Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the ongoing renovation of the Hotel Monasterio will be the oxygen-enrichment of a number of our rooms …………

As you know, Cusco is situated at a height of 3,400 metres (11 000 ft). The problem is that guests usually fly into Cusco from Lima (sea level). The rapid ascent from Lima to Cusco which only takes one hour by air means that there is no time foracclimatization and consequently the guests are at risk of altitude sickness.

Medical and Physiological Aspects of High Altitude
In Cusco, the atmospheric pressure is app 680 millibars  (sea level atmospheric pressure is 1000 millibars) – this translates to a 30% fall in available oxygen. The effect of this decrease in inspired oxygen (hypoxia) leads to the symptomsof acute altitude sickness. These symptoms include headache, nausea, insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability and breathlessness. In isolated cases, these symptoms worsen and progress to the more serious complications of high altitude pulmonary oedema orto high altititude cerebral oedema.

While the 2 more serious aspects of high altitude sickness are unlikely to occur in a setting such as the Hotel Monasterio, altitude sickness itself is extremely common and at this altitude, affects at least 50% of guests. One of the most debilitatingaspects of altititude  sickness is poor sleep. There is now conclusive evidence that poor sleep leads to irritability during the day. If the oxygenation can be improved at night during sleep, then oxygenation of the body during theday             
is also improved and hence the ability of the guests to enjoy their stay in Cusco. In short:- Improved sleep by improved oxygenation will result in better daytime performance and health.

The Hotel Monasterio will counteract the problem of high altitude by using oxygen concentrators to enrich the atmosphere in the rooms. Oxygen will be piped into the rooms 24 hours a day, oxygenating the rooms down to an atmospheric pressure of app2,400 metres which is low enough to prevent ill effects from altitude sickness. It has been shown that each additional 1% oxygen concentration inspired equates to a 300 metre descent. Thus by raising the inspired oxygen level from 21% to 24%, there is aneffective decrease in altitude of 900 metres ie; taking the room down to 2,400 metres.