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Reviews of Hotel El Crater

3.5 out of 5
Hotel El Crater
Mirador Del Pululahua, San Antonio de Pichincha, Pichincha

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 66 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 94 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 94 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

DAVID

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
We asked for the room on the upper floor when booking and they gave us the one below, the bathroom was outdated and had water problems, the king bed was two and a half square beds pushed together, and the mattress was worn out and very hard. Excessively expensive prices for what they offer, translucent curtain where you could see a lot from the outside, little privacy.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Allison, Richardson

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Perfect location, gorgeous rooms, delicious food, excellent staff!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stephen

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Great relaxing and wonderful friendly people.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

KYLE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Neat stay with great views
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel resides in one of the most beautiful places I have ever experienced. The grounds are immaculately maintained, tge architecture is gorgeous, the spaces uncrowded and relaxed. Places like this only exist in fairy tales. The staff is friendly and efficient, the rooms large, well-appointed, and comfortable. The on-site restaurant is very good too. I hope to spend another vacation there.
Stayed 28 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Administration on Jun 19, 2023
Dear MarkThank you for your review. We will be waiting for you. Always will be a pleasure to have you at the hotel

10/10 Excellent

Dario

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Shout out to OMAR! He was incredible. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable. We visited the restaurant for dinner and my husband felt in love with the potato soup. During breakfast we had a cute llama spy on us also keep us entertained. We had a great experience overall.

10/10 Excellent

Jade

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My spouse and I spent 3 nights at this mountain resort in Feb 2023. It was the ideal place for some much needed R&R. The views are spectacular, the rooms are spacious, the atmosphere is very serene, the spa is amazing (had the best hot stone massage there) and the service at the entire hotel is EXCELLENT! Special mention to Omar who is the heart beat of the resort … he takes care of everything that you can possibly need and more. Thank you for making our stay so memorable PS: The wifi works great !
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Fernando

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property and its surroundings offer the ultimate spa and natural landscape that are truly inspirational.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Wei

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023
Response from Manager on Jan 24, 2023
thank you

10/10 Excellent

Doreen

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The rooms are very spacious, gorgeous views from the rooms, and it is a very family-friendly hotel. The staff were so kind and responsive to any question or request and very knowledgeable regarding activities in the area. The food was delicious and a nice balance of Ecuadorian and European/North American food. We highly recommend El Crater during your visit to Ecuador!
Response from Manager on Jan 24, 2023
thank you for your review, it was a pleasure

10/10 Excellent

Nicolas

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Heaven on earth.
Best experience ever had. Heaven on earth, bassically is like living on the clouds.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022
Response from Manager on Nov 20, 2022
thank, it was a pleasure

10/10 Excellent

Patricia

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing place ❤️
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Manager on Sep 16, 2022
thank's you for your review

10/10 Excellent

J.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
El Crater is a hidden gem that is absolutely outstanding. I stayed for almost a week to write and meditate and it was perfect. The property is gorgeous with mid-century modern architecture, furnishing, and art. The restaurant is delicious with organic food and lovely staff and the spa is honestly world-class in the most beautiful space surrounded by nature. And the views! This a power spot on top of an ancient volcano crater with views toward the most sacred mountains in indigenous Ecuadorian culture. I can't recommend it highly enough and would gladly return if given the chance.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022
Response from Manager on Mar 29, 2022
Thanks for your replay, and beautiful comment, for us, is a pleasure to have you again at the hotel, spa, and restaurant

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is an incredible hotel. Only twelve rooms, so it's boutique for sure, and you get personalized service as a result. Maybe the best view I've had at a hotel - huge windows overlooking a gorgeous valley (an extinct volcanic crater you can hike into) on one side, more huge windows overlooking the city and mountains on the other. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and super clean. On the top floor, I had awesome skylight windows, adding even more allure to the stay. Everything worked well, and I had no problems whatsoever. There's an excellent restaurant on the property and a great spa, too. But more important than the amenities are the people - the staff were all wonderful: helpful, professional, patient with my broken Spanish. It is more than worth the price. If you go, make sure to follow the little path behind the restaurant - it's only maybe a 50 meter walk and brings you to a point on the crater rim that has an even better view of the crater at sunset.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Alexandra on Jan 21, 2020
Thank you very much for your comment, we are very happy that you felt good and that you appreciate the beauty of the place. For us it is always a pleasure to serve our guests in the best way

10/10 Excellent

Charlotte

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mitad del Mundo
Very nice and convenient location.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from El Crater on Aug 14, 2019
Muchas gracias por sus comentarios. Saludos

