Hotel Patio Andaluz

Location

This former colonial residence is just a couple of minutes’ stroll to Independence square (also known as Plaza Grande) and another five minutes on to Plaza de San Francisco and Iglesia la Compañia. So, in short, the main sights of the Old Town are all within a 10-minute walking radius of Hotel Patio de Andaluz.

Layout

As with most colonial properties, the hotel is based around a central courtyard; although Hotel Patio Andaluz also has a second courtyard. Unusually, both are covered with by a glass roof. The main courtyard, on the ground floor, is home to the restaurant -  El Rincón de Cantuña – which serves Spanish/Ecuadorian cuisine. Also on the ground floor is reception, the gift shop and a lounge-cum-library section. Down to the lower floor is the second courtyard that doubles as a restful internal ‘garden’, with lounger chairs and local flora. Adjacent to the courtyard is a super wine cellar - Cava Marquez de Jerez. With exposed stonework walls, this snug is a great spot to enjoy wine, cocktails and tapas. Most of the guest rooms are on the first floor, with some on the second floor, where there is also a solarium terrace.

Rooms

With 31 rooms and 1 suite, we wouldn’t call Hotel Patio Andaluz a boutique property, but it is still intimate enough to have character and personality. There are 18 Standard rooms and 13 Duplex rooms, all of which have private en-suite bathrooms and either king or twin bedding. The Duplex rooms are split level, with a mezzanine, and include a separate lounge area. A double sofa-bed makes the Duplex rooms a good option for young families. The only unique feature of the Suite is that it’s corner location means it has dual-aspect windows. The view is excellent, but if having two views isn’t a deal-breaker for you, we’d suggest going for a Duplex room instead.

Features

Both the El Rincón de Cantuña restaurant and the Cava Marquez de Jerez wine/tapas bar offer good food (although by no means Quito’s finest) in an enjoyable setting. The gift store is well stocked and is no less “touristy” than a majority of Old Town’s stores. Our only reservation is the top-floor sunroom terrace, purportedly a solarium. On a hot day, the glass roof works more as a greenhouse, producing only high humidity. If it is sunny outside, we’d suggest stepping out and relaxing in a plaza or park!