Hostal Posada J — Hotel in Baños de Agua Santa

Marcia and Jim are the creators and proprietors of La Posada del Arte hotel, gourmet restaurant and art gallery. Wow! What a cool couple and awesome establishment in one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas. Marcia and Jim moved to Banos permanently in 2001, way back before the city became popular.

They visited Banosfor the first time while on a mountain biking vacation, during which they passed by the hotel with a for sale sign in the window. They decided to make it happen and flew back to Chicago, packed their bags and headed to Ecuador not knowing a thing about the hospitality biz but they believed in themselves and their dream.

They have created a great and unique life and a very distinctive and unique boutique hotel that includes artwork on all the walls and incredible landscaping. I am sitting on a balcony relaxing outside our room enjoying the waterfalls and view of the mountain. Music ranging from Jimmy Buffet to Charles Mingus adds to the vibe. Fantastico!

Marcia and Jim are gourmet cooks and we had a wonderfully-prepared meal upon our arrival in the evening. Breakfasts are gratis and gourmet as well.

The pictures and video really can't do this place nor Marcia and Jim justice. It is really something to experience for yourself. We are so grateful for their making our stay in Banos a memory of a lifetime.

Muchos gracias!

Oh, I forgot to mention that the rooms have a functional fireplace but the weather is so nice that I doubt that you'd ever...

First off, as you probably already know, Baños is an incredible place, and there are many great places to stay in this town. I prefer staying in the southeast part of town, right up against the hills because it's much quieter and a bit more out of the way. This was my first time staying at Posada J (February 2017), and it was delightful. The hotel grounds and decoration are gorgeous. You can hear the waterfall all over the hotel. Our room wasn't large by any means, but it was clean and comfortable, and the views from our open windows were spectacular. There is a common seating area with couches, chairs and tables that overlooks the waterfall. I spent a lot of time just relaxing here. There are some minor inconveniences that are just part of being in Ecuador, such as not a lot of hot water for showers, or not hot water at certain times, but they're really not worth diving into the details here. If I asked for help, the hotel staff was very attentive and did their best to accommodate my needs and requests. They even let us park our car inside the gate at night, where I've had to leave my car outside on the street at other comparable places. Yes, there are cheaper places to stay in town, and a few nicer (and more expensive) ones too. I've stayed in places I like just as much as Posada J, but it is a solid choice. You can't go wrong here--I love it. Oh, and the included breakfast is very...

We stayed for three nights at Posada J. The room we had was large, clean and well appointed with everything we needed to be comfortable. The location of the hotel is super convenient as well. The only downside to that great location is that on the weekend one of the nearby hostels can get pretty loud and their music can be somewhat disruptive if you want to get to sleep early. They were super flexible as well. When we arrived, we had flight delays that caused us to arrive after midnight, but the hotel staff was there to greet us and quickly got us checked in as soon as we arrived. In addition to the great features of the hotel, Juan Carlos the owner, speaks good English and also provided a wonderful private transfer service to Quito that was a lifesaver for my family! Thank you Juan Carlos for the care and consideration you gave to...