10/10 Excellent

William&Pae, Atlanta

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The view from the Hotel is unbeatable, arrived late in the am driving from Quito Airport, had to wake the Hotel Staff at 2 am, but no one could have been any nicer with the accommodations. The Hotel was very clean and the grounds were meticulously cared for. Differently, if you are in the area you must stay here. We only had a chance to stay one night because we were driving to Termas Papallacta and site seeing along the way. Almost forgot the breakfast was fabulous, enjoy our short stay very must don't hesitate to rent a car and see the country.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Alexandra on Jul 10, 2019
We are very happy that you enjoyed your stay. it will be a pleasure to welcome you back. Make all your holidays at the equator pleasant

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from El Crater on Jul 23, 2019
Muchas gracias por su opinión. Agradecemos su estadía en el hotel

10/10 Excellent

Lizbeth, Quito

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Service was amazing. Santiago welcomed us with the greatest smile and was attentive at all times. Room was clean and spacious... everything was fantastic beyond words.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from El Cráter on Jun 4, 2019
Thank you very much for your comments. We are pleased that you had a good stay at our hotel.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Hotel El Cráter on Apr 30, 2019
Gracias por elegir Hotel El Cráter, nos alegra saber que su estadía haya sido agradable.

8/10 Good

Caroline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
A room with 2 views
Amazing location to wake to in the morning!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Hotel El Cráter on Mar 5, 2019
Dear Caroline, thank you for your comments. We hope to have you again with us

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful place, lovely food and very friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from El Crater on Jan 22, 2019
Thank you very much, we wait for you again when you want

10/10 Excellent

Steve, Quito, Ecuador

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely beautiful spot, near the Pululahua Crater.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

6/10 Okay

Marc

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

Joel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pleasant surprise!
We read different reviews about El Crater and weren't sure what to expect, but we were SO pleasantly surprised. We spent our anniversary weekend here and it was amazing. The rooms are simple, but nice and beautiful with lovely views of the crater and mountains. It is true the fog comes in usually mid day so if you want to hike, morning is best. It is close to Mitad del Mundo, but there is not a lot of other stuff in the near by area, but Condado shopping is only about 20 minutes away. It didn't matter to us. It was a beautiful escape from city life to get in nature, hike, enjoy the spa, etc. The restaurant is amazing and the filet mignon is one of the best I have ever had. If you're looking for a nice get away, THIS is your place. We highly recommend it and will be back!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2018

2/10 Terrible

greg, Boston, Massachusetts

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not a nice place to stay! Poor condition run down!
Horrible conditions! Room infested with bugs! Can not put clothes in closet as there is a leak and all my good clothes became extremely wet! Paint on concrete walls is peeling and flaking off constantly! Sky light has leak and drips all the time soaking the carpet in the middle room! Had to turn room key in every day for staff to make bed but no one was available to give the key back when we arrived back on multiple days making us wait 1/2 hour after coming back to get our room key back! Addressed these isssues with staff who apparently never realayed to manager till last day who was never available! Extremely far from everything! Transportation is an issue because it is so far! Arrainged with hotel for transfer to airport for return trip. Flight was at 8:30am was told that the earliest they could pick us up was 6am airport is 1 hour away and it is an international flight. Almost missed fligh as driver did not show up until 6:40! Getting us to airport with almost no time to check bags and get through security had to run to make it onto flight! Included photos. The bugs in the photo are everywhere in the room! You find them in your clothes if you put them in the closet and in your towels and all over the floor! No staff available if you leave hotel before 7 no staff available if you return after 9 during the week. The view from the room is great but can't substitute for all the issues with rooms!
Paint peels and falls while doing hair and brushing teeth
Just a few shots of peeling paint it is peeling everywhere
Closet leaks and soaks clothes! Bugs in closet get in clothes!
Hard to tell but darker spots on carpet are soaked from leak.  Can't wear socks and carpet is damp in dryer areas and soaked in darker areas

8/10 Good

Margaret

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had a great overnight stay at El Crater. The buildings and rooms were modern and lovely. One issue was there was no signage for Registration so we had to drive around the property and inquire. We had a very good dinner there and the service at dinner and free breakfast was very efficient and friendly.

2/10 Terrible

Yuri & Tanya, Toronto, Canada

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
old and dirty hotel in a bad conditions
Nice location. That is all about El Crater hotel. Dirty, dusty, broken windows. We booked Deluxe room. They offer us room with cracked walls and ceiling. After we refuse to stay they gave us different room. We ourselves have washed windows, we asked to bring the vacuum cleaner and cleaned the room. The restaurant is very overpriced. We stayed 6 nights, for breakfast there only eggs. Ones waiter brought to us leftover food.We refused to eat. I asked where can I store my passport and money they offered me give them for storage.Safety box is not available in the hotel. After visiting this hotel we decided never again will come to Ecuador.

