The new Anahi Boutique Hotel in Ecuador’s Quito is a unique find. It’s set in a quiet residential neighborhood of the new town, in the area known as La Mariscal, which is the trendy, funky and hip part of new town Quito.
La Mariscal is where most of the night life is, including some of Quito’s finest restaurants and shopping, whether it’s for clothing or artisan, crafts or anqiues. The setting is quiet and manned 24/7 by a guard who greets you regardless of what time of day you arrive or leave.
The two main things that I really loved about the hotel after ‘sitting’ on my experience for several days:
1. The uniqueness of the rooms: although each one is uniquely different – from modern to hip to funky to old, they all have ‘clean lines’ and are designed with simplicity in mind.
2. The staff, so much so that a high praise call out goes to Wilson Andrade, Edison Alvear and Gabriel Izurieta. I stayed long enough that all three were on shift while I was there. Wilson has studied in the states, so his English was not only impeccable, but his accent was flawless. If it weren’t for Wilson, I may never have discovered the colorful buildings around La Ronda in the old town, nor would I have had the view of the city by night from Cielo Quiteno Restaurant at the top of the hill.
Edison marked up maps for me, recommended shops and walks. Poor Gabriel was on the night shift the evening before I left Quito. Because of the weight limit per bag, he came up with a scale and he himself stood on the scale, bag in hand while we did the calculations. Calculations are key. Take note: have them on have when you check in just in case your airline decides to overcharge you. He also ordered my take-out, translated cough medicine in Spanish and called me cabs. BTW, I took Wilson’s father’s cab to the airport (also named Wilson), which Wilson organized a couple of days before my departure. Does it sound like family yet? It felt like it, yet its a hip, modern upscale hotel that has a hot tub, steam room (not working when I was there) and an reading and “internet” room where you can print from their machine or your own.
As for the rooms, they all have unique names.
I was tempted to try out the Colonial Room since it not only had a very cool sewing machine like my grandmother used, but a bathtub with clawed feet as well – just seemed so out of place in South America, that I wanted to take a bath in it just because. But….I opted not to because I have experienced so much Colonial in my life that it was time for something a little edgier. Below the Colonial Room’s charm:
The Metal Fusion room wasn’t for me – a little too masculine with its slate gray, black and color colors – note: no rugs on the wooden floors either. I could see my New York male friends being into it though – straight and gay (clean lines and no frills). Again, something I might be able to find in New York, like I could find my ‘Colonial’ Room in New England. Here’s one you probably wouldn’t find in too many places, least of not with these details. Below is the colorful, fresh and energizing Amazonas room.
The hotel rooms fit the style and philosophy of its environment; modern and stylish yet distinctively Ecuadorian at the same time, all with a theme. Below’s room is called the Andes room, i.e., the Red Room. I nearly stayed in it because the bed is a King and it’s cozier than most, largely because there’s a massive thick throw rug and the room is smaller. Tempting, but still not the ‘one.’ I wanted to see them all and managed to see all but three that were occupied.
I spent some time in this colorful creation while they were fixing my shower. They refer to it as Vitro Fusion, which is spacious, with clean, crisp lines, eclectic artwork, bedspreads, a throw rug and light fixtures. The feeling is modern, edgy and the look-and-feel can be described as: Asia meets South America in the 2000’s. The bathroom is one of the larger ones although the shower is a smaller since its within a regular sized tub. That said, they make up for it with two large ‘his’ and ‘her’ sinks, both of which are well designed and I’ll add, “funky.”
Then there’s a very classic suite if you really want the space:
Below is the Bamboo Room: I immediately thought of my Australian pals who would love the energy in this two bedroom room with a view of the city.
Now for my favorite, which they say is a hard room to sell. A friend of mine who now works in Quito refers to it as the “hippee room” although Anahi calls it the Pop Room. A little Marilyn Monroe meets Betty Boop in a Disney-like but elegant playroom. Purple, pink and soft accents engulf the room giving it so feminine energy that I can see why it may not be the perfect match for a couple on a romantic getaway.
