I stayed at Hacienda El Porvenir for two nights in Oct. 2011.

My experience there was fantastic. My days were relaxing and I was able to energize myself for the rest of my travels!

For budget purposes, I stayed in the Machai area (the main house). The machai's don't have a large amount of privacy, and thankfully my first night only another couple was there and they didn't snore! I had the room right when you come up the stairs and I think it was the most spacious. The machai was clean and warm and the beds were comfortable. The shared bathrooms were also very clean and the water was nice and hot. Because there were only a couple of others in the machai's, I never had to wait to use the washroom.

Marilu was super helpful with my reservation (despite a number of changes!). I ended up meeting her when I first arrived since the driver I had used to get to the hacienda tried to overcharge me and she came out to see what was happening. (Thanks for your help Marilu!!)

During my stay, I went horseback riding which was amazing!! Right near the end, a storm came in and we quickly had to put on our ponchos and for the rest of the afternoon I sat in front of the wonderful fireplace and read. I absolutely loved the common room with the big sofas and the fireplaces. I spent a lot of time there and claimed some of the chairs for my own to be close to the fire. They had some books and magazines and games for those lovely rainy afternoons. They had a number of non-English options too!

Unfortunately I wasn't able to do the zip-line/canopy or go hiking in the National Park, but I still enjoyed my stay and this gives me a reason to come back someday!

The food was super good. A couple of times I had the set menu, but there was so much I couldn't finish, so I also chose from the a la carte menu. The food was always delish and hot. The waitresss, Carmen, was super sweet!

I took the bus back into town and it was quite easy. I would recommend hiring a pick-up truck to take you up to the hacienda since it would be almost impossible to find on your own (at least I think it would be). Just be careful with the pick-up trucks since another group of travellers also had a driver who was a bit sketchy about the fare (should be about 12 USD from Machachi). The walk to the bus stop took about 30 minutes (I was walking really slow); and you'll see a bus shelter. The bus came a bit early, so I would make sure I got there around 10 minutes before it's scheduled to come. You can ask the staff for the bus times and directions.

I really enjoyed my time at El Porvenir and would recommend it to anyone. The area is beautiful, the staff are gracious and the ambiance is superb.

We had a fantastic time visiting the highlands of Ecuador. The Cotopaxi volcano looked magical and Hacienda Porvenir offered wonderful service, great food (I still reminisce over the organic tasty beef they served), enjoyed our time by the fire place drinking canelazo to warm us up. They really took care of us. The horseback ride was very memorable with incredible views of Cotopaxi. On another day we drove up Cotopaxi and actually threw snow balls at each other. Magical place.

If you want to relax in this incredible environment we definitely recommend this place. Keep only in mind two things: 1. It lacks Wi-Fi connectivity and cell coverage 2. It is priced for the tourist market (fantastic experience but not at Ecuador prices)

All in all, you should not miss this opportunity if you're not on a budget. Highly recommended.

Jen & Konrad - White Collar Vagabond

It was our second stay at Porvenir and once again I found myself very impressed. The location is amazing, and they've put lots of care into the facility to make you feel at home. Both times we stayed in private rooms w/ bath and were very pleased with the comfort and amenities. Other family members stayed in the refugio style machay rooms and said it was loud and hard to sleep, but you get what you pay for! The management and staff were very friendly, helpful and competent even while full to capacity with guests. The road to get there is in rough shape, but it's well worth the journey.

Arriving at Cotopaxi, we came upon an extraordinary place to stay: hacienda El Porvenir. On the slopes of Cotopaxi, at 3500 m, red painted buildings with thatched roofs, big fireplaces, lovely sitting rooms, big bunches of Ecuador roses everywhere, lama's in the meadow, horses to go riding, a dog to accompany you on your hike, surrounded by vulcanos, we were greated with canelazo (kind of hot tea with oranges, spices en canello, preferably with rum) to get over the chill outside. Our downstairs room was lovely with good beds with a hot bottle as the nights are cold, a complete bathroom and our own yellow roses. Upstairs are the hiking open cabins with shared bathroom.
Dinner was another pleasant surprise in a big dining room again with a big fire, candles and flowers. We were served lovely pumpkin soup, a great steak and chocolate cake for desert. Breakfast was as good including fresh fruit, yoghurt and quinoa.
Starting from the hacienda we went for 2 hikes, yellow and red, approx 2 hours in all. Well assigned, passing meadows, crossing a stream, wind blown and splendid views to all sides, up to 3700m. We would have loved to stay for another day or so!