The Machu Picchu Pueblo Inn in Aguas Calientes is a great experience unto itself and we would recommend a jouney to stay there even if it didn’t have the famous ruins just a 20-minute bus ride away. All of the customer service employees come from Lima or Cusco, and they speak English well. All of the other employees speak Spanish and NEVER fail to greet you no matter where you are. The food was locally produced and of high quality — we definitely recommend getting the breakfast/dinner meal plan. The rooms are well appointed and stylishly decorated.
Despite the high quality of food, service and lodging, our favorite part of the hotel had to be the hummingbirds. They are abundant both in numbers and in variety of species. It is said that up to 14 species of hummingbird can be seen on the lush hotel grounds, but we only saw four. However, that was plenty as the quick little birds are spectacular. We got up early every morning to watch the birds as the feeders were put out. I will add a travelogue of hummingbird photos that we took.