Santa Lucia Hotel Cuenca

Every inch of Santa Lucia is immaculate with richly-decorated corridors, ornamented ceilings and a grand lounge furnished with antiques from as early as 1859. The main restaurant is set in a cavernous courtyard with pinstriped, cushioned chairs and serves a variety of cuisine, while the other is far more casual with pastoral paintings and a daily menu chalked up at the front. In the evening, Moshi Moshi bar provides an intimate setting for drinks and stories from the day.

Down its couch-lined corridors, Santa Lucia has 20 rooms and suites, all with plenty of gold, bright and bold hexagonal walls and daring red textiles. The beds are laid with crisp linens and all rooms feature plenty of antiques and framed photographs, just like the rest of the hotel. Large windows let in plenty of light and the rooms overlook either the city or central courtyard. Decorated in monochrome tones, the bathrooms feature huge mirrors and walk-in showers and are perfectly at odds with the bedrooms.

Stroll through Old Town, where you'll take in the powder-blue domes of the Cathedral Nuevo (or climb its tower for the ultimate view), the quaint Republican architecture, and picturesque river views. Explore on two wheels - the city provides bicycles to anyone who fancies pedalling around - or two feet. Take in the fragrant flower market famous for its roses, enjoy a dip in the bubbling Banos springs, and visit the Amaru Biopark, a mountainside rescue centre where you can hike to see jaguars, Andean bears and more.