Ecuador Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Santa Lucía Eco Lodge, near Nanegal

by MalenaN

Santa Lucia Eco Lodge is a lovely and tranquil place up in the Santa Lucía Cloud Forest Reserve. The Eco Lodge at Santa Lucía is owned and run by a cooperative of local families. In the area the possibilities for hiking and bird watching are excellent, and I did several hikes during the days I stayed here. After the hikes you can rest in one of the hammocks, or if it is too cold (as the afternoon always is cloudy in the cloud forest) inside the communal room, where all meals are served.

In the main building there are both private rooms and dorms. The rooms are basic and the walls are very thin, so you can basically hear everything people say in the other rooms. I had my own room with stunning views. There was two beds, a bedside table, a table and chair and hangers in the room. On the table there was a jar with boiled drinking water and a glass. For the room I also got a candle to lit if the electricity went out. Inside the main building there are also two flush toilets, but they should only be used at night-time.

Toilets and showers are shared and situated in a building next to the main building. There is one compost toilet for women, and another for men. And there are two showers for each gender, with hot water and beautiful views.

There are also a few private cabañas and they have their own bathroom.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served in the communal room and all guests eat together. If you are going on a hike you will get a packed lunch.

Electricity comes from solar panels and was often off soon after dinner. In case the electricity is cut off too early there is a generator so that the food can be prepared. There is nowhere to charge your camera batteries, so I was glad I had brought two batteries.

To go to Santa Lucia Eco Lodge you take a bus to Nanegal and from there a car. The drive from Nanegal to the starting point of the path to the lodge takes about half an hour and then there is an uphill walk along a trail for about an hour before you reach the lodge.

When I in April sent an email to ask how much it would cost me to stay at Santa Lucia in the beginning of August I got the answer they were fully booked until the 4th of August, so I thought it was best to book already then to be sure to get a room. As long as the days I had booked didn’t get fully booked I could wait with the payment until I arrived in Ecuador at the end of June. When I visited Santa Lucia it was not fully booked. It turned out there had been a large group of researchers and volunteers leaving just the day before I came, so that’s why it had been fully booked until then.

I paid $28 per night (five nights) for a room including all meals (August 2011) and $30 per day (four days) for a guide. When I booked I was not sure I would need a guide every day, but I knew a guide was needed for some of the hikes I wanted to do. I left one day earlier than planed, but money is not refundable once you have paid (at least not if you cancel less than two months ahead of your visit).

The Jungle: Most Affordable Lodging Option on Isla Isabela

by ReubenInLA

The guy who runs this operation is a moody person who rarely smiles. His name is Milton. The prices charged here are per person and not per room. We were charged $15 per person and got a nice room with a view overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There is hot water but it runs out after 5 minutes of use. He claims he has Wi-Fi, but it is so slow that it's almost non-existent. So, don't count on internet access because 95% of the time, it doesn't work. Don't haggle with this guy. He's firm and is a bit egotistical. If you rub him the wrong way, he'll turn into a real jerk. He is not friendly at all, so I would stay away from even carrying a conversation with him unless you speak Spanish fluently and can pass for a local. He does not appear to like foreigners even though he's in the business of attending to them. Nevertheless, the rooms with ocean views are the best buy on the island.

Ocean Views, clean rooms, Don't expect a smile. Don't expect a discount. Just keep conversation with Milton (the owner) to a minimum. He has no personality and his ego may get in the way if you try to push him on price or additional amenities. He gave us nasty attitude when we asked if we could buy some beers at the store and store them in his fridge even though he doesn't sell beer at the hotel anyway.

Posada de Tigua

by MalenaN

This was the second most expensive place I stayed at during my visit to Ecuador, and then my room did not even have a private bathroom, but both breakfast and dinner was included in the price. I paid $30 for one night (July 2011).

