The best hotels in South America: 2025 Readers' Choice Awards
Maybe it’s the Paddington effect, but after a period of domestic turmoil, Peru is back in the game, fielding no less than eight hotels on our South America list – including Inkaterra La Casona, set in a 16th-century manor house where Simón Bolivar once stayed. Another top pick from the Peruvian eco-hotel brand was Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo for its village location near the mystical Incan ruins, while others revelled in South America’s natural beauty. Explora El Chaltén, for instance, buries its smart lodge complex at the heart of the glorious Argentinian Patagonia, and Brazil's Villas de Trancoso unfurls its beach house cluster across both white-sand coastline and tropical jungle. Ultimately, it was Brazil’s colourful capital which stole the show, with its dazzling landmark palace crowned as your favourite South American base.
These are the best hotels in South America, according to the 2025 Readers' Choice Awards. The scores below are percentages representing overall average levels of satisfaction.

