Cotacachi Hotels, Hostels and Retreats

A variety of Cotacachi hotels, hostels and retreats offer a wide variety of prices, locations and amenities.  Several readers wanting to visit Cotacachi, Ecuador, have emailed us, asking if they should book rooms in Quito, Ibarra or Otavalo.  They couldn’t find much information about Cotacachi hotels or hostels on the internet, so we decided to add this page.

From neat and tidy hostel rooms with basic furnishings and inexpensive restaurant meals to the absolute height of 5-star elegance and pampering you could ever imagine, Cotacachi hotels have it all.

Cotacachi’s four hostels are all in town, with two on busy “Leather Street,” or 10 de Agosto, and the other two in somewhat quieter areas. 

Reservations are usually not required, since for such a small town, there is an abundance of hotel accommodations.  During holidays and fiestas, reservations would be wise.  La Mirage’s 5-star restaurant can be fully booked on weekends and El Meson may be full during times when the owners are presenting seminars.

Here’s some useful information on the major Cotacachi hotels, hostels and retreats:

Hostal-Posada Munaylla is located on the corner of 10 de Agosto and Sucre. Twenty-four twin, double and triple rooms can accommodate 40 people.

Rooms are basic, very clean, with tile floors throughout.  Each room has cable television, hot water and private bathrooms. 

The hostel has 4 floors, a first-floor restaurant, and secure parking one block down the street.

 
Room rates are $12 per person plus IVA (tax)

The hostel has a cozy, family atmosphere with earthenware artifacts on shelves by the front desk and plenty of plants. 

Elena Morales and her husband Luis Muenala are the owners.

Contact Information:
Phone: +593-6-2916-615
Fax: +593-6-2916-169

Quinta la Posada is a small hostel with 3 or 4 small brick cabinas in a lovely garden.

The rooms are basic with twin and Ecuadorian double (smaller than U.S. double) beds and the facilities are simple and clean. Bathrooms have tile showers.

Breakfast is included in the $10 per person nightly tariff. Gary and I have eaten breakfast at the hostal and especially enjoyed the home-made bread served with local cheese. The owners Guillermo and his wife Maria Eugenia live on the premises.

Other amenities include peace and quiet, great volcano views, a swimming pool, (one of only two hotels in Cotacachi with a swimming pool) soccer and volleyball courts, all a short walking distance to downtown Cotacachi. The hostal is located not far from Villa Paradiso on Modesto Penaherrera and Alejandro Proano. Look for signs as you come into Cotacachi from the Pan American Highway just past the distinctive red metal symbol on the left. Modesto Penaherrera turns to the right and the hostal is on the left just across from the San Francisco Garden gated development.

Hostal El Arbolito on Calle Imbabura and Parque San Francisco, near Cotacachi’s only bank, is one of the town's newest hostelries. Its 12 rooms, each with private bath, rent for $30 matrimonial, $35 double, $50 triple, tax included.

This is a very clean, beautifully appointed hostel, owned by Jaimie Galindo and his family. Each room has beautiful wooden beds and built-in night stands, with a rooftop terrace for exceptional views of the volcanoes and hillsides. Parking is available.

Contact Hostal El Arbolito here: +593-6-2916-892 / +593-6-2914-388

Sumac Huasi is a Cotacachi hotel on Juan Montavlo and Pedro Moncayo owned by Jorge Quilumbaqui and run by his wife.  Nine simple rooms are on the three floors and each has private bath with shower, local television and twin or double beds.

-Single:$25.62 -Matrimonial normal: $35.38 -Matrimonial Queen: $42.70
-2 single beds: $35.38
-1 single bed and 1 normal matrimonial
(3 people): $48.80
-Triple: $54.90

There are 9 simple rooms on the three floors and each has private bath with shower, local television and twin or double beds.  A twin bed costs $18, two twin beds are $29.33 and a double bed, or matrimonial, is $25.62. 

Prices include tax and breakfast on the third-floor terrace.

We enjoy the wood-burning fireplace, plants and gorgeous views. Parking is on the street.

