CIRQA - Relais & Châteaux

CIRQA is a conveniently located hotel in Arequipa, featuring unique local architecture blended with contemporary decor. It offers comfortable rooms and inviting common areas, including a charming interior patio and a rooftop bar. The service is outstanding, and the bar options are ideal for unwinding at the end of the day. We relished a delicious meal at its top-notch restaurant, and breakfast was another pleasant surprise with a variety of options to satisfy all tastes. A perfect choice if you're looking to experience a dream getaway.

One of the reasons people visit Arequipa is to acclimate to a higher altitude before going to Cusco. I'd argue that staying at CIRQA is worth the visit unto itself. We spent two nights here in between Lima and Cusco. The hotel entrance is almost hidden from view on the street. Entering it reminded me of the riads I stayed in when in Morocco. You're greeted by an attentive host and shown to your room. The property is small with only 11 rooms, all of which are immaculately decorated. Honestly, being here is like being in the pages of Architecture Digest. It's deserving of the White City. The service is unparalleled. We wanted for nothing. From our meals to our concierge with whom we communicated via Whatsapp throughout the day. The hotel is also just a 2 minute walk from the main square and close to all local sites you'd want to visit. We chose this property because of it's association with Relais & Chateaux and were very pleased with our stay.

Amazing luxury hotel within walking distance to all the historical sights and wonderful restaurants. Staff is amazing and they make you feel like family. Rooms are quiet with comfortable beds. Breakfast and dinner menu had many options and we were pleased to know that this is only for hotel guests. Every dish we ate was delicious. Dining room, patio and rooftop deck were wonderful options for having drinks, tea and food. Staff was so accommodating and always available. WhatsApp was a perfect way to request something and it (what ever we requested) would be there in minutes. We stayed for six nights and highly recommend this hotel!

I only went to their restaurant but what an amazing experience, best food in Peru (disclaimer, I didn’t get to go to other top restaurants due to long reservation lead times). Service was incredibly courteous, knowledgeable, and prompt. Ambience is elegant , high class. Came out totally impressed

The hotel is well-maintained, with beautiful and thoughtfully designed rooms. However, they are quite dark and have very few windows, which, when opened, leave the interior fully exposed to outside view. The staff was informal and the service did not reflect high standards. In the evening, while we were at dinner, no one came in for turndown service—something that had been done consistently in all the other Belmond hotels we stayed at during this trip. We had wet towels left in the room overnight, which created humidity. The welcome was very casual; we were neither invited to sit down nor shown the terrace or other hotel spaces—which, in any case, are quite small. There were also difficulties bringing our luggage to the room, and I ended up assisting the staff. Overall, not a service level one would expect from a high-end property. A beautiful hotel, but it lacks that extra touch. I would recommend it, though with some reservations about the service.