Howard Johnson Hotel - Quito La Carolina, Quito

Advantages: On a quiet street, near the Swiss Hotel, restaurant is very good.
Disadvantages: Poorly run, manager absentee, no customer service

...We were booked into the Hotel Quito on Suarez Gonzalez in Quito by our travel agent. We were willing to pay for a "superior" room. When we arrived, there was no record of our reservation. The hotel tried to charge us again. Burned out lightbulbs, bath fixtures that rattled on the wall, showers that backed up and the door to the balcony with the so called "beautiful view" was bolted shut. Erwin Dominguez, one of the clerks, double charged us for breakfast. He acknowledged his mistake, then refused to refund our money. He was snug about cheating us. Lots of other clerks running around, standing around accomplishing nothing. Jesus Sanchez is suppose to be the manager. He is absent most of the time. The location of this hotel is not special. The view is not worth the shoddy service.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: pleasant climate, lots to see, bustling with local activity
Disadvantages: usual big city issues - traffic, smog, beggars, street vendors

...are excellent and include the surrounding volcanoes as well as the city itself. The old city is a place of churches and traditional markets. The central square is the Plaza de la Independencia at the heart of colonial Quito. The square is surrounded by the Cathedral, Presidential Palace and the Archbishop's Palace as well as the much more modern City Hall. There are a number of spectacular churches in this area although many are in need of significant repair. The second major square in the old city is the nearby Plaza de San Francisco. This open cobblestone square is dominated by the Monastery of San Francisco and its associated buildings. Although much of the new city is modern office blocks, it also offers an extensive range of shops and various significant museums. The Casa de Cultura Equitoriana lies just to the side of the Parque El Ejido... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Beautiful setting, churches and Spanish colonial architecture
Disadvantages: Traffic noise and fumes, some street crime

...We happened upon the Plaza de la Fundación rather by accident, because it does not feature prominently in the guide books. Fortunately, my wife and I had only just started out on our walk around the old town of Quito, and it helped us orient ourselves, both historically and geographically. As its name implies, the Plaza de la Fundación was where the original Spanish colony was founded. An Inca city had stood on the site, but was hastily demolished by its inhabitants, a tribe who called themselves the Quitu, to prevent it falling intact into the hands of the conquerors. Not long before, the last Inca emperor Atahualpa had been perfidiously executed, despite a vast ransom having been paid for his release, thus starting an ignoble tradition that some Latin American kidnappers persist in upholding to this day. The Quitu must have... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful