Country Club Lima Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture your taxi turning off a leafy lane in San Isidro and emerging in front of a cream-colored Spanish-Colonial Revival building topped with red-tile roofs, big arched doorways, and tall palm trees lining the walkway — that's the first sight of Country Club Lima Hotel. It has operated continuously since 1927 and still looks as proud as it did on opening day. The building is registered as Peruvian national heritage, and you'll see why the moment you step inside. Soaring ceilings, antique crystal chandeliers, mosaic-tile floors hand-polished every morning, brown leather sofas that sink slightly when you sit (the kind newer hotels can't fake), and staff in dark uniforms who greet you with quiet, attentive courtesy. Rooms run firmly classical European — thick drapes, carved wood furniture, pastel bedding, hand-carved headboards, Persian rugs, and classic table lamps. Open the balcony doors and you face either the green expanse of Lima Golf Club (front-facing rooms) or the inner palm-lined courtyard (back-facing). Beds are reliably comfortable — many reviews mention sleeping their soundest of the trip. Bathrooms run large with mosaic tile and porcelain tubs, stocked with Bvlgari or Peruvian luxury-brand amenities.

Food and amenities

The single feature that sets this place apart in Lima is the art. More than 300 original artworks on loan from the Pedro de Osma Museum hang across every guest room, corridor, restaurant, and lounge — all genuine pieces, not prints. The collection includes Cuzco School paintings that fuse Spanish Catholic and Indigenous Andean traditions, portraits of old Spanish nobility, antique carved-wood furniture, and gilded decorative pieces you won't find in any other hotel. Around the property: an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, the Aqua Spa, and a 24-hour fitness center. For food, Perroquet is the signature restaurant — famous for breakfast featuring fresh tropical Peruvian fruit (don't miss the chirimoya and naranja agria juice). Bar Inglés is the classic English-style bar where the veteran bartenders pour what many guests describe as the best Pisco Sour they had in Lima. Around the property you'll find a large inner courtyard with tall trees and a fountain — the kind of quiet that has mostly disappeared from capital cities.

Location and getting there

Location is the other ace this hotel holds. Country Club Lima sits at the heart of San Isidro — the safest and most exclusive district in Lima — surrounded by parks, headquarters of major corporations, and some of the country's top restaurants, including the original Astrid & Gastón by chef Gastón Acurio, a few minutes' walk away. Directly across the street is Lima Golf Club, the private course where overnight guests get playing privileges (contact the concierge in advance). Walking around the neighborhood feels safe day or night, and the atmosphere has more in common with an upscale European residential district than a chaotic capital. The honest part: Lima has no metro line serving San Isidro, so taxi or Uber is required everywhere. Uber, Cabify, and inDriver all work well in Lima and run cheaper than street taxis. From the hotel: Miraflores is 10–15 minutes, the artsy Barranco district about 20, Centro Histórico with Plaza Mayor 25–40 minutes depending on traffic, and Jorge Chávez Airport roughly 45–60 minutes.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, the room design is firmly classical European — heavy drapes, carved wood, antique paintings everywhere. If you prefer minimalist-modern with bright white tones, the rooms will feel dark and heavy. Look at photos and reviews before booking. Second, rooms tucked toward the back of the building face the inner courtyard — pretty but quieter on atmosphere than the front-facing rooms overlooking the golf course. Request a Lima Golf Club–facing balcony at booking. Third, Lima has no useful metro network — every trip requires taxi or Uber. Travelers used to Asian or European metro convenience will need to adjust. Lima's weekday evening traffic is genuinely heavy; allow extra time, especially for reservations at popular restaurants. Finally, pricing sits in Lima's luxury tier — starting around $195/night and reaching about $2,340 for the Presidential Suite. Budget travelers will find cheaper options in Miraflores, but you'd lose the historic atmosphere that makes this place worth the splurge.

Our take

After working through hundreds of real guest reviews, our read is this: Country Club Lima Hotel earns its reputation on four things — the genuine 1927 building, the warm old-school service, the 300+ original artworks, and the safest most exclusive address in Lima. If the picture in your head looks like a slow sundowner Pisco Sour at Bar Inglés, browsing original paintings in the lobby without rushing, fresh tropical fruit on the garden terrace at 8 AM, then crossing the street for a morning tee time at Lima Golf Club — this is the perfect fit. If you want minimalist-modern rooms, a walkable tourist-zone hotel, or a base for sprinting across the city at speed, look elsewhere. Overall score 9.1/10. Best for couples, luxury travelers, and business guests who value historic mansion atmosphere over contemporary design.