Villa Paradiso is a hotel on the edge of Cotacachi on a quiet country road.  Entering the gates is like entering a little Eden, with a lush garden teeming with colorful flowers and wide green lawns.  The restaurant and reception is located in the renovated old home.  This is a great place to just hang out, meet friends for drinks or enjoy their signature BBQ. 

Behind the main building there are hotel rooms, all with beautiful valley views. The extensive grounds hold five individual two bedroom bungalows with kitchenettes, bedroom and bath.

At the far end of the property is a conference/bar/entertainment hall with 2 bathrooms for parties, celebrations or meetings.  Amenities include mini-golf, tennis and BBQ.

In total, there are 18 rooms and bungalows with breakfast, priced from $46.36 per night for a single, $55.56 for a double, $52.46 for a matrimonial and $98.52 for a 4 person room, including tax.



The owners are wanting to offer their bungalows and restaurant as a complete package with meals for month or longer stays.  Pricing is in the works.   The manager speaks English.  Phone number is 02-289-5373.  From the states, add 593 and drop the zero.

El Meson de las Flores, on Garcia Moreno and Sucre, is an old colonial hotel recently undergoing renovation.  Its 3 floors house 17 rooms with private baths.  In traditional colonial style, the rooms are squared around a central tiled open-air courtyard, great for dining when the weather is fair. 
 
There are a meeting room, a bar/lounge with fireplace and television, as well as free internet, both wireless and DSL.

Twin, queen and king beds are available, along with room service. Room rates are $72 per room, including tax and breakfast.

Rancho Santa Fe, a large garden resort and convention center, another of several Cotacachi hotels situated on the edge of town in a more rural setting. It is about ½ mile from town center if you follow 10 de Agosto out of town past the produce market.  It sits like an imposing old rust-colored hacienda on a hill behind double gates.
Although it has the feel of a much older establishment, the main buildings, a blend of Ecuadorian and Santa Fe, New Mexico architecture, are only 5 yrs old.  Prices are $55 for a twin bed for one person, $75 for 2 and $88 for 3 people, plus 22% IVA.  The cost includes use of all the facilities and an American breakfast.

The resort is run by Hugo Cordova, owner/manager.  The staff of 20 keep the grounds immaculate.  44 rooms are nicely appointed with TV, desk and sitting area with table and chairs.  Each room has a luxurious private bath with glass-enclosed curved showers.

The 2-story main building has a gracious black and white marble entry, old-world carpeted bar and lounge with pool tables, 7 or more conference rooms, gift shop, internet room, exercise room and an impressive dining room that will serve 200. 

There is a solar heated swimming pool, tennis court, basketball court, soccer field, children’s play area and theater and 4 ½ hectares of park, walking paths and fruit trees.

The resort is the perfect setting for large conferences, parties and weddings.  Hugo has thoughtfully provided just about everything a guest could want.

Contact Rancho Santa Fe here:   +593-6-2915-151

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Hosteria La Mirage is a hotel spa on the quiet outskirts of Cotacachi. Take 10 de Agosto past the produce market and turn left at the large white sign for La Mirage, which will lead you directly to the hotel gates. 
 
La Mirage is a 5-star hotel, restaurant, spa and wonderland, with a Relais and Chateaux designation, one of only two in South America.  I love to wander around the spacious grounds.  There are peacocks, a charming little chapel, a gift shop and an ornately furnished meeting room.

Each one of the 23 private rooms and suites has a private bath, fireplace, beautifully-carved hand-made furniture and very special private gardens.  I can spend hours just examining the intricate furnishings and incredible detail that the owners, Jorge Espinoza and his partner, Michel Duer, have lavished on their creation.

The restaurant is elegant and the food service and presentation is impeccable.  A separate building contains a large swimming pool, sauna, and private rooms for 19 different massage therapies, including a chocolate massage!  Gary and I have had the couples' massage, complete with rose-petaled hot tub and side-by-side massages in front of a wood-burning fireplace.

This Cotacachi hotel is featured on many internet sites with various prices listed for the rooms.  Rack rates range from $300 - $800 per night, plus IVA (tax) of 22%.  This includes a full breakfast and a four-course gourmet dinner. Some discounts may apply on some websites. Reservations are suggested.

Contact La Mirage here: +593-6-2915-237

www.mirage.com.ec