Belmond Miraflores Park

The hotel sits on the Malecón de la Reserva in Miraflores, looking straight out over the Pacific, next to Parque Domodossola and the long run of clifftop parks and walkways along the coast. It has 87 rooms and suites, including two signature suites, and some suites have their own terrace or plunge pool. The heated rooftop pool looks out over the ocean and is the best place to spend a free afternoon.

Lima is where most Peru trips start and end, and it is one of the best food cities in South America. Miraflores Park works well as a base for eating your way through it. Tragaluz is the main restaurant, serving modern Peruvian food, while the rooftop Observatory and Belo Bar cover lighter meals and cocktails. The hotel also offers cooking classes and tastings. Barranco is about a 15-minute walk, and the airport is roughly 45 minutes by car, depending on traffic.

This is a good fit for travelers who want a reliable, well-run hotel with ocean views between long flights and the Andes. Couples and families both do well here. The caveats: it is a city hotel on a busy coastal road, not a resort, and Lima's coast is often grey and misty from about June to October. Airport transfers can run long in traffic, so leave plenty of time before flights.