Must-see hotels in Ecuador

  • Reserva Biológica Río Bigal

    The Oriente

    Río Bigal welcomes visitors interested in a purely back-to-nature experience (three-night minimum), and those who wish to get their hands dirty in…

  • Hotel Pumarosa

    Tena

    Inviting rooms have high wooden ceilings, large armoires and modern white-tiled bathrooms. There is reliable hot water, cable TV, lush gardens and…

  • La Roulotte

    Mindo

    On the road before the Mariposario de Mindo butterfly farm, 2km outside of town, La Roulette's five charming horse-coach-shaped cedar-and-pine rooms,…

  • Intag Cloud Forest Cabins

    Northern Highlands

    A more modern choice right next to the Cloud Forest Reserve, these new cabins have flush toilet, ceramic-lined showers and back porches with killer valley…

  • La Casa Blanca

    Tena

    Situated 1.5km northwest of the center, laid-back, spick-and-span Casa Blanca aims to provide weary backpackers with everything they wanted to find in a…

  • Cotococha Lodge

    The Oriente

    This is the first lodge you see on the nascent Río Napo, 17km from Tena along the southern shore. It's a quiet collection of 22 thatched-roofed bungalows,…

  • Dragonfly Inn

    Mindo

    One of Mindo's best-looking buildings, the Dragonfly stands by the bridge at the town entrance. It's spotless and the all-wood rooms have comfy beds; some…

  • Hostal Alternative

    Cuenca

    Although it’s a bit removed from the action, this impeccably-kept sparkly hostel (with cleaner-than-Clorox rooms, shared kitchen, TV room and excellent…

  • Iruña

    North Coast & Lowlands

    A three-kilometer walk down the beach from Mompiche’s center takes you to this wonderfully isolated spot. Five spacious wooden cabañas surround a pleasant…

  • Hostal Aya Huma

    Northern Highlands

    Abutting the railroad tracks four long blocks from the Panamericana, Aya Huma looks like a small-town railway station. Rooms are basic but clean, and the…

  • La Casa Verde

    Baños

    Surrounded by lush mountains and with green walls inside and out, La Casa Verde lives up to its name. The best rooms at the back of the house have wrap…

  • Posada de Tigua

    The Quilotoa Loop

    La Posada de Tigua is part of a working dairy ranch. The farmhouse dates to the 1890s and is now a rustic and delightfully cozy guesthouse. The rooms,…

  • La Moya Community Tourism

    Riobamba

    A recent opportunity in community tourism, here you can learn about how the villagers harvest various crops (and their traditional uses), weave beautiful…

  • Misahuallí Amazon Lodge

    The Oriente

    A manicured version of a jungle camp, this hotel has a resort feel and is popular with Ecuadorian families. It has a great position overlooking the river…

  • Colonial House

    Quito

    The colonial facade leads travelers into a warren of 13 brightly painted rooms, both dorms and doubles with shared or private bathrooms. There is a games…

  • Plantas y Blanco

    Baños

    A bit disco in the common areas, the clean and eternally popular ‘Plants and White’ (you figure it out) scores big points for its rooftop terrace/common…

  • Hacienda Manteles

    Central Highlands

    Hacienda Manteles, about 12km down the Ruta Ecológica, is a beautiful, upscale, rustically styled resort engaged in certified ecotourism practices. Among…

  • Las Palmeras

    Northern Highlands

    Offers 16 colorful cottages set in rural hills, with cozy rooms furnished in colonial style (older rooms have a neat antechamber and porches). Rent a bike…

  • Hostería PapaGayo

    Central Highlands

    This 150-year-old converted hacienda is a convenient base for playing around Ilinizas, Corazón and Cotopaxi. Dorm beds and cozy private rooms, some with…

  • Casa Ceibo

    North Coast & Lowlands

    If you’re looking for pampering and seclusion, this gated luxury hotel 4km from central Bahía (on the road out of town, just beyond the bus terminal) is…

  • Mindo Garden Lodge

    Mindo

    This Ecuadorian-Chilean place feels small and personal. Pathways wind through wooded gardens to a main lodge and cozy cabins – some have excellent river…

  • Hotel Chagra Ramos

    North Coast & Lowlands

    Nestled against the beach, this friendly, wind-battered classic is the most popular guesthouse in town. Rooms are clean if a little weathered, with…

  • Hostal Chimenea

    Baños

    From the rather dark reception area, you wouldn’t know that this hostel is the best budget offering in town. The bright and clean rooms and dorms come…

  • Bam-Bú

    North Coast & Lowlands

    This three-story scatterjam of support beams, arches, walkways and terraces is made almost entirely from bamboo (and withstood the 2016 earthquake well)…

  • Mansión Santa Isabella

    Riobamba

    A gorgeously appointed courtyard with a fountain and plants is the centerpiece of this boutique hotel in a historic mansion. The vaulted-ceiling rooms in…

  • Montañita Estates

    Montañita

    Just out of town on the main road you'll find this tropical hotel with two swimming pools, pretty gardens and nice views. All rooms have TVs, king-sized…

  • Chilcabamba

    Central Highlands

    The volcano views more than make up for the bumpy drive out to this charming, well-run mountain lodge near the northern entrance to Cotopaxi National Park…

  • Hostal Esperanto

    Montañita

    Just past the domed Dharma Beach Hotel, slightly set back from the beach, this distinctive four-story building has cozy wood-accented rooms with fans,…

  • Playa de Oro Lodge

    North Coast & Lowlands

    Maquipucuna, an NGO which manages a cloud-forest lodge near Mindo, also helps the Playa de Oro community manage this lodge. A group canoe trip to the…

  • Napo Cultural Center

    The Oriente

    The lodge formerly known as Yasuní Ecolodge (same excellent community-run lodge) offers four spacious cabañas, each housing four luxurious rooms fitted…

  • El Jardín

    Puyo

    This gorgeous spot is just across the footbridge by the entrance to the Parque Omaere, 1km from the center of town. It feels more like a jungle lodge than…

  • Hotel La Misión

    Coca

    This longtime Coca staple, overall resembling an ailing beached ferry with its rusting metal stairs and public areas, makes the most of its location right…

  • Land of the Sun

    Northern Highlands

    This attractive colonial hotel in the heart of town has an idyllic courtyard around which appealing, wood-floored rooms are arranged; the best have…

  • El Acantilado

    North Coast & Lowlands

    Perched on a cliff above the crashing waves, El Acantilado offers unobstructed sea views from its rooms, which make it great for whale-watching from June…

  • Hostal El Arupo

    Quito

    A cozy and homey refuge from nearby Plaza Foch's madness, El Arupo is a spotless and warmly decorated converted house with a small, lovely front patio…

  • Rose Cottage

    Northern Highlands

    If you’re looking to combine budget accommodation with spectacular scenery, Rose Cottage is a great choice. Three kilometers from town up a steep driveway…

  • Nativa Bambu

    Montañita

    These peaceful all-wood cabins with thatched roofs and small front decks have lovely views overlooking Montañita and the ocean beyond. Nativa Bambu is…

  • Las Terrazas de Dana

    Mindo

    This family from the Canary Islands has created a small, luxury space for romantic getaways high in the hills above Mindo. Incredible valley vistas greet…

  • Hotel Rodelu

    Central Highlands

    Popular with the tour groups but still down-home enough to attend to independent travelers, the Rodelu (named by its proud Uruguayan owner, Republica…

  • Quinde Huayco

    The Oriente

    Does it get better than sleeping in one of two secluded rooms, surrounded by lush gardens renowned for the hummingbirds they attract, knowing that next…

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