You’ve decided to dive in and start planning for your adventurous getaway to Ecuador! Maybe you’re backpacking and planning on doing lots of hiking, or maybe you’re making a quick stop on the mainland before the tropical Galapagos.

Whatever it is, chances are your trip will find you spending time in Quito- Ecuador’s high altitude, colonial capital city.

While there might be modern chain hotels in the newer part of town, if you want to truly experience Quito, make the old town your base. The historic center is safe and extremely walk-able, and allows you to experience the city’s colonial influence in a way other locations would not. Lively by day but quiet by night, it’s a great place to center your trip!

This summer, my husband and I spent two weeks in Ecuador. We used Quito as our “home base”, and traveled around from there. Quito’s city center has a history going back to 1534. As with most Latin American colonial cities, the architecture shows its Spanish influence. There are plenty of character filled exteriors, open courtyards, gardens, and cobblestone streets. The buildings are close together and the streets are narrow, but there is a strong feeling of place as you stroll from one plaza to the next.

During the last leg of our trip we found ourselves at the beautiful Casona de La Ronda– a place that provides luxury and comfort for those wanting to relax, but with plenty to do and see for those ready to get out and explore.

The boutique hotel Casona de la Ronda is set in the center of a lively pedestrian street. Calle La Ronda is lined with artisan shops, local boutiques, and plenty of restaurants. At night, the streets fill up with a mixture of locals and gringos, and the live music begins. During the day, it is a quiet neighborhood within short walking distance of all the main sights.

In the heart of the action, you will find the entrance to the boutique hotel. Once inside you will see it has a variety of rooms centered around an inner patio, in true Spanish style. The open courtyard is gorgeous, and really what made this place stand out to me. Attention to detail is apparent with its floral painted halls and staircases too!

There are several rooms that face the street, and these are equipped with thick soundproof windows which block out most of the noise when things get lively on Calle La Ronda. Other rooms face towards an interior garden wall.

The bathrooms are very modern, and the rooms decorated simply. We stayed in a deluxe room, and our bed was definitely a conversation piece as it was nine feet wide!

My favorite part about this hotel though is its communal areas. The reception area has a lounge and bar, where the staff will gladly help with anything you need. Tea time in the afternoon is a great idea, and a variety of cookies and biscuits are set out. The lobby area is quiet, warm, and cozy and they have board games as well.

Another highlight is the upstairs lounge room. You climb up a charming spiral staircase and find yourself in a cozy lounge, facing a great view of the city and El Panecillo. Once you’ve taken in the views, you can grab dinner from the on-site restaurant, or order room service in your robe and slippers!

We had a great experience here overall. The staff was very helpful, the rooms were excellent, and even in the event of a neighborhood power outage the employees kept their wits about them, and found creative solutions to something out of their control. As adventure travelers, we don’t often splurge or treat ourselves to boutique hotels, but for the very reasonable prices of the rooms, this is a treat even budget travelers should consider taking!

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As always, all reviews and opinions are my own. However, I received a complimentary stay at this location in exchange for an honest review. This post also contains affiliate links, which help with the costs of running this blog.