This Luxury Hotel On Lake Titicaca Has Only One Room And It's Stunning

On the small Lake Titicaca island of Amantaní – where life has remained almost unchanged since the time of the Incas – a young local has done what many once considered unthinkable: opened up the island’s first-ever luxury hotel. But that’s not all. With a revolutionary concept of combining the “micro-boutique” experience with eco-friendly architecture and socially responsible projects, this one-room suite might just be the first of its kind.

Meet co-founder Señor Oswaldo

Señor Oswaldo was born and raised on Amantaní, an island on the Peruvian side of the majestic Lake Titicaca. After spending some 20 years working in the tourism industry in Lima and in Europe, he came back to his family home with an idea: what if he could improve the lives of the people of Amantaní through sustainable, community-led tourism?

Meet Amantaní-native Oswaldo, Amantica Lodge’s co-founder and local partner

Although there were a handful of rustic homestays available on the island (one of which was his own family home), Oswaldo believed that Amantaní had only scratched the surface when it came to fulfilling its huge tourism potential. His mission was this: to offer Lake Titicaca’s first locally owned, managed and operated micro-boutique hotel.

With help from eco-design specialists Ecco Wek and architect and co-founder Tom Gimbert, Oswaldo’s vision for a sustainable, luxury suite was brought to life. On a private piece of land that Oswaldo inherited from his family, the team got to work on building a highly secluded apartment (you’ll need to take a flight, car, and then a boat from Lima to get here) into the rocky cliffs that look out directly over the never-ending expanse of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake.

The lodge is built directly into the cliffside using only natural materials

Almost five years after Oswaldo, Gimbert and Ecco Wek started this venture, the beautiful Amantica Lodge finally opened to the public. A night here includes a private chef and butler service, an à-la-carte activity menu (put together by Oswaldo himself), and, of course, your very own private villa overlooking the deep blues of Lake Titicaca and, on a clear day, the snow-capped mountains of the Andes in the distance. With not a single other guest at the hotel, you’ll have the undivided attention of five members of staff throughout your stay.

Breakfast is prepared and brought to your terrace by your private chef

Stunning, environmentally conscious design

Since the first inhabitants arrived here hundreds – maybe even thousands – of years ago, homes have been built from natural resources found on the island. To better fit in with the local architecture – and to minimize its environmental impact – the lodge is built entirely from adobe wood, totora reeds, and stones from the island, much of which has been left exposed to give the lodge a rustic-chic feel.

Amantica is built from adobe wood, totora reeds, and stones from the island

Like many homes on the island, the lodge also runs entirely off of solar energy. It has floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the property to enjoy the lake’s views, a gas chimney stove, a jacuzzi bathtub-for-two built directly into the cliffside, and a chill-out deck that, by day, offers views of the Andes and, by night, a lit-up sky ablaze with stars.

Amantica Lodge runs entirely off solar energy

Highly personalized, local experiences

So why only the one room? The vision to build a stunning, eco-friendly home that could co-exist with its surroundings wasn’t the founders’ only mission. Amantica was also built to offer something very special: an exclusive, highly personalized local experience.

Amantica Lodge offers complete seclusion from Lake Titicaca’s tourist crowds

A stay at the lodge not only allows guests to escape Lake Titicaca’s ever-growing crowds, it also connects visitors to the local community – on a personal level. Package stays at the lodge include a long list of local activities (organized privately upon request), such as fishing with local fishermen, learning to weave with the female artisan community, visiting local schools, and taking trips to the nearby Uros and Taquile islands.

Amantica Lodge connects you with the native inhabitants of Lake Titicaca

Social responsibility

The final, and most important, part of Amantica’s mission is supporting the local community. The lodge is entirely run by local residents, opening vital sources of income and giving its workers the skills they need to be employable elsewhere or, even, start their own hospitality business.

A local woman tends to Amantica’s herb garden

As the only luxury hotel on the island, Amantica Lodge also donates a percentage of its profits towards new social projects. Past projects include building a sheltered dock for the island’s fishermen, providing running water to local homes, and helping women set up weaving workshops to sell their craft.

A local fisherman works with Amantica Lodge to offer traditional fishing tours on the Lake

Although Amantica Lodge is still in its early stages, it has already become a shining example of how luxury tourism can strive to be 100 percent community-focused. In the coming years, Oswaldo hopes to build a selection of secluded, eco-friendly, one-room lodges, all while keeping his most important promise: to improve the lives of the people of Amantaní.

Amantica Lodge, Amantani Island, Lake Titicaca, Ocosuyo, Peru

Amantica Lodge is an example of how luxury tourism can strive to be 100% community-focused

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