The mountain chalet-styled retreat, Casa Andina Private Collection in the Sacred Valley is from July enriched with four new spectacular cottages of 150, 170 and 180 m². All are equipped with large living rooms making them ideal for families or guests that simply prefer a more spacious and upscale retreat to get relaxed in the valley. Three of the cottages can accommodate up to 4 guests in two independent double rooms sharing the living room. See some pictures here and fact sheet under following link. Please ask your account executive for the current rates.

As of July 15th, travelers wishing to ascend Wayna Picchu in combination with their visit to Machu Picchu will have to pay an increment of approx. USD 12 per person. From mid July a new ticket sales procedure will apply as well. This measure aims at avoiding the current long lines in Aguas Calientes for ticket purchase in the early morning (sold on a first-come, first-served basis due to the restriction in the number of travelers entering Wayna Picchu). We remind you that only 400 visitors are allowed to access Wayna Picchu daily. From July 15th tickets for Wayna Picchu have to be purchased in advance. The visitor’s name on the ticket can be modified except the date of the visit to Machu Picchu. In case of ‘no show’, the amount paid for the entrance fee won’t be reimbursed.

Casa Concha in Cusco will open its doors on July 5th and display the artifacts unearthed in Machu Picchu that have been returned by the University of Yale. The exhibition Machu Picchu is part of the activities in the Inca city commemorating the scientific discovery of the citadel 100 years ago.

MasterCard Worldwide predicts Lima in the world top five when it comes to growth in the amount of money withdrawn by tourists. With an expected increase of 25 % for 2011 Lima is discovering a record growth in tourism together with Riyadh, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Barcelona.

Lima will host the annual meeting of the advisory council of Basque Culinary Center, known by the press as the G9. The group of the nine world’s most famous chefs is headed by Ferran Adria and includes Masimo Bottura, Alex Atala, Rene Redzepi, Michel Bras, Dan Barber, Hattori, Heston Blumenthal and the Peruvian Gaston Acurio. They will meet in September 9-11 in parallel with the gastronomic festival ‘MISTURA‘. The top chefs will discuss how to turn gastronomy into opportunities especially for the deprived ones in the society and their responsibility in creating a positive impact on agriculture, environment, innovation, education, nutrition among others.

Hilton has announced the opening of its first hotel in Chile. The property belonging to the brand Hilton Garden Inn will be located within the largest business complex in the city only 3 km from Santiago Airport and 20-min drive from the city center. Hilton will open this 144-room property in August ‘11. Complimentary shuttle service to/from the airport is available every 30 minutes.

Patagonia is an impressive place and a visit throughout the entire year is well worth. Although many hotels close their doors during the Patagonian winter, more and more hotels can be found open, welcoming guests to the beautiful region of Chile. One of them is Hosteria Lago Grey, located within the National Park Torres del Paine, offering all services such as the ferry ride to Grey Glacier and walking tours inside the National Park.

After having completed the work to prevent landslides in the gorge, PeruRail has resumed operations from Poroy station (20-min drive from Cusco) to Machu Picchu as of May 16th in its three train categories: Expedition, Vistadome and Hiram Bingham.