Hotel Bellavista Quito

Rooms are much smaller than in the picture.

I gave three star, but 3.5 would have been more accurate. The hotel itself is beautiful, with a great view of Quito. It's tucked away in a good, somewhat upscale neighborhood. It's extremely hilly here, so be prepared to walk up and down very steep hills if you plan to walk anywhere. The beds were comfy and the room was very clean. The bathrooms were updated with nice finishes and fixtures. The staff didn't speak English, so we missed the quirky instructions for how to get hot water out of the shower. The lighting is unpleasant (if you like reading or lower light), and the bedding is dated. The dining room is beautiful but our breakfast was not among the best we've had (eggs were overcooked, bread was not tasty, and coffee was not great-- but there was fresh fruit and juice). It's a very good value and great location, with some tradeoffs.

We stayed one night between birding trips to the west and east sides of Quito. I had some problems booking, with the hotel and booking company blaming each other for my credit card being rejected. (I had no problems with using it for multiple bookings elsewhere). However I rebooked with a different provider, pre-paid and had no further issue. Our room, with twin beds, was quite small and clean; we needed to wait as long as 15 minutes for hot water to come through in the shower. Its location was not ideal, being next to washing machines /driers which were on until mid-evening and with the windows right next to low level steps where people can walk by. Hardly the mountain / city view promised but it didn't actually cause a problem. Contrary to the details provided at booking, there was no drinking water nor safe provided in the room.No towels were available until the had finished putting them through the drier. The staff were very helpful and friendly and Pablo seemed to be constantly running around doing everything! There are nice city views from the restaurant and a short walk (down the steep) hill brings you to some restaurants and shops. We were provided with a packed breakfast, because we were leaving early. But unfortunately despite being assured one would be vegetarian, there was meat in the sandwiches. Overall, whilst "average" is a bit harsh, and I think better rooms are available, given the issues mentioned, I couldn't score this "very good".