10/10 Excellent

Don, Fritz Creek, Alaska

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worth The Drive
The location of this hotel is fantastic. Everything about it was perfect, food, room, staff.

10/10 Excellent

oberon, cuenca, ecuador

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
El Crater
Views from room wet gear, food was good and staff friendly and helpful

10/10 Excellent

Luckmia, Turks and Caicos

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Birthday Getaway in the Mountains
This was a great birthday trip for me (March 14,2015... Very relaxing and peaceful. I arrived late at about 1am and believe me you have to have proof (Printed confirmation letter) that you are a guest of the hotel in order to enter that gate (Security) was uptight which I loved and embraced for I knew I was safe. The views from my room and living room the next morning were breathtaking- walked over for breakfast where I also had mountainous view while I enjoyed up to 6 different sliced fruits and delicious eggs and orange juice. The owner was very friendly and helpful with everything. I was given complimentary flowers for my birthday which were set up in my room with chocolate treats and a special dinner just for my birthday. I would definitely return and recommend here ... it gets a bit cold but there are heaters in the rooms which calms the atmosphere. I LOVED IT!!!

8/10 Good

dave, long island ny

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room comfort great
good experience staff friendly ,need to improve in the same morning meals.

8/10 Good

Timothy, Bristol, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Location! Location! Location!
We booked a couple of nights at El Crater as part of a three-week holiday in the Ecuadorean Andes. While it is only five minutes' drive from the 'Middle of the World' equator site and 90 minutes from Mindo its principal attraction is the hotel's own location, perched on the edge of the Pululahua volcanic crater. The suites have amazing views both down into the intensively-farmed crater floor and back over to the Andes around Quito. When we stayed in January (their winter) we naturally accepted that there would be variability in the weather, even in the same day. When the weather is clear the views are spectacular. This can then turn dramatic as mist and cloud roll around the crater and the hotel, particularly in the afternoon/evening. On the service front the hotel is obviously small (12 rooms) and the staff limited. On our visit a young man called Christian checked us in, treated us to his national and local knowledge of Ecuador, helped with our bags, served us dinner, served us breakfast and checked us out again, all handled in a kindly manner. All our four meals were accepatably priced and prepared. If you get a nice day this will be one of the most spectacular hotel locations you'll ever stay at. Even if you can't stay the night, a visit for lunch on a clear day is highly recommended.

8/10 Good

Larry, Buffalo NY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice small quit hotel
we had an enjoyable experience and would stay here again. the staff is very help full and friendly and will go way out of there way to help. Food at there local restaurant is excellent very reasonable priced. There are lots of things to do but a car would make travel to them allot easier

8/10 Good

zahar

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Mubashar, Esmonton

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful hotel with great service
Hotel is amazing and rooms are tastefully decorated. Loved the place. Staff was great and very helpful. Food was nice too. Only issue was to find this hotel. Google directions were not clear and it was at least an hour away from airport. Make sure you get the room on top floor because doors have no sound proofing so anyone coming into the building late at night might wake you up especially if they are talking loud. Rest was great.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful location with great service
The location of the hotel is lovely with beautiful views over the crater. The staff are wonderful and helpful in every way. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel for any looking to stay outside of the city but yet en-route to many of Ecuador's destinations.

8/10 Good

John, Auckland, NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel on crater rim
Great views and interesting location on the rim of a extinct volcanic crater

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Missed the views, still got the great service
I arrived at night and left before the sun came up, so I missed the lovely views advertised. But the staff was excellent in that they brought us a portable breakfast before our early departure to the airport and were overall very accommodating. The room was the most upscale I stayed in during my trip to Ecuador, so it was nice to have reliable hot water, a heater, and even a hair drier and cable TV. Overall a nice stay & good night of sleep.

8/10 Good

Tim, Calgary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
close to Mitad del Mundo
nice room. Booked a twin, was given a king, staff rushed over with new bedding and converted to twins. Was impressed with their 'jump to it'. Dinner in the resto was not so good, fish was seriously overcooked. And no other options nearby. Grounds were great! as were the views.

10/10 Excellent

Allie, Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a unique place to stay! We were in awe of the views as we drive up to the hotel and we were immediately greeted & taken to our spectacular room. The service was outstanding: from the owner stepping away from the dinner table with his family (?) to say hello, to the staff opening the restaurant for us for dinner. If you have the opportunity, this is an experience not to be missed. I'll never forget my time 'in the clouds'.

