. In rooms: iPod dock, minibar, free bottled water, organic bath products, underfloor heating.

Our Favourite Rooms

Each room has a lake view, but the Corner rooms on the third floor have double windows with captivating vistas — just throw back the blackout curtains and take in the panorama from the comfort of your enormous bed. Start the day in splendour with striking views from the Dawn rooms. Opt for one on the third floor, where the open-plan bathroom’s freestanding tub will offer the best lake look-out.

Spa

There’s no spa as such, but massages can be arranged in the comfort of your room on request for an additional cost.

Packing Tips

The temperature dips quite low, so stock up on alpaca sweaters. You can leave thermal pyjamas at home, though: the hot water bottles replenished each evening at the foot of your bed will warm your cockles. Each room also has sandals, handmade using recycled rubber tyres. Leave room to pack Peruvian textiles from the locals who weave wall hangings and rugs from impossibly bright threads. Note that there are no ATMs in the vicinity, so arrive stocked with local currency (nuevos soles).

Also

Each night, staff leave you a poem with colourful details about the activities that await you the next day. And bath products are as local as can be: they are made by the owner’s sister using muña, or Andean mint.

Children

Welcome: cots for babies and toddlers are free; older children can stay in their parents’ room on the sleeper sofa at no charge.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Opt for window seats at lunch to best enjoy the view. On beautiful evenings, the terrace is secluded and romantic.

Dress Code

Bold prints and modern jewellery will keep you as stylish as the art on display.

Hotel Restaurant

The house restaurant makes the lake the star, with floor-to-ceiling windows promising 270º panoramic views over the water, and many ingredients , such as lake trout, plundered from its depths. Specials change every four days and the menu showcases locally sourced, contemporary Peruvian dishes, featuring regional specialties such as quinoa and alpaca meat.

Hotel Bar

The long lakefront lounge serves drinks until 2:30am; after hours, there’s always the free minibar in your room. All drinks – except a few spirits and premium wines – are included in the rate, so sit back with a cocktail. The staff can shake nearly anything, but the tart and frothy pisco sour is the national speciaity.

Last Orders

Dinner is served until 10:30pm says 7–9 online. Early risers can have breakfast as early as 5:30am, but don’t worry if you fancy a lie-in; it’s available until noon.

Room Service

Drinks and casual bites, including sandwiches, soups and salads, can be brought to you at any time.

Planes

Inca Manco Cápac Airport, in Juliaca (half an hour by car from Puno), is just under two hours’ drive from the hotel. Several airlines, including Lan (www.lan.com), Star Peru (www.starperu.com) and Taca (www.taca.com) operate flights to and from Peruvian cities, including Lima (four times a day), Arequipa and Cusco (both twice a day).

Trains

The closest station is in Puno, a 45-minute drive away. PeruRail (www.perurail.com) runs a sublimely scenic route through the Andes to Cusco a few times a week.

Automobiles

The 45-minute drive from Puno can be stressful at night, when roads are not well lit. If you do drive, there's plenty of free parking at the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Prepare to spend your days afloat. Titilaka gives guests free use of kayaks and rowing boats. Inkasailing (www.inkasailing.com) operates a spectacular sailing boat on the lake: charter it on your own or book a tour. The staff provide lunch, drinks and snacks as you skim the water. On land, borrow a mountain bike from the hotel, hike the nearby hills or stroll the shoreline.

The staff can arrange dozens of full-day trips. Travel to Titicaca’s Uros Floating Islands, which are fashioned from reeds by the native Uros people who live on them. Charter a boat to the secluded Taquile Island, toward the Bolivian side of the lake. The island is home to traditional weavers whose textiles, ponchos and purses are Unesco-protected as cultural heritage.

A four-hour boat ride south from the hotel, the lake’s Isla del Sol is the birthplace of the Incans. The island’s 80 ruins date back to the 1400s, though scientists believe that people inhabited the island as early as the third millennium BC. The island holds an Incan garden, a traditional medicine centre and a shop with souvenir-worthy handicrafts.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .