Our 8 Top Hacienda Hotels in Ecuador

Ecuador is full of hacienda hotels crafted into the historic former manor houses that anchored massive landholdings dating back to the 1500s. They’re a great way to combine the culture and history you want with the great food and comfortable accommodation you need. We stayed at many of the best hacienda hotels during our time exploring the country and here are our 8 top hacienda hotels in Ecuador.

Hacienda Zuleta, the most luxurious hacienda hotel in Ecuador.

Find the hacienda hotel for you in Ecuador

Hacienda Zuleta

Staff members light the fireplace in your room at Hacienda Zuleta and put a hot water bottle in your bed each night.

What it is: The most luxurious hacienda hotel in Ecuador dates back to the 16th century and has been in the same illustrious family (which produced two presidents of Ecuador) since the late 1800s. Still family run, Hacienda Zuleta, west of the city of Otavalo, retains a genteel air while offering 17 rooms with wood burning stoves, bathtubs, and plenty of colonial charm including original tile floors and antiques everywhere.

A stable full of their own breed of horse, wonderful tack, great guides, and awesome scenery make the horseback riding at Hacienda Zuleta second to none.

Why we love it: The hacienda developed their own breed of horse. Called Zuleteñas, they’re a strong and beautiful mix of Andalusians and quarter horses. They’re smart, strong, and fantastic riding especially when you add in handmade tack and awesome guides. There’s a horse and a ride for everyone, from easy hour-long jaunts to full day rides up to the high-altitude paramo and back. Fuel up with heaping portions of the hacienda’s traditional Andean food (much of it grown on the property) and slabs of the cheese they make onsite using milk from cows that are still raised on the hacienda.

An Andean condor at the rescue, rehab, and breeding facility at Hacienda Zuleta.

Don’t miss: Condor Huasi, the onsite Andean condor rescue, rehabilitation, and breeding program at Hacienda Zuleta.
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Hacienda San Agustin de Callo

One of the antiques-and-atmosphere-filled rooms at Hacienda San Agustin de Callo.

What it is:  Hacienda San Agustin de Callo was built on ground that was home to an Incan fortress and palace dating back to the 1500s. Researchers speculate that the property may be the northernmost point that the Incas ever ventured. Small buildings and sections of walls made from symmetrically carved lava-rock building blocks fit together without any mortar, a distinctly Incan practice, still exist on the property and have been incorporated into the hacienda.

The interior of what is believed to have been an Incan temple, now part of Hacienda San Agustin de Callo.

Why we love it: This hacienda hotel combines all of that history with a healthy dose of luxury. Spacious rooms feature restored antiques, massive fireplaces, lush bathrooms, and original murals. The owners have also preserved and restored what is believed to have been an Incan temple. On a clear day, the views of the very active and very close Cotopaxi Volcano are breathtaking.

Karen feeding a llama at Hacienda San Agustin de Callo.

Don’t miss: The chance to feed llamas in the hacienda’s central courtyard. And, speaking of food, the hacienda restaurant is also a must for its gourmet takes on regional dishes. Be sure to try the locro, a beloved cheese and potato soup.
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Hacienda El Porvenir

Hacienda El Porvenir with Cotopaxi Volcano in the background.

What it is: Hacienda El Porvenir, on a 2,500 acre (1,000 hectare) working cattle ranch, is proudly family-run and proudly eco-minded with a  focus on reforestation and sustainability that has won it praise from green groups and green guests.

A suite at Hacienda El Porvenir.

Why we love it: There’s a wide range of room types for a wide range of budgets–from dorm accommodation to suites. Food, mostly traditional recipes using local ingredients, is plentiful and excellent.

Horseback riding in traditional chaps and ponchos at Hacienda El Porvenir.

Don’t miss: The hacienda has more than 30 horses and riding guides can take you high into the gorgeous landscape around the hacienda which borders Cotopaxi National Park. There is a very real chance that you’ll see Andean condors as well.
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Piman Hacienda Garden Hotel

The original restored building at Piman Hacienda Garden Hotel.

