Grand Hotel Guayaquil

Comfortable, if lacking in local character

When a night in Guayaquil became unavoidably added to our itinerary Surtrek reserved a room for us at the Grand Hotel. This is as the name suggests a large hotel, very well located near the city’s cathedral – so near in fact that the wall of the apse forms the outer wall of the hotel’s small pool area (which is also watched over by a colourful giant sculpture of an iguana – see photo two).

The lobby here sets the tone for the hotel – large, bustling, and rather lacking in character. You could be anywhere in the world. But that’s not a criticism – Guayaquil is a very different city from, say, Quito or Cuenca, and it’s not surprising to find a more international style of hotel perhaps (though I’m sure there are places with character to be found as well). As we were only here one night it suited us just fine, and we had a comfortable night’s sleep in our large room, with its queen-size bed, lots of storage and some comfortable seats. There was a TV too, and the bathroom was also a generous size with a tub / shower combination, hairdryer and plenty of towels. Everything we needed for a quiet night before the big Galápagos adventure would begin the next day!

The only short-coming was a powercut first thing the next morning when we were trying to pack and were plunged into darkness. But looking outside we could see that the whole city block was affected, and soon what must have been the hotel's own generator kicked in and restored the light we needed to complete the task. It did make us a bit nervous about using the hotel's lift, though we had to when it came to taking the suitcases down to the lobby. There were no mishaps however, and we were soon on our way.

Unique Quality: With a longer stay I'm sure we would have wanted to make use of the hotel's inviting small swimming pool. Thre's also a fitness centre which we didn't check out, and we were pleased with the efficient free wifi.

Next tip: Dinner at The Grand Hotel.

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Written January 30, 2013

Grand Hotel Guayaquil Photo: Our bedroom

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