Boutique hotel Patio Andaluz pushes the colonial envelope to the full. The bellhops wear long coats, frilly shirts and striped trousers, while female receptionists don traditional Andean woolen ponchos. The effect, of the bell–hops at least, could be faintly comic, but thankfully the management doesn't insist on wigs. Beyond the staff dress code, the décor manages to conjure an ambiance of the colonial era, with plenty of dark–stained carved wood, original and reproduction colonial art, heavy upholstery and the odd objet on display. These touches sometimes combine awkwardly with modern or utilitarian features, making for an ill marriage. The hotel occupies two patios of an old Quito mansion, one behind the other, comprising the former residence of the 17th–century Marqués de Jerez and a string of noble families down the centuries. The adaptation of the buildings was intelligently done, covering the patios with glass roofs, although the poor ventilation in the hotel is probably its biggest drawback.

The first, street–side patio is occupied by the good Ecuadorian–International restaurant, which has a generous breakfast buffet, a lunchtime set–menu and a decent á–la–carte menu in the evenings. They also serve a range of traditional Ecuadorian small dishes, including a selection platter, which is a great way to discover the country's local cuisine.

The rooms are distributed over two levels of the two patios. The ones to go for are the duplex models located in the first patio. Six of these give on to the main street below, while the remaining five all enjoy an inner balcony up in the eaves of the glass roof giving onto the patio. The street–side rooms are quiet despite the traffic noise, but the hotel perhaps overdid it, in that you can't actually open the French windows to poke your head out and people watch at all. All the duplex rooms come with a large bed and TV on the lower level, with a sofa, armchairs and bathroom upstairs.

The rooms in the rear patio, despite being of a good, comfortable size, all suffer from lack of light and air. Their single windows give onto the patio alone. By the late afternoon, the ones at the back are decidedly gloomy. They don't come with air conditioning either, so for some they can be too stuffy.

For the price, you would perhaps expect more goodies included, but these are pretty much limited. Desks are a squeeze for a laptop, but fine for postcard writing. Straddling the two patios on the ground–floor level, an appealing room has free tea and coffee, a reading library and comfy sofas. There are a few computer terminals dotted about in quite random places over the two floors, with pretty slow connections and there's no wireless as yet. In the lower level of the rear patio, attractively tiled in blue mosaics, you find the hotel's wine cellar–like bar, with a huge TV screen and an attentive barman.

The Patio Andaluz wins for its well–trained and helpful staff, its attractive décor, historical setting, great location, and its mezzanine rooms. It loses on the ventilation and amenities of the rooms. With the opening of new hotels on the way in Quito's Old Town, the Andaluz now has some stiff competition in the area. But it's still an excellent choice for those who prefer colonial architecture over modern glitz.


Web Address: www.hotelpatioandaluz.com
Total Number of Rooms: 31
Published rates: $150 to $175

Review by Dominic Hamilton, photos courtesy of Hotel Patio Andaluz.