Hacienda la Cienega

I feel badly giving a terrible review, but the 2 nights we spent here were uncomfortable and unpleasant. The building - a sprawling place - is 300 years old and has been a hotel for over 30 years. There is very poor heating: the rooms and dining area are cold. There was a small electric heater in our room, with helped a little. Luckily, we are OK with cooler temperatures than most people, but I'm sure most people would find their room, the dining area and other parts of this hotel too cold. There are fireplaces in the rooms, which we didn't use, and might have helped at least a little. Hot water was a problem: it took over 15 minutes (I noted this on my watch) to get hot water in the shower at night, and then it could not be regulated, so the water went between scalding and icy. In the mornings, after letting the water run for over a half hour, it wasn't the least bit less cold than when we turned the hot water on over a half hour earlier. The decor in our room was mostly junky old crap, which I suppose was supposed to pass as antiques and 'period pieces.' The long hallways were decorated with the same crap. The breakfast was very basic, limited choices, and the same on both mornings we were there. The rolls - shaped like croissants, but tasted nothing like a croissant, were cold and sort of damp. Bread was served in a basket and was a bit stale. Dinner had limited options, the same choices both nighta, and was, at best, passable. One evening I ordered grilled chicken in a mushroom cognac sauce, which had no cognac, and was barely warm. There were no service beyond the basic. While the beds were made and towels changed, there was no one to help bring luggage to or from your room. The front desk person was friendly and ignored any request we made with a smile. This was the first hotel we stayed at outside of Quito and have since stayed in a few other hotel in Ecuador, all of which were far better in every way than this place. I would absolutely not stay here. In fact, if you are - as most people - traveling around Ecuador with a driver and guide, and the travel agency you are working with wants to book you a room at this place, I would not only decline their suggestion, but carefully scrutinize any other recommendations they make. I read some of the positive reviews for this place and wonder how anyone could really feel positive about it.

Rough road to get there. Dinner was not great, very poor value for price. Lovely ambiance. Beautiful courtyard. Loved dinner by the fireplace. Kind server. Do not recommend the eggplant! Bathroom had loose ceiling tiles that seemed open to outside. Very humid smelling room. Nice big room but disappointing fire 180/night.

Ecuadorian tourism is down currently but this beautiful country should not be ruled out. The issues seen to be mostly in the coastal areas. I just returned from the Sierra, Quito & Amazon areas where things were o.k. Wonderful service. Good food. Perfect spot for an intimate wedding. Elegance from the past with large beautifully appointed rooms & a lovely small cathedral. Good place to make memories...