Posada de Tigua is a lovely and welcoming place. It is situated in a rustic farmhouse from the 1890s and it is still a working farm. Much of what is served at dinner is grown or made at the farm. The homemade yoghurt and cheese both tasted very good. Dinner was served by the owners Marco and Margarita and before it was served they greeted all guests welcome and told us about the food and what they produce on the farm. The dinner was of good quality and we got soup, chicken, potatoes, rice and vegetables.

When I arrived after the long hike from Quilotoa I was hungry and could get a late lunch . I got a delicious quinoa soup with homemade cheese and for that I paid $3.50. Later, sitting in the room with the woodstove, before dinner, I had a beer and it was $2.

Instead of taking a very early morning bus to Zumbahua the next morning I and a Dutch couple shared a private transport from Posada de Tigua to Zumbahua at 5.45 in the morning, and for that we paid $20 one way (we took the bus back). We had asked if we could have our breakfast later in the morning when we came back after the market and that was okay.

Just after I arrived to Posada de Tigua some of the tourists staying there went out to the cow-shed to milk the cows. At the posada you can also arrange to go horseback riding.

Posada de Tigua is not situated in the village (well there is no proper village), but a few km away. From the main road the posada is situated 800 metres down a dirt road.

Hostal Cabañas Quilotoa

by MalenaN

I stayed two nights at Hostal Cabañas Quilotoa where I paid $12 per night (July 2011) including breakfast and dinner. The rooms are simple but my room had a private bathroom with hot water in the shower (which you need as it is very cold at this altitude). There was also a wood stove in which they lit a fire for me after dinner each night. The room had a second floor with two more beds. I brought two blankets from one of the beds down to my bed, so in total I had four blankets and the bedcover and I did not frees during the night. There was no table or chair in the room, but some hangers to put the clothes on.

There is a big common room in a newer part. I think this part of the hostal is called Hostal Alpaca and here the rooms were $25 per person and night. There are sofas and armchairs around two woodstoves and on the woodstove there is hot water so you can make yourself tea. In one corner there are souvenirs and paintings for sale. The paintings are made by the owner Humberto Latacunga, a Tigua artist.

Breakfast and dinner is served in the common room. Breakfast was served at 7.30 and we got coffee, tea, egg, fruits, yoghurt, bread, butter, jam and oatmeal (which you can mix with hot water to get a porridge). Dinner was served after 19.00 and there was first a soup, then a main plate (chicken again) and a desert. As in Chugchilan and Isinliví drinks were not included.

Hostal Cloud Forest, Chugchilán

by MalenaN

I stayed two nights at Hostal Cloud Forest in Chugchilán. For a room with private bathroom I paid $12 per night (July 2011). Both breakfast and dinner was included in the price. My room was small but good. There was a table and a shelf and in the bed there were several blankets (but I asked for one more in the evening anyway). In the bathroom there was hot water, a soap, a towel and toilet paper.

On the verandas there are hammocks where it was nice to rest for a while, with a good book, after the long hike. There is a common area with a wood stove, but I never saw anyone sitting there, except by the old computer that was available there. After dinner it seemed like everyone just lingered in the dinning room before an early night to bed. Before dinner I chose to sit in the restaurant, where there also is a wood stove. Dinner and breakfast was then served in a room upstairs, dinner just after 19 and breakfast at 7.30. All tourists ate together.

After checking in at Hostal Cloud Forest I was hungry after the hike and went to see if I could get lunch in the restaurant. There were other people there eating and I got a soup with potatoes. Unfortunately they ran out of rice so when I got the main plate it was full of potatoes and it was quite dry. The lunch was $2.50.

For breakfast we got coffee and tea, bread, egg and fruits. There was also oatmeal that could be mixed with hot water or hot milk to make a porridge. So you can eat a good breakfast before going on a hike. For dinner there was soup, a main course (both nights we got chicken) and a small cake for desert. You could get more of everything except the chicken.

The first night we were too many tourists (there was for example a big French group there), but the second evening we were only eight tourists and that was much nicer.

