Casa El Edén

Mario and Blanca made us feel so welcome and went above and beyond as hosts. My partner and I had a fantastic stay at Casa El Eden. The property is beautiful, the rooms are immaculate, and its spot in the historical centre made it easy to walk to all the attractions. We’re grateful for such a great visit and would happily recommend Casa El Eden to anyone coming to Quito.

Mario and Blanca were always there and incredibly helpful with anything we asked. We started our five-week Ecuador trip with four nights here, looking for a safe, calm introduction to Quito, and that’s exactly what we got. We felt very safe throughout. As in any busy city, take sensible precautions, like keeping your passport and most of your cash in a belt under your clothes. The hotel can arrange one-day tours, which are listed on its website. We booked several, and the guides were professional and knowledgeable about Quito and places farther afield, including Mindo, Cotopaxi, Otavalo, Baños, and Cuenca. Having their WhatsApp contacts turned out to be useful throughout our trip. The stay felt very personal. Mario introduced guests to each other over intimate breakfasts in the lovely patio, with its distinctive furniture and wall paintings. There were cozy rooms and a nice little library too. Our room, Chirimoya, was huge and had a fantastic in-room shower. We picked it because it faced the street instead of the covered patio, and the street was quiet. We borrowed the hotel ponchos a few times to read and look out over the city from the rooftop. You can clearly see the Virgin of El Panecillo monument from there. One more tip: take the metro. It’s modern, felt safe, ran smoothly and quietly, and cost just $0.50 no matter how far we went.

Casa El Eden is lovely architecturally and very comfortable, and its location made it easy to walk to almost anything we wanted to see in Quito. Mario and Blanca, the owners, along with their staff, took care of us far beyond what we expected. The place felt so much like visiting family that I left thinking of them as friends in Quito. I’ll stay at Casa El Eden on every future trip.

Mario and Bianca were wonderful hosts during our first visit to Ecuador. This lovely, distinctive hotel is set in a beautiful old house, with quite large rooms. It’s in the old town, just a few minutes’ walk from the main square. We strongly recommend it.