I stayed here for 4 nights prior to taking a trip to the Galapagos. This was booked through my tour operator and so I didn't really select the hotel because it came as part of a package. However, we did stay in Hotel Amazonas the night before and I have to say that this hotel was paradise compared to that!

To get to the hotel from the airport was very easy. The taxi fair which took about 20 minutes (it was late at night) cost $6 and because the hotel is a city landmark the taxi driver knew immediately where it was and we got there without any hassle.

The hotel is fairly well located, except for the fact that its at the top of a hill and given the altitude in Quito it can be fairly exhausting climbing up that hill after a day sightseeing. I have to admit that because the taxis were so cheap we did tend to opt for a cab so that we could avoid this climb at the end of the day. It also seems to be in a safe area which has a lot of restaurants and bars within walking distance, and we walked around without any problem at all. At night, as in everywhere at Quito, I would recommend that you don't walk around the area because muggings are fairly common in Quito - and this area is no exception.

To get to the Mariscal area, which is the very touristy area (Gringo Land) with lots of bars and restaurants its about 30 minutes walk - which in daylight hours is perfectly safe. Alternatively a cab would take 10 minutes and cost you about $2. To get the the historic centre, you need to take a cab - and again this will take about 10 minutes and costs about $2 - $3. There is a taxi rank right outside the hotel so its not difficult to get a cab at any time of the night or day.

The reception of the hotel is perfectly okay. Its not anything special, but its clean and efficient and plainly decorated. The rooms are also more than okay by Quito standards and although they are basic, they are clean, well maintained and perfectly adequate as a base to exploring Quito. The outside of the hotel looks very 1960's and so dated, but the upkeep seems adequate and its holding its own in the modern world.

Because of where the hotel is situated, the views from the rooms and the restaurant are fantastic and unsurpassable!

The hotel does have a casino attached to it, but to be honest after walking through we didn't feel very inspired to stay there. It was fairly quiet and not very expansive - but the facility is there if you want to use it.

There is a restaurant and bar on the top floor of the hotel which I was quite impressed by. The food was very good - particularly the lunch time buffet which I highly recommend. In the evening they have live music in the form of a pianist which helps provide a nice ambience. The food was good and the cocktails delicious - and although this was more expensive than if you ate out of the hotel, the views were breathtaking, particularly at night. The service in the restaurant was good and all of the waiters made a good effort to speak English and provide you with whatever you wanted. They were very attentive and polite and I could not fault service. The only negative thing about the restaurant was that, as with the rest of Quito, it was frequently affected by powercuts or power surges and so many of the lights constantly flickered - which could be a bit distracting!

There is a large pool in the gardens - which was heated, although it never seemed warm enough to lie out by the pool except between noon and 2pm. After that the pool area went into shadow and it was too cold. There was a poolside snack bar but this seemed rarely open. There is also a small gym which is free to use and a small jacuzzi and plunge pool.

When we left the hotel we safely stored our luggage there without any concerns - and when we came back to the hotel we actually opted to stay there another 2 nights rather than moving on to the much more expensive Marriott down the road.

There are several shops on the ground floor of the hotel - all of which are very expensive and I advise you to look elsewhere!

If you just want a base for Quito that's clean and has all the necessary amenities then I would recommend this. There are probably nicer hotels in Quito, but our extra nights at this hotel only cost us $60 which is pretty good going even by Quito standards.