Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Expect to be in the humid jungle where it rains a lot. Do not expect to see big snakes and animals; maybe a caiman and some mosquitos. Buy a $10 hat with a net in the US. Expect good food and VERY helpful staff and management folks. Excursions are ok but this is not your exciting tv Discovery trip. Canopy walk is OK. My wife went to Lake Sandoval with a guide and cut the 5 hours down to 3 & loved it. A special shout out to Guide Michel, Alejandro (waiter extraordinaire), Xiomara-guide with a perpetual smile, and Sr. Percy Ccopa (who goes the extra mile to get things right!

We came for a 4 night trip for our 5 year anniversary and it was a very mixed experience. We came in the wet season in January. The lodge itself felt like you were on a movie set. The rooms were great, loved the hammocks and being able to take a nap when it rained! They had hot showers when the power was on until about 10:30 pm. Fans in the room, but not on at night. It didn't get too hot at night for us. They had Housekeeping twice a day which was great. The bed and all of our clothes were wet from how humid the air was. The restaurant was pretty good. The staff service was the best, like a 5 star restaurant. The music ambience was on point. They did fresh meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They do have a menu you can order off of for breakfast but we didn't find out until a few days in. They have water you can refill in front of the Explorer lodge. The dinner menu was very limited options, and the lunch menu never changed. Drinks are not included, and they are american prices. Same with the spa, they are luxury American spa prices, not comparable at all to other spas in cusco. They give you boots for the excursions. The excursions that are included are quite limited - walks through the trails, boat rides and the canopy treetop bridges was the best. Everything else was extra, and not cheap. The mosquitoes were unreal. You are basically walking through a swarm for an hour. The citronella doesn't help. This made the walking excursions miserable, the boat rides were not so bad. However if you are coming and expecting to see a lot of wildlife, you will be disappointed. A lot of our guide talks were about the plants since we didn't see much wildlife. Our guide (Rico) was very knowledgeable and friendly. Overall it was a decent experience. The lodge and staff was very nice, the pricing seems a little high for what you are getting. We recently went to an african safari lodge and were expecting something relatively similar, but it fell very short of expectations. Not sure if other amazon lodges would have the same experience, but I would probably look into another area to see if more wildlife and excursions are included.

The cabana (rooms) is excellent. Nested within the landscape with nice netting to view the forest & rest in comfort. All the staff were very warm. Alexandria, Abnera & Favio to mention in particular. The excursions planned were very good. Give us a good experience of the rain forest. The food was excellent & abundant. A great experience we had over 4D3N.

Excellent food, shame about the overly ridged guides and lack of management. This could be a wonderful place but it is tired and lacks privacy. The chef is very good. The river exciting but the lack of choice given to guests is disappointing.

Did a two-night stay at the Inkaterra Amazonica Lodge from November 28 to November 30, 2024. As a longtime admirer of the Inkaterra brand, I had high expectations for a luxurious and serene experience, but the reality of our stay was deeply disappointing and far below the standards Inkaterra is known for. Below, I outline the significant issues we encountered and the actions I urge Inkaterra to take to remedy this situation. 1. False Advertising and Neglected Maintenance The property is marketed as a luxury eco-lodge, but it is anything but. The lodge is in a state of disrepair, appearing to have been neglected for decades. Specific issues included mushrooms growing on rotting wood within our room and mold on the mesh wire of the outdoor shower—both clear health hazards. Compounding this was a malfunctioning fan above our bed that failed to circulate air effectively, leaving us unable to sleep in the extreme heat and humidity. This lack of investment and maintenance is unacceptable for a property positioned as luxurious. 2. Unacceptable Environment: Large, Unruly Group of Guests While the property is not adults-only, the marketing emphasizes tranquility and romance, which was entirely absent during our stay. The lodge was overtaken by a large group of 50+ guests, including 30+ children. Their behavior included: • Yelling and screaming at all hours, with no parental supervision. • Breaking into other guests’ huts, as witnessed by another guest. • Disturbing the serene environment of not only Lake Sandoval but every area of the property, including the dining room and treetop walkway. The group’s behavior was so disturbing and disruptive that we had no choice but to re-arrange our meals and excursions in an attempt to avoid them, even though they were simply unavoidable. Why were we, paying guests seeking a tranquil, romantic experience, forced to make these accommodations when they were the problem? Their presence turned the property into a “summer camp,” or as my fellow guest from Texas described it, a “circus” or a “zoo.” 3. Misleading Marketing and Operational Failures Key operational shortcomings were not disclosed before booking, such as daily power outages during the afternoons and overnight (11 PM–5 AM). Without fans, the rooms became unbearably hot, further detracting from the comfort of our stay. This property fell so far below the standard of excellence demonstrated at Inkaterra Urubamba (which is spectacular) that it has irreparably damaged my trust in the brand. 4. Violation of Privacy On the evening of November 29, at approximately 5:15 PM, while my wife and I were enjoying alone time in our room, a staff member knocked and was told, “No, please go away.” He ignored this instruction and entered the room anyway. Despite repeated demands to leave, he lingered, seeming to watch us until I screamed at him four times—loud enough for other guests to hear—before he finally left. While Hugo, the head guide, took this matter seriously, conducted an investigation, and provided an explanation, we never received an apology from the staff member himself. His lack of English comprehension may have contributed to this incident, but the word “No” is universal and was stated multiple times in both English and Spanish. This invasion left us feeling deeply violated and unsafe in what should have been a private sanctuary. Although retraining for the staff member is clearly necessary, we do not want any member of the property’s staff to be disciplined or terminated. The staff at Inkaterra Amazonica was the best part of our experience. They worked tirelessly under incredibly difficult circumstances and deserve recognition and bonuses for how they handled this overwhelming group situation. 5. Accountability The blame for this unacceptable experience lies not with the frontline staff, who were kind, hardworking, and equally overwhelmed, but with two key decision-makers: 1. The General Manager in Lima – Delegating all responsibilities to Hugo when the local manager was sick was an abdication of duty. While Hugo did his best, he is not a hotel manager and should never have been placed in this position. For a property of this caliber, this level of mismanagement is inexcusable, and the GM should be terminated for their negligence. 2. Head of Reservations in Lima – The decision to book a 50+ person group, including 30+ unruly children, alongside other guests was reckless and greedy. To compound matters, the group booking was not communicated to us or our travel agency; had it been, we would have booked elsewhere. Such a group should have been required to do a full buyout, not placed alongside guests seeking tranquility. This decision has irreparably damaged Inkaterra’s reputation, and the individual responsible should also be terminated. With LVMH, the world’s largest luxury brand, acquiring Inkaterra ‘s main competitor Belmond, Inkaterra faces a significant competitive threat. LVMH, with its unparalleled resources and reputation as the global gold standard for luxury, is better positioned than ever to invest in and elevate its properties. Allowing such mismanagement at Inkaterra Amazonica endangers the Inkaterra brand’s credibility and its ability to compete effectively against a much larger company. Inkaterra’s customer base at this property is 60% of its clientele, yet the company management takes its American clientele for granted and assumes we will sit quietly while they ‘bait and switch’ us. 7. The Good Despite these failures, the staff deserves recognition. Hugo, the manager of guides and experiences, and Anderson, one of the guides, went above and beyond to mitigate a situation they were unprepared and unsupported to handle. Their dedication and professionalism deserve significant acknowledgment and reward. Conclusion Peru is an amazing country, filled with kind, generous people and an incredible history and culture. The food is off the charts. There are many beautiful places to stay with exceptional service. THIS IS NOT ONE. SAVE YOUR MONEY. STAY ELSEWHERE.