This review is LONG! My wife and I stayed at La Posada del Quinde in March of 2011. To begin, our trip to Ecuador was a happy accident. We had intended on lounging on the beach in Costa Rica. As a former airline employee, we were traveling on companion passes and our flight to Costa Rica (out of Atlanta) was oversold. Not to be deterred from a vacation, we inquired about the destination of the plane at the next gate...Quito. And just like that, basking on the beach turned into an Andean adventure! We stayed in Quito a few days to get our bearings and eventually rented a car and headed towards Otavalo. I used Skype to contact Maggie at La Posada del Quinde to reserve a room. Maggie (an English/Spanish speaking American) was extremely friendly and confirmed our reservation & did a great job of providing directions to the property. On arrival, we were able to park our car inside the property wall for security. Like others have said, the location is excellent for walking to the Otavalo market and other attractions nearby. That being said, don't limit yourself to the market...it's great but there is SO much to see and around Otavalo. We actually extended our stay with Maggie because we were enjoying ourselves so much. Maggie is full of useful information about things to see and do...she really is the consummate innkeeper! In fact, she even offered to wash our clothes before we left as our supply of cool-weather clothes was dwindling (remember we packed for a beach?!).
The rooms at La Posada del Quinde were very nice. The beds were clean and comfortable and the bathrooms were large with excellent hot water supply. The hotel lobby has a large fireplace surrounded by comfortable sofas and chairs. There are books & magazines to read and a computer with internet access for guests to use. The lobby area is uniquely decorated with local artifacts including weavings done by a local artist. If you're interested, you can visit his workshop and purchase original wall hangings. Highly recommended!
Inside the lobby is the restaurant Pachamama. The food is a mix of local cuisine and was fantastic. Try the quinoa stuffed peppers....amazing! We ate dinner at Pachamama every night because the food was so good. Breakfast is also served each morning and the food was superb.
Bottom line, this is THE place to stay in Otavalo. We are already planning our return trip! Also, if you're looking for a great place for a large group or family reunion, ask Maggie about the larger rooms upstairs.
As a follow up: Upon our return to the US, we found out we were expecting a baby. While we were in Otavalo, we visited Jose C's studio to see his weaving loom and purchase a wall hanging. My wife noticed a cute weaving featuring the animals of Ecuador and commented about how cute it would look in a child's room. I called Maggie from the US and asked her if there was a way to purchase the weaving and ship it to me as a surprise for my wife. Not only did she drive up to the studio and purchase the weaving, she shipped it and followed up later making sure it arrived safely. I simply cannot say how great she is!
- Ali Shungu Hotel
- Ali Shungu Otavalo
