Peru: Presidential Suite

The next stop on our journey didn’t go quite as planned. We landed in Peru on the last week of January, right as the president of Peru announced one of the strictest COVID-19 lockdowns we have encountered. Not only was it the strictest lockdown we’ve encountered so far, but one of the strictest in the world as well due to their rise in cases.

Luxury Hotel

We stayed at the luxurious JW Marriott Hotel in Lima, Peru which ended up being the highlight of the trip. Because of my status, the hotel upgraded us to the Presidential Suite which we got to stay in for $900 per night. One perk of the pandemic, I guess. It was luxurious to say the least!

The view from the room was spectacular, overlooking the ocean. The suite had several large sitting areas, a baby grand piano in the center of the room, a bar, a full dining area, and a sauna. Additionally, the bathroom had a large soaking tub and a separate glass shower with an amazing rain shower head. It was extremely relaxing, especially watching the sunset from the room each night.

COVID-19 Lockdown

After landing in Peru and hearing about the lockdown, we decided to wait around for a couple of days to see if it was really going to be as serious as they were saying. Turns out it was and pretty much everything was closed. Our original plan was to go to Machu Picchu, rainbow mountain, and the salt ponds, but we didn’t get to go because they were all closed. Overall, we were pretty bummed and felt like it was a waste. But we plan to stop in Peru again on our way back to the United States!

The only redeeming factors were the presidential suite, and the hotel food. It was actually pretty good for hotel food, which is rare! The view was amazing but it was cloudy most days. overall, I’m happy we will have another shot at it on our way back.

Traveling during a pandemic definitely has its ups and downs. Sometimes plans change all you can do is make the most of it. Follow along on my adventures for our Peru do-over!