Casa Gangotena
Quito, Ecuador
A 31-room boutique hotel overlooking Plaza San Francisco in Quito Old Town. A newly restored former historic mansion house, the hotel is beautifully and eclectically appointed, drawing the eye with art nouveau and contemporary touches and original neo-classical architecture. After it was rebuilt in 1926 following a fire, Casa Gangotena was designated a “heritage property” and soon after the capital was nominated as UNESCO’s first World Heritage Site city in 1978.
Since opening as a hotel in October 2011, the hotel has been a popular base for luxury travellers wishing to explore the Ecuadorian capital, as well as those on their way to the Andes, the Amazon, the Pacific Coast and the Galapagos Islands.
From painted tin ceilings to handsome aedicules and stucco architraving, extensive efforts have been made to preserve and restore the mansion’s original details. A broad terrace on the third floor offers the best seats in the house for everyday life in Quito. The bell towers and spires of the Old Town, the Panecillo hillside, the Pichincha Volcano, and special events such as the Easter procession from the San Francisco Church, all stretching out ahead.
A highlight of any Quiteño’s day is afternoon tea and Casa Gangotena adheres to this tradition on a daily basis, serving a sumptuous spread on the covered patio or in the restaurant. Coffee – which is made exclusively for the enjoyment of guests and visitors – and up to five varieties of tea, made with fresh herbs from the garden are accompanied by scones, mini sandwiches, empanadas and pasties.
On the ground floor, Casa Gangotena’s restaurant serves up some of the best cuisine in Quito. Chef Davila uses rich and varied local ingredients to offer a spectrum of Ecuadorian flavours from the highlands all the way to the coast.
The hotel featured on the Conde Nast Traveller Hotlist and has been honoured by TripAdvisor multiple times as Sixth Best Hotel in the World, Best Hotel in Ecuador, Best Hotel in South America and Best Hotel for Romance in Ecuador.
InStyleQuito is fast becoming one of our favourite Latin destinations thanks largely to the opening of one of the cutest boutique hotels, 16th century Casa Gangotena.
The TimesA chic colonial-style hotel in Quito’s old town showcases the spruced-up delights of Ecuador’s capital.
BA High LifeThis former home opened as a hotel in 2011, signifying that a new era in tourism had begun.