Quito - July 4th - July 10th (6 nights)
Description (from review):
the host
Andres was extremely communicative and attentive. He really wanted to
make sure every single day was a pleasure. Before we even arrived, he
and i communicated a lot to discuss our plans and transportation.
He set up our driver, Fernando (who works for the house) to pick us up from the airport even with delays on our flight, he was flexible and picked us up easily. So we skipped the hassle of figuring out taxis and transportation or getting ripped off. The cars are clean and he even hired a second driver for our abundance of luggage.
Because Fernando picked us up, check in was simple because he brought us straight to the house where all the staff greeted us.
Walking in… it as like a DREAM. The pictures DO NOT do it justice. Its beyond beautiful. And you would be living you best “Encanto life” It is MASSIVE. I had no idea how big and how beautiful it was. There is so much space for privacy, for play, for hosting. We didnt even get through the entire house because we didnt have enough guests stay with us so most of the space was not used… next time! Every night upon request they turned on the fire places so we could all relax as a family in the living room down stairs, have wine… we brought our movie projector for family movie nights and they made us popped corn, prepared hot chocolate and served wine. Every day they cleaned our rooms when we were not around. They did our laundry daily and folded it and put it back in our closets. It was so perfect because two of our group members are professional artists, and utilized the easels and painted outside in the patio. This house was made for us.
Something i didnt expect was not to cook and not to buy groceries. They will do it all for you. Just tip them afterwards. Tell them what you want for breakfast the night before and when you want breakfast served. Then in the morning tell them what you would like for dinner. There is an in-house chef and she is so sweet and really really good. Im not a big Ecuadorian foodie lover but something about getting food from the moms and aunties of the house holds, it tastes a million times better than any Ecuadoriano Típico restaurant. Not only did she (Maria the chef) but also Carmen the main house helper also cooked make us regular home cooked meals, but they helped me tremendously put together a surprise birthday dinner for my boyfriend and my friend. I was able to sit with the chef and put together a special menu, and decorations of flowers and candles. They did a four course sit down meal where they served us at the formal dining room. From charcuterie boards and wine, paella, hornado, specially made cakes. They did an amazing job. I couldn’t be happier
Javier and Fernando were our guys for random errands and driving around historic Quito and were so nice. And attentive. Javier made our fireplaces now and then.
We paid the staff a few hundred dollars upfront for groceries but I definitely wish i did more just in case. They give you the balance on the last day but if i can do it over again, i would pay at least a few hundred more and i would have prepared a cash tip instead of bank transfer and WesternUnion (what i did) to avoid confusion. To each individual. They are very good at keeping the reciepts so maybe keep track every morning after or in th evening so you know about how much is needed in the end on top of tip. They are sooooo good to their guests you will want to give back asap.
The house is so magical and special to us. I cant wait to get back. It was beyond perfect. And the location is perfect for attractions and walkable everywhere. Getting Ubers and taxis are easy from this location. Thank you so much for hosting us.
He set up our driver, Fernando (who works for the house) to pick us up from the airport even with delays on our flight, he was flexible and picked us up easily. So we skipped the hassle of figuring out taxis and transportation or getting ripped off. The cars are clean and he even hired a second driver for our abundance of luggage.
Because Fernando picked us up, check in was simple because he brought us straight to the house where all the staff greeted us.
Walking in… it as like a DREAM. The pictures DO NOT do it justice. Its beyond beautiful. And you would be living you best “Encanto life” It is MASSIVE. I had no idea how big and how beautiful it was. There is so much space for privacy, for play, for hosting. We didnt even get through the entire house because we didnt have enough guests stay with us so most of the space was not used… next time! Every night upon request they turned on the fire places so we could all relax as a family in the living room down stairs, have wine… we brought our movie projector for family movie nights and they made us popped corn, prepared hot chocolate and served wine. Every day they cleaned our rooms when we were not around. They did our laundry daily and folded it and put it back in our closets. It was so perfect because two of our group members are professional artists, and utilized the easels and painted outside in the patio. This house was made for us.
Something i didnt expect was not to cook and not to buy groceries. They will do it all for you. Just tip them afterwards. Tell them what you want for breakfast the night before and when you want breakfast served. Then in the morning tell them what you would like for dinner. There is an in-house chef and she is so sweet and really really good. Im not a big Ecuadorian foodie lover but something about getting food from the moms and aunties of the house holds, it tastes a million times better than any Ecuadoriano Típico restaurant. Not only did she (Maria the chef) but also Carmen the main house helper also cooked make us regular home cooked meals, but they helped me tremendously put together a surprise birthday dinner for my boyfriend and my friend. I was able to sit with the chef and put together a special menu, and decorations of flowers and candles. They did a four course sit down meal where they served us at the formal dining room. From charcuterie boards and wine, paella, hornado, specially made cakes. They did an amazing job. I couldn’t be happier
Javier and Fernando were our guys for random errands and driving around historic Quito and were so nice. And attentive. Javier made our fireplaces now and then.
We paid the staff a few hundred dollars upfront for groceries but I definitely wish i did more just in case. They give you the balance on the last day but if i can do it over again, i would pay at least a few hundred more and i would have prepared a cash tip instead of bank transfer and WesternUnion (what i did) to avoid confusion. To each individual. They are very good at keeping the reciepts so maybe keep track every morning after or in th evening so you know about how much is needed in the end on top of tip. They are sooooo good to their guests you will want to give back asap.
The house is so magical and special to us. I cant wait to get back. It was beyond perfect. And the location is perfect for attractions and walkable everywhere. Getting Ubers and taxis are easy from this location. Thank you so much for hosting us.