About this hotel
General information
Casa Gangotena is a mansion on the south-west corner of Plaza San Francisco, at the centre of Quito’s Old Town, among the first places ever inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The plot’s story reaches back to the Incas: Spanish chroniclers recorded a temple standing here in the 15th century, and the square later became a busy market. In the Republican era the house was home to several of the country’s presidents; after a fire in 1914 it was rebuilt by the Gangotena family, a Quito dynasty of industrialists, politicians and scholars.
Today the mansion holds 31 rooms over three floors. Art Nouveau and Art Deco set the tone, with restored ceiling work, antiques, oil paintings and wood panelling. Life revolves around a glass-roofed inner patio, a garden with a fountain, the Quito Gallery with its relief map of the Andes, photographs and artworks, and a third-floor terrace looking over the old town towards the mountains. The kitchen, which reworks Ecuadorian traditions, is a draw in its own right.
Location
The hotel faces the church and convent of San Francisco across the cobbled square of the same name. The Casa del Alabado archaeological museum is just across the plaza, and the City Museum and the Presidential Palace are a few minutes’ walk away. Quito sits at around 2,800 m, so oxygen is kept on hand for guests. The international airport is about an hour’s drive; transfers can be arranged through the front desk, and there is valet parking for those arriving by car.
Spa
The Wellbeing Space is a small, guest-only retreat at the back of the courtyard. Massages are tailored to each guest, the signature being an Andean herb massage, alongside hair washing and styling, manicures and pedicures. Massages can also be given in the room; the minimum age for massages is 16.
Sports & leisure
Leisure here is about the house and old Quito, with experiences held in the hotel or close by:
- a tour of the mansion with Gangotena family lore, ending with the view from the terrace
- free entry to Casa del Alabado, a restored 16th-century mansion housing pre-Columbian art
- a cooking class with the chef devoted to Cocina Mestiza
- an Ecuadorian chocolate tasting in a chocolate shop next door
- a walk through the historic centre exploring its legends and lesser-known stories
- an Andean cleansing ritual with a traditional healer who works with dozens of medicinal plants
- an evening climb into the cupola or tower of a colonial church, overlooking the floodlit old town
For longer outings the hotel arranges trips to Cotopaxi National Park, the Otavalo market and the equator.
For children
Children are welcome. Luxury Room, Plaza View Room and Junior Suite sleep two adults and two children, and interconnecting Luxury Rooms suit families. All guest experiences are open to children, the chocolate tasting being a particular favourite. Hair services in the Wellbeing Space have no age limit for children accompanied by an adult.
Restaurants & bars
The kitchen cooks Cocina Mestiza, traditional Ecuadorian dishes reinterpreted with contemporary technique; everything except proteins is sourced within six blocks of the hotel.
- Casa Gangotena Restaurant — breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus seasonal specialities: fanesca in March–April, colada morada with guaguas de pan bread figures in October–November
- Café Quiteño — Quito’s take on afternoon tea, served in the orchid-filled patio: Ecuadorian coffees, garden infusions, pastries and sandwiches
- The Bar — leather chairs, wood panelling and oil paintings, signature cocktails and gin tastings
- Rooftop Terrace — cocktails, wine and small plates on the third floor, with the old town’s church towers below and, on clear days, the snow-capped Cayambe volcano
- VIP Salon — the Gangotena family’s former ballroom, for intimate dinners of up to 25 guests
Room service runs around the clock, and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes are prepared with advance notice.
Rooms
31 rooms and suites across the mansion’s three floors, averaging 35 m², no two alike. Tall ceilings, plush carpets, flowing curtains and Art Deco furniture set the tone throughout.
Air conditioning and heating, soundproofing, a flat-screen TV with international channels, telephone, safe, free Wi-Fi, a bathroom with bathtub and shower, bathrobes and slippers, and still and sparkling water.
Luxury Room
Rich upholstery, plush carpets and fine linen, found on every floor of the house. Sleeps two adults and two children; can be booked interconnecting.
Plaza View Room
A light-filled room on the northern façade, first or second floor, looking out at the church and convent of San Francisco and the cobbled square. Sleeps two adults and two children.
Suite
Two interconnecting Luxury Rooms at the end of the western wing, one set up as a sitting room, overlooking the garden and its afternoon sun. Sleeps up to four.
Luxury Plus
At the end of the south-western wing, with neoclassical columns topped by stuccowork and a floral Art Nouveau frieze along the cornice. For two guests.
Junior Suite
The Gangotenas’ former tearoom on the first floor, with a hunting mural and large windows over the garden and Panecillo hill. Sleeps two adults and two children.
Balcony Junior Suite
A first-floor suite with neoclassical columns, a marble bathroom and a balcony over the garden facing the Virgin of Quito statue. For two guests.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.