We just wrapped up an epic trip to Ecuador, including a stay at the historic Hotel Plaza Grande in Quito. Here's our full review of this charming property, including the incredible Presidential Suite!
Location & Property
First things first - and location is always first. Hotel Plaza Grande sits right in the city's historical center, on the beautiful Plaza de la Indepencia. And it has great neighbors - the Presidential Palace is right next door. In fact, we were able to watch several military displays from our balcony, including the changing of the guard and a marching band.
The hotel itself is a historical landmark. The land it sits on was given to Francisco Pizarro during the Spanish foundation, and it was the very first Spanish residence established in the city. It has since served as the Majestic Hotel, a private bank, a government building for the city of Quito, and finally opened as a luxury hotel in 2005.
The hotel has just 15 unique rooms, making it a true boutique property. The views of the square are beautiful, and the hotel is filled with incredible original woodwork and unique details that we really loved.
Getting There
Hotel Plaza Grande is approximately a 40 minute drive from Quito airport, but could be much more at rush hour, so be sure to plan accordingly.
The hotel prearranged a car service for us, which was very convenient and is by far the easiest way to get there with a late night arrival. The driver met us with a sign as we exited the airport and took us straight to the car. Very convenient and was charged to the room.
Of course, you can also get a taxi from the airport without prearranging. Just be sure to get a licensed taxi from the designated taxi stand for safety. Uber also works pretty well throughout Quito.
Our Room - The Presidential Suite!
We were surprised to be given an upgrade to the Presidential Suite at check-in. I don't have any idea how we scored this great upgrade - but the room was truly amazing.
The Presidential Suite is very literally a full apartment with a separate bedroom, master bath, additional half bath, kitchenette, dining room and living room! We could have lived there for a week easily. ;)
So let's get a tour of this suite! As you enter, you'll find a sitting room with a sofa, chairs, and coffee table. Great spot to sit and relax with a cup of coffee in the morning. This is also where they had set up a twin size rollaway bed for my son. The doorway also opens up to a balcony.
In here, you'll also find a coffee/tea bar with a small Nespresso machine, loose leaf tea steeper, and fixings for coffee and tea. They also provided several bottles of purified water each day, which is very helpful since the water is not safe to drink in Quito (at least for tourists).
Moving into the master bedroom, there's a king bed. And I have to note that it's a beautiful four poster bed - I just love the details. And both of those doorways open up to balconies!
There is a large armoire for storage, which also contains a safe. The safe was large enough to fit my big camera and very big lenses, our smaller valuables.
The master bathroom is very large, with plenty of counter space and storage cabinets/drawers. There is a huge jacuzzi tub (which my son did try out) and a separate walk-in shower. And there's a bidet, in addition to a standard toilet.
As far as toiletries, there were L'Occitane products provided, which I found very usable. And a real hair dryer - you guys know how I feel about hotel hair dryers. So always appreciate this!
Moving into the other wing, there's a large dining room. Like, you could host a dinner party in here. And I guess that's the idea, as there is also an additional half bathroom off the dining area.
In the very back corner of the suite, there's a butler's pantry and a small kitchen with an electric cooktop and a big fridge. I love a fridge in a hotel room! So convenient when traveling with kids. Although, I guess no one really cooks in this kitchen, because there were no cooking utensils. Ha!
Now, my favorite part of the room… the balconies. And I do mean balconies with an S - there are three of them! We could literally each have our own balcony overlooking the square. So fun!
This is the view from the room in the evening - beautiful view over the square with the Virgin of El Panecillo rising in the background.
We could see the changing of the guards at the Presidential Palace, and even got to witness a small parade complete with a marching band one afternoon!
Service
Perfect? Possibly. I mean, they upgraded us to an amazing room, so I am not going to complain about anything here. ;)
But seriously, regardless of the sweet upgrade, they really did do a nice job with the service here. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. They arranged our transportation to and from the airport, and were quick to offer help with anything else we needed.
Housekeeping serviced the room each day, leaving more bottled water, little treats like macarons and chocolates, and fresh towels. What more do you need?
Food & Drinks
Cafe Plaza Grande
The hotel restaurant is actually one of the best rated restaurants in the area, and I have to agree with the public on this one.
We ate breakfast there each day, which was complimentary. And we also ate dinner here twice. We don't usually hit the hotel restaurant for multiple dinners, but the food was very good and we were very tired from sightseeing and hiking!
The seafood was fresh and tasty, and that's something I am quite particular about. I really enjoyed the fish in coconut sauce and the ceviche! My son enjoyed the chicken fingers and had pancakes for breakfast there every morning. You can check out their menu online.
You'll see an unusual dessert offering on the menu, which is served up by El Cucurucho, complete with the purple robe and cone-shaped hat. This is quite fun to see and the dessert is tasty too!
Bar 1936
In the basement, there's a great bar and lounge area. It was pretty much empty the whole time we visited, which I guess makes sense since the hotel only has 16 rooms!
In addition to drinks, they serve a more bar-type food menu down here as well. They had several teams with various sports showing. And there's a pool table, which my husband and son can never resist.
Here's a peek at the food menu from our visit as well:
Would we stay here again?
Yes, definitely. We found the location super convenient, the service to be great, the room and view amazing. I would absolutely book a room here again if we find ourselves headed back to Quito in the future.
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