10/10 Excellent

Anonymous

Disliked: Room comfort
perfect meal
it was greate ~ for dinner~ and the sightses~~ is great~

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Far from downtown Quito but fantastic setting
The location is fantastic - nestled in the mountains outside of Quito. If you won't be going to the deep Andes this is a great way to experience the next best thing! Views of the crater from one side of windows and the valley from the other side of the room. Everything associated with the hotel exceeded expectations. It's really far away from central Quito and the airport (30-45 min), that is the downside. But it is near the Mitad del Mundo and the adjacent museum, so if you are planning to visit these attractions you will have a long taxi ride from central Quito anyway. We stayed here two nights and spent one full day in central Quito (enough to see the sights). Also, don't miss the folkloric museum next to Mitad del Mundo, right on the equator, it is one-of-a-kind, lots of fun, be sure to take the tour.

10/10 Excellent

Pete and Robert, Seattle, Washington, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
El Crater
We have stayed in hundreds of places around the world and this ranks right up at the top. The location is absolutely gorgeous, grounds are well maintained and the staff is very helpful. Each morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast delivered to our room. We arrived late and were treated to a lightning storm that we enjoyed from out living room. Our room was clean and comfortable and the view was priceless. It is bit of a trip back into Quito but if you want to get away from the hustle of the city and relax this is the place to go. We would definitley return

10/10 Excellent

Jeffrey Brody

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Away from the rush & noise of Quito
A wonderful relaxing hotel up on the tip of a crater.Quiet with wonderful people serving their guests.the restaurant 's food was great especially with the addition of the new chef Daniella. A great place to spend a day or two before taking on the noise of Quito.

10/10 Excellent

sela, Houston, TX, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel with a view
Best view in Quito overlooking the mountains and plenty of stars at night. Convenient to hiking and horse back riding. Fantastic staff that caters to your every need. Woke up at 6 a.m. to serve us breakfast and even earlier for our flight. Arranged transportation for us without hesitation to any location needed. Warm hospitality!

10/10 Excellent

Momalisa, Louisville, KY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely spectacular hotel, stunning views!
We just spent 5 nights at El Crater, one of the most amazing hotels we have visited. We arranged for the hotel to pick us up from the airport; the hotel is very secluded and about 40 minutes away from Quito airport. I can barely describe the magnificent peace we felt and the awe of nature we experienced while at El Crater. It's definitely a romantic place where folks who yearn for the easy life and enjoy being immersed in nature can truly rest and recuperate from busy lives. One evening, we witnessed a lightning storm in the distance - none like we've ever seen in our lives. The sky was filled with stars and just below the starry sky, lightning flashed every few minutes. Simply magical. The food was wonderful! The El Crater breakfast, which is included in the stay, is the best we've experienced in our traveling the world! Fresh juice, fruit plate, eggs and bread every morning. We had good coffee and wonderful hot chocolate. The view from the restaurant is spectacular as well and we watched hummingbirds feeding on the flowering bushes nearly every morning. The chef is wonderful, every meal we had was special, quickly prepared and served...just delicious. We loved the corn tortillas, the locro (potato soup - YUM!) and every other dish we tried. My fiance is a vegetarian and one evening they made him a special pasta dish with mushrooms that was really appreciated.

10/10 Excellent

Rhonda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stunning Views worth the short drive out of Quito!
Waking up to the breathtaking views from any direction was fabulous after arriving at Quito after midnight the night before. The room was very nice & I had a wonderful breakfast and plenty of help with taxi, sightseeing, etc. I will definitely stay at Hotel El Crater on my next trip as well.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Peaceful Oasis--Just 30 minutes from the airport
It was great to be greeted at the airport and whisked away El Crater, high above Quito, in just 30 minutes. Incredible views, peace and quiet and excellent service make this a great destination after exhausting trip to Galapagos or a long flight into Quito.

2/10 Terrible

Janet, Houston, TX

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not Impressed
The best thing about this hotel is the view. The check in area is not a front desk. They do all their business from the restaurant itself. The rooms weren't comfortable. The space heaters that were provided had to be on throughout our stay to keep the rooms somewhat warm. Their restaurant service was by no means exceptional. Trash bags were left out in the entrance on a day we came in for breakfast. They have a very limited menu. The same food staff works the cleaning and room service. There's not much to do nearby the hotel. We would not recommend this hotel.

10/10 Excellent

Inés

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excelente
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024