Stay in a Restored
17-Century Hacienda Ecuador

A destination unto itself ! My professional focus has been historic hotel design for the past 45 years, so I do have closely held opinions to go with a... read moreMy professional focus has been historic hotel design for the past 45 years, so I do have closely held opinions to go with a great depth of experience. I can tend at times to be quite critical. In this case, I have absolutely nothing but praise for the Hacienda and the quality of our stay. The grounds are enormous in size and in character: flower beds, large shade trees, vegetable garden to serve the kitchen, decorative pool, and five llamas grazing on the grass. The high containing walls frame the views of the background peaks. On the larger site are the stables (across the way) and a self contained events center , a former monastery, with its own extensive landscaped site, many guest rooms, and separate bar, kitchen, meeting, and dining rooms. This collection of arcaded buildings are arranged to form engaging courtyards with central features such as small fountains. We stayed in the main hacienda and enjoyed our large sunny room and the private sitting areas of the second floor and the main sitting areas of the first. Most evenings we had returned from touring and could find us in front of the fireplace in the lobby enjoying our wine, prior to moving on to the fireplace in the dining room and its excellent cuisine. These two rooms along with the bar use the fireplace to simply take the chill of the evening air. Each room has been dressed... My professional focus has been historic hotel design for the past 45 years, so I do have closely held opinions to go with a great depth of experience. I can tend at times to be quite critical.

In this case, I have absolutely nothing but praise for the Hacienda and the quality of our stay. The grounds are enormous in size and in character: flower beds, large shade trees, vegetable garden to serve the kitchen, decorative pool, and five llamas grazing on the grass. The high containing walls frame the views of the background peaks. On the larger site are the stables (across the way) and a self contained events center , a former monastery, with its own extensive landscaped site, many guest rooms, and separate bar, kitchen, meeting, and dining rooms. This collection of arcaded buildings are arranged to form engaging courtyards with central features such as small fountains.

We stayed in the main hacienda and enjoyed our large sunny room and the private sitting areas of the second floor and the main sitting areas of the first. Most evenings we had returned from touring and could find us in front of the fireplace in the lobby enjoying our wine, prior to moving on to the fireplace in the dining room and its excellent cuisine. These two rooms along with the bar use the fireplace to simply take the chill of the evening air. Each room has been dressed for the mood with extensive early tapestries (Flemish?), portrait paintings, and carved wood and leather chairs. Many of the wood sculptures were sourced from the nearby village sculptors, the village being well known for its wood carving. We spent quiet time on the stone verandah, and in the reading room and the library. While the Hacienda was established in 1602, the expansion in accommodations has been completed over many recent years with great taste. The two adjoining properties contain about 50 rooms which can provide for large gatherings while also providing an intimate setting for one or two couples, as in our case. I want to also compliment the excellent staff, anticipating our needs, always ready to assist, and never intrusive.

We did visit the nearby fabulous Condor Center, and the nearby towns. We did not make use of the nearby sailing center on the lake, nor use the on-site squash courts, nor the bicycles or horses for extended enjoyment. For certain, our next stay will be longer to maximize our engagement with the area. I can frankly state that the Hacienda is one of my top destinations of all time, and I believe you will share in the same opinion when you treat yourself to a stay. More read less

Amazing Place The grounds of this old hacienda are beautiful and lush, so many different flowers, trees and pathways. The monestary grounds are also beautiful and... read moreThe grounds of this old hacienda are beautiful and lush, so many different flowers, trees and pathways. The monestary grounds are also beautiful and not to be missed. The peace and serenety here is a great escape from Quito. We stayed in the main house and had a lovely room with a firm but comfortable bed. The room was small but very adequate.
We also had dinner in the restaurant. It is a set menu with 2 choices for $30. The portions are large and we could have easily shared 1 meal. The food was excellent, salad, pork chop and especially good passion fruit ice cream. read less

BEAUTIFUL We have stayed for 3 nights in this hacienda, I can say that it is a beautiful place, full of history and great value... read moreWe have stayed for 3 nights in this hacienda, I can say that it is a beautiful place, full of history and great value for the region. One night by candlelight highly recommended. From here you can access many interesting sites of Otavalo, a small town read less