Hotel Ajavi

The bar and dining room to the right as you enter were what impressed me most. We ended up here because our original hotel was closed, and from the road it was hard to tell if this place was open: there were no cars outside and the dark windows made it hard to see in. The receptionist was pleasant but spoke no English. When I asked to see the rooms, she seemed confused and said, “no, I have photos.” I went with my instinct and we stayed for two nights. Google showed $108 a night, but the woman gave us a rate of $80 per night including breakfast. It has the feel of a 70s hotel, with big function rooms, bars, dining rooms, and wait staff in sharp uniforms. Our room was clean, bright, and spacious, and stayed at a comfortable temperature. The two beds were ample for us, with nice sheets and a mattress that suited me. Both had reading lights overhead, and there was a writing desk with a desk light. We each got a bottle of water. The bathroom had soap, shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, and enough towels for two. It was split into two smaller rooms: one had a good-sized shower, toilet, and bin; the other had a sink with room for toiletries, another bin, and two closets with hangers, a safe, and an ironing board and iron. The TV was well placed for watching from bed. There was no AC or fan, but sleeping was comfortable with the bathroom window open, and that didn’t affect our security. We had two breakfasts and two dinners there, all good and adequate. The stay was pleasant and restful, but we gave it four stars because the waiter at our last breakfast seemed preoccupied. One of us ordered juevos escafados, and he said yes, then brought scrambled eggs. Google Translate gave “escafados” for “poached.” After serving the order, he said they don’t do poached eggs. Why take the order in the first place?

The staff are wonderful, and the food is very good. They serve all three meals, though only breakfast might be included. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and clean, and they clearly take biosafety seriously. It’s a beautiful hotel near the shopping mall in Ibarra, with an uncovered central pool courtyard in white and blue that feels perfect for restoring your energy.

The hydromasaje, turco sauna, and related services are good, and the staff there are helpful. The hotel is clean and comfortable, but the WiFi is terrible. It’s rated four stars and ranks among the top five in the area, but I’d give it three at best. For a place where diplomats and presidents are supposedly hosted, it doesn’t meet that standard. I hope they improve customer service. The front desk staff weren’t very helpful when I asked about restaurants, trips, artisan locations, nearby areas, or transportation. They didn’t seem to know the area, and the lack of effort came across as rude, with an “I don't give a flip about you” attitude. The WiFi was the worst I encountered in Ecuador apart from places with no access at all. When I mentioned the weak signal, staff insisted it was great throughout the property. They may be hardwired to the network and not realize how WiFi performs. It was seriously slow and often dropped during a simple email check. Streaming a movie failed several times.

I picked this clean, lovely hotel in Ibarra for its location, and for no other reason. It has the basics needed for a comfortable stay, but I think it should cost $45 a night.