Even though its pinkness could be a drawback, the upside is that its funky, cool, hip and so unique that you likely won’t find it somewhere else, SO why not try it out? And btw, it’s incredibly cozy, thanks to the colors, the accents, the trimmings, and the fine touches that the designer nailed all the way throughout. It’s certainly not a style I’d incorporate into my home, but what a fun experience on a trip to Ecuador.
Loved this funky neon green shoe that they placed along side two martini glasses, which sadly I drank diet coke from on my last night.
They tout eco-friendly features, such as a magnetic card door system. BTW, not unique to Anahi, but I find the magnetic key holders frustrating. It’s a little too complex – while in theory, you should be able to just pop your key in the slot and everything works, it doesn’t always work flawlessly, just like a Windows 7 boot up doesn’t always work flawlessly. Wherever there’s technology ‘built in,’ there’s room for era. I understand the eco-value, but a simple on and off switch that’s easy to figure out still gets my vote.
The shower in my room had a little too much technology as well. The pressure seemed to play havoc with mine on the second day, so I had to move rooms because it stopped working. Problem is: I had fallen in love with the coziness of my room, so ended up showering in the Cocoa room and moving back.
Two other pet peeves: No heat! Because of the eco-friendly ‘features’ they have in place, there is no heat in any of the rooms.
Suggestion: more throw rugs in the rooms.
The hard wood is gorgeous but adding a few appropriately designed rugs in the rooms that don’t have any could warm up the temperature as well as the ambience. They did bring up an electric heater and an extra duvet when I dialed zero and said the word Frio and then Brrrrrr (understandable in any language??)
Secondly, they charge 10% if you use a credit card. Nowhere in Ecuador have I been given a surcharge for using a credit card, particularly for a hotel of this callibre. Of course most travelers who stay in a hotel like Anahi are going to use a credit card and if they don’t know about it in advance, it’s not a fun surprise when you’re getting ready to check out.
Suggestion: nuke the extra surcharge. It leaves a bad taste and people remember an experience where they suddenly have a wopping fee they weren’t expecting. If you stay for a week, you could be nailed with nearly $100 more for simply using your credit card. Uncool to say the least.
Back to modern and hip: they have free wifi in all the rooms AND it actually works. (meaning, it never went down once, which is a rarity even in 5 star American hotels). I was amused to discover that in an eco-friendly hotel that they tout a 32″ Plasma TV with more than 21 international TV channels.
Hmmmm, I’m in Ecuador in an old, charming city oozing with night life and great food. Why on earth? Yet, locals might want to tune in and business execs who have been to Quito dozens of times may want to watch a movie from one of their very comfortable beds.
Many of the rooms have views as well and nearly all of them are spacious with the exception of a few (including the one next to Reception, which I wouldn’t recommend unless they’re completely full up and you don’t have a choice).
The other odd but nice thing (if you’re tired) is that they have an extensive take-out menu, which includes a number of fast-food and chain restaurants in and around Quito. Not unlike the master menu of restaurant owners they have in some cities in the states, you can choose your restaurant, place an order and 50-60 minutes later, your food arrives plus a 10% surcharge for the delivery. Given how inexpensive Ecuador’s fast food and small eateries are, it doesn’t end up being a bargain, but if you don’t feel like walking or cabbing it, it’s a nice alternative.
Overall, I’d give this a thumbs up and a ‘must try,’ realizing that the hotel is relatively new so they’re still ironing out some of the small details, i.e., couldn’t get time in the hot tub since they don’t have an official sign up sheet yet, i.e., time in and out. A family had booked it for the entire evening which meant that no other guest could use it. It’s cold until you book it, then they warm it up for the time slot you have allocated.
Rooms to Try: if you’re going for uniqueness, try the Amazonas and Pop rooms and the Totora and the Mimbre are both a little more ‘earthy’ if you want to go a little more subdued. If you love clear crisp lines, then go with the slate or the ‘glass’ rooms. For light airy colors, the Bamboo Room (a little chiller than some of the others, i.e, no rugs). For a touch of that old fashioned big poster bed feel, go for the Colonial, which has the deep tub and its own balcony.
Below is a view of Quito from the Pop Room:
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