What it is: While most haciendas in Ecuador were created for cultivating the soil, one hacienda became a place for cultivating the mind. Piman Hacienda Garden Hotel, just north of the town of Ibarra, was established in 1680. The hacienda eventually became the home of writer and newspaperman Ignacio Zaldumbide. Then it was home to his son, the famous Ecuadorian poet Julio Zaldumbide Gangotena. After that, the hacienda was home to his son, statesman and novelist Gonzalo Zaldumbide (one of his most acclaimed works, “La Egloga Tragica” was written at Piman).

Original columns now make up part of the entryway to the sleek, modern restaurant at Piman Hacienda Garden Hotel.

Why we love it: The Zaldumbide family still owns the hacienda which they’ve turned into a surprisingly modern take on the theme. The family hired French landscapers to create formal gardens filled with native plants. Ecuadorian architect Igor Munoz restored the rooms in the original hacienda house which feature original wood floors, hand-painted wood trim, and even some original wallpaper.

One of the light-filled modern suites at Piman Hacienda Garden Hotel.

Don’t miss: The 10 sleek, modern rooms with large windows and huge decks.

Hacienda Manteles

The volcano view from bed at Hacienda Manteles.

What it is:  Hacienda Manteles, near the town of Baños, is the most family-friendly of the hacienda hotels in Ecuador with family-sized accommodations, an amenable kitchen, plenty of space for running around, and a menagerie of farm animals to interact with.

Part of the menagerie at Hacienda Manteles

Why we love it: Manteles is also the place to go if you want to keep an eye on the very active Tungurahua Volcano without bothering to get dressed. The hotel’s modern suites were built with nearly floor to ceiling windows that give guests an unobstructed view of Tungurahua right from bed.

A volcano view from the tub at Hacienda Manteles.

Don’t miss: Suites also have big Jacuzzi tubs placed in front of corner windows that offer more views of the Tungurahua Volcano.
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Pantaví Hosteria & Spa

Pantaví Hosteria & Spa started out as a cotton farm.

What it is: Pantaví Hosteria & Spa, not far from the city of Ibarra, was a sprawling cotton plantation with a hacienda home on the property. The cotton is gone and the original home has slowly been transformed into the most bohemian hacienda hotel in Ecuador. And, yes, there is a spa.

Art is everywhere at Pantaví Hosteria & Spa.

Why we love it:  Owners, artist Camilo Andrade and his wife Adriana Ramirez, meticulously restored the original buildings which took on fresh life with Camilo’s modern art on the walls. Every piece of art was created by Camilo and there are hundreds of diverse pieces giving the place a modern, intimate, gallery-like feel.

One of the splurge-worthy suites at Pantaví Hosteria & Spa.

Don’t miss: Four roomy suites that are worth the splurge.
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Hacienda La Cienega

Historic Hacienda La Cienega makes quite a first impression.

What it is: The most mansion-like of the hacienda hotels is also one of the oldest. Just be sure you’ve booked a room in the original building at Hacienda La Cienega. The newer wing of rooms in the garden isn’t nearly as noteworthy.

The chapel and gardens at Hacienda La Cienega.

Why we love it: You can practically feel the history in the stone walls which are up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) thick and have withstood time, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. There’s an atmospheric and historic chapel out back from the days when haciendas like this would have been so large that they were cities unto themselves. The roaming llamas are somehow soothing.

Sir Alexander Von Humboldt slept here and so can you.

Don’t miss: The chance to sleep in the same room where Sir Alexander Von Humboldt slept in 1802.
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Hacienda Rumiloma

Hacienda Rumiloma is just a few minutes from the city of Quito, but it feels a world away.

What it is: Though it’s located less than 20 minutes from central Quito, Hacienda Rumiloma is more of a romantic retreat than a city hotel.

Color and texture give the five suites at Hacienda Rumiloma an artistic, romantic feel.

Why we love it: Its hillside location means you get epic views of the capital city of Quito and the place feels a world away from the city as peacocks and llamas roam the grounds. Five large suites feature antiques, wood-burning stoves, colonial art, and bold colors, patterns, and textures (from tiles to blankets to the walls themselves) which lend an Andean gypsy caravan look and feel to the place.  The bathtub and plate of homemade cookies in our room were nice touches too.

Touches like bathtubs and homemade cookies round out the Hacienda Rumiloma experience.

Don’t miss: Trails winding through the 100 acre (40 hectare) property where more than 80 species of birds can be spotted.
Book Now        Here’s $20 off your first stay with Booking.com

Here’s more about travel in Ecuador