After dinner a man from the hostels came around and asked the tourists which plans they had for next day. The ones who wanted to leave with the bus, pick-up truck or the lechero got information about these, and for the ones who wanted to hike to Quilotoa he draw a simple map the next day. Horseback riding tours can also be arranged.

In the restaurant you can buy water and some snacks. A small water bottle was $ 0.50 and a big beer was $3. If you have your own empty water bottle you can refill a big bottle with water for $0.50.

Hostal Llullu Llama, Isinliví

by MalenaN

I paid for my nights at Hostal Llullu Llama when I was in Latacunga at Hostal Tiana as the hostels have the same owner. For my own room, and with breakfast and dinner included, I paid $25 per night. As there is no private bathroom I think it was overpriced. In Isinliví I saw a sign on the wall saying that if you stay a second night you will get a $4 discount. As I was staying two nights the volunteer at Llullu Llama gave me $4 back. Then I must say I don’t understand why they have a foreign volunteer working for free at the hostel, when it is much better to employ someone from the village.

Anyway, the hostel is nice with a lovely garden, and it is a very tranquil place. And the food is very good. There is only one toilet though, so that might be a problem if the hostel is full. The toilet is a composing toilet and it is in a greenhouse with a great view over the green mountains. There are two showers with hot water, but both showers are in the same room. In the living room there is a woodstove where a fire is lit in the evenings.

At the hostel you can get a map with description of the hike to Chugchilan, or for other hikes nearby.

The first day we were only two guests during the day, but when we were having dinner three more guests arrived. They had been walking from Chugchilan and had got lost and were therefore late. The second night I was the only guest, even the volunteer had gone to Latacunga, so when Gladys and her children went to their house nearby I was all alone in the house.

Private room is $21 per person ($25 if you are alone)
Dorm is $18
The prices include dinner (but no drinks) and breakfast.

Just next to Hostal Llullu Llama they are now building another hostel.

Hostal Tiana, Latacunga

by MalenaN

I think Hostal Tiana is overpriced, but it is a good place to meet other travellers and exchange information.

The first room I had, the night before going to Isinliví, was a room with private bathroom. It had its window facing the reception so it was dark. There was a double bed, a bedside table with a lamp, a table and chair, hangers and a big cushion to sit on. For one person this room was $25 (July 2011).

Coming back to Latacunga after hiking around the Quilotoa area I had a smaller room with shared bathroom. As this room had a window facing the street it was much lighter than my first room, and one day coming back they had put flowers on the small balcony outside. That was nice! I didn’t like sharing bathroom though and people in the dorm next room could easily be heard even if they were not loud. For this room I paid $16 per night.

Breakfast is included in the price and is served around a courtyard. For breakfast you will get two croissants, butter and jam, a small juice and coffee or tea (coffee and tea will be available for free throughout the day). If you want to have fruits or eggs you have to pay extra. A portion of eggs was $1.80.

Around the courtyard there is also a small lounge area with a sofa and a TV, where you can sit and chat with other travellers. There is also free WI-Fi available here. The bad thing with this breakfast and lounge area is that it is situated under roof around an open courtyard, and as Latacunga is situated at an elevation of 2800metres it can be too cold.

There are two computers at the hostel which you can use. The first night I was there it cost $0.70 per hour (but they were not working). When I came back a week later it was free to use them.

There is no laundry service at the hostel and there is no safety box. But there is a storage room where you can store some of your luggage while trekking around Quilotoa. And in the reception they will help you to book accommodation at your next destination. The woman in the reception called Chugchilan, Quilotoa and Tigua for me to make reservations, which was very good.

Hotel Viena Internacional, Quito

by MalenaN

I wanted to stay in Centro Histórico while in Quito, and I chose Hotel Viena Internacional because the location seemed to be good. The hotel is situated in the corner of Flores y Chile, and Chile is a pedestrian street leading down from Plaza Grande to La Marín, from where many buses are leaving. This means that the streets outside will not be completely deserted as soon as it gets dark (after 20.00 there are few pedestrians though). Nearby there is a café and an Internet place, both open to 20.00.

