Illa Experience Hotel

Location

The Illa Experience Hotel found in the Old Town’s bohemian quarter - San Marcos and is approx. 1 hours’ transfer from Quito airport. The three main plazas - Grande, San Francisco & Santo Domingo – are all within a five minute walk. The hotel is located on a cobbled, one-way street, a few doors down from the Archive of Architecture museum.

Layout

The Hotel is a three-storey property that is, like most buildings from the turn of the 18th century, based around a central courtyard. Each floor’s design is dedicated to a different period of history. The ‘Colonial’ ground floor is reception, the dining area and guest rooms (modified to be wheelchair-friendly). The ‘Republican’ first floor houses further rooms plus a snacks & refreshments area. The ‘Contemporary’ second floor has additional rooms plus access to the gorgeous terrace, which is delicately lit by fairy lights and offers superb views of the city and her sentinel - the Virgen del Panecillo. On the basement floor resides the Spa, gym, wine cellar and small outdoor patio with a vertical garden. An elevator serves all floors.

Rooms

With only 10 rooms, the Illa Experience Hotel is a hearteningly exclusive property. There are six Luxury rooms, two Suites and two Master Suites. All include a plethora of first-class amenities (too many to list here) with carefully selected Ecuadorian art and luxurious en-suite bathrooms. Curiously, the Master Suites are not the largest, but they do have the premium view, of the Virgen del Panecillo. If you are happy to take in this view from the roof terrace, we recommend the more spacious Suites.

Features

A unique inclusion at the Illa Hotel are the daily experiences with local artisans, which encourage learning and interaction with craft masters, in a relaxed environment. Examples include chocolate making, hat weaving, astronomy, wine tasting, ice-cream making, painting to name a few. There is a Spa offering various treatments and also contains a Jacuzzi; plus a small gym. The wine cellar is available for tastings or to take dinner.