Well, the interior of the rooms might not be charming, but the rooms are convenient and clean. I stayed at Hotel Viena Internacional in June, and than again twice in August, so I had three different rooms. They all had bedside tables and lamps, a desk, a chair, an armchair and a TV. The showers were good with hot water and the room was cleaned every day.

The first room I stayed in (202) had two beds, was on the second floor and had a window facing the interior patio, so it was very quiet. On the second day it smelt very strongly of cigarette smoke though, because someone in the room next door was smoking. But as I told them in the reception they were going to tell the man not to smoke in the room again. The lamps outside the rooms are turned off during night so it is also dark in the room.

The second room I stayed in (206) was the room I liked the best. It was big, also with two beds, and had a balcony. As the window was facing the street it was lighter in the room. It was on the second floor, in the corner high above Chile (the pedestrian street) and away from Flores where there is motor traffic. It was quiet during the night, but during the day you can hear the vendors below calling out.

The last room I stayed in (212) was the smallest of the rooms and only had one bed. This room also had a window facing the street, but this time Flores, where there are some traffic. Luckily there is not much traffic during night, but there was a streetlamp just outside so it got too light in the room during the night.

There is a safe and there is also a storage room where you can leave a bag if you are going away for some days. The front door is looked with iron bars during the night.

For one person a room is $22 (August 2011) including breakfast, and $20 without breakfast. Breakfast is served in the restaurant next door, but I only ate here a few times, mainly because the coffee was very weak, more like coloured water. For breakfast you will also get a sandwich, eggs and a fruit juice.

La Jungla, Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela Galapagos

by MalenaN

I liked my room at The Jungle Hostel. It was on the second floor with two windows from where I could see the sea. There were two beds, a table, a TV, a bedside table with a lamp, hangers and a bathroom with hot water. And it was very quiet. The price of the room for one person was $20 (July 2011). There are also cheaper rooms available at the hostel.

A good breakfast with bread, butter, jam, eggs, fruits, fresh juice and coffee was included in the price. The fruits were grown on their own land, and the last day I also got a passion fruit.

The Jungle Hostel is situated in the outskirts of Puerto Villamil, on the road to Centro Crianza de Tortugas and only 50 metres from the long white sandy beach.

When I arrived to Villamil and was waiting for my bags to arrive from the boat I heard someone call out my name. To my surprise it was a taxi driver and I got a free ride to The Jungle Hostel (there were also three paying customers in the taxi going to another hotel). Leaving the hostel very early another morning I paid $1 for the taxi ride to the harbour.

La Peregrina, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

by MalenaN

La Peregrina was the most expensive place I stayed in during my Ecuador trip, but I wanted to book in advance via email and I also wanted a good location, and I had difficulties finding a cheaper place. The location of La Peregrina is very good. It is located on Av Charles Darwin, near the fish market at Pelican Bay.

The breakfast, which is served between 7 - 9 is also good. There was fruits, fresh fruit juice, eggs, bread, butter, jam and coffee or tea

The room and bathroom was clean and had good space. What I didn’t like was that too much light was coming in to the room from the porch during the night and walls were also quite thin, so I woke up one night only by someone walking by on the porch. A single room was $32 (July 2011).

There are hammocks in the garden and there is laundry service.

Explore the World

Questions and Answers

Q: best way to visit Galapagos and Peru Amazon? "Hello, I have a tight time and budget but I hope to use 17 days from late May - early June this year to visit the Galapagos..."

A: "Book mark"

Read 6 Replies »

Ecuador Hotels

309 Hotels

Other Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Santa Lucía Eco Lodge, near Nanegal

The Jungle: Most Affordable Lodging Option on Isla Isabela

Posada de Tigua

Hostal Cabañas Quilotoa

Hostal Cloud Forest, Chugchilán

Hostal Llullu Llama, Isinliví

Hostal Tiana, Latacunga

Hotel Viena Internacional, Quito

La Jungla, Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela Galapagos

La Peregrina, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

Explore the World

Questions and Answers