Hosteria Rose Cottage — Hotel in Otavalo

I am completely dumbfounded on the postive reviews about this place, especially its mention in The Lonely Planet guidebook which, thus far, has proven to be a reliable source of guidance. We were excited to finish our trip on a high note here in Otavalo, but were there for less than an hour before we decided to take the $35 loss and book elsewhere due to poor accomedations. Don't let the picturesque marketing schematics of this place fool you, weary travelers. Pay attention to the cons mentioned in the other reviews (especially on Booking.com) because their all factual. ||||As for Rose Cottage itself, it is pretty much brought to you by the owners most recent dumpster diving expedition. A severely rundown establishment in which the majority of the "grandmother's house" interiors are molded fake flowers, plastic white lawn chairs, and bedding from the 80s. For $35 a night, the bedroom we were given had noticeable mold-infested walls and furniture that were no finer than accomedations you'd find in the slums of Mumbai. The bed included torn sheets, rotted foam pillows, and a springy mattress with worn indentions of its former owners. Also, the door to our room had a doorknob on the outside, but not on the inside. Yeah, you read that right. We could only get in and out with the latch.||||And if you're above 5'7" inches tall, forget about staying here because you won't even be able to clear the doorways without smacking your head each time and knocking yourself out, if the smell of mold doesn't get you first. As all doorways are about 5 feet high - with a disasteful sign above them mentioning "mini-me used to live here." ||||Really? ||||Outside, the beautiful, roaming countryside view of the Andes (which is stunning FYI) are not a distraction to the raddy array of cottages and feces-filled grassy knolls from the many unkempt animals that inhabbit the grounds. Yes, there are plenty of pretty flowers planted everywhere (and I must give them snaps for their excellent botany choices), but the Llama was eating them. If you'd like a good picture of the mountains, be sure to take the wooden bridge to the lookout so long as you don't fall through like I did. About as bad as the garden pathways which consist of wobbly cement blocks above a running mote, which boggles my mind as to what that's all about. And if you are looking for a quick dip, please be sure to visit the algae-infested jacuzzi that may or may not house the creature from the black lagoon. Like "tennis," as it's advertised? It's table tenis, alright - they had me there. A ping pong table, minus any balls or paddles to play with. Like a playground for the kids? Be wary of dried, splintering wood of the swing and see-saw that will offer as much a thorn in your thigh as the place itself. There's also a frame to take IG pictures in to remind you and your followers of the dump you'll regret having booked if you decide to stay here.||||Due to a severe allergy to mold on my part, we couldn't stay. If this was the United States, the health department would shut this place down. The owner refused to give us a refund, which was expected, despite signing out not even an hour after we signed in. She was ornery and stingy, and though she offered us another room (fat chance), she was reluctant to call a taxi back to town for us due to her disgruntled objection over us leaving. We took the loss and found an incredible Airbnb in town instead.||||There are better hostels in Otavalo and I suggest seeking them out, folks. Rose Cottage tries way too hard to be the hip, cool granny's hang out and does a horrible job at it. If you ever wondered why Little Red Riding Hood never returned home from her visit to grandmother's Rose Cottage, it's not because the wolf ate her, it's because this place devoured her whole.||||And if you're wondering why I've chosen to be so snarky in my review, it's only because I decided to leave a review written in the same tonality and manner of low-level decorum the owner chooses to respond to her reviewers who leave behind constructive criticism. She flags...

It's important to arrive before dark at this far-from-town, up-a-steep-stone-paved country road location. The place is not well lighted and the matron does not keep hours at a reception office -- you'll need to scour the property to track her down in her kitchen. This despite a conspicuous bell that one supposed to toll to summon help. Also, print out your reservation as they may not have a record of it. The place, from my view, is really one of a poorly-managed hostel. The grounds, which offer spectacular views and some sense of serenity, suffer from a lack of upkeep as do the sleeping areas. The dorm holds twelve beds for which a single toilet - single shower - single sink room is provided. You may not be provided hot water in the shower or a towel, which if you bother to ask about, requires descending a narrow steep set of stairs and ascending a grassy hill back to the matron's home all in the dark. A common bar of soap is provided at the both bath and sink whose room smells of mold. The breakfast is modest and if you inquire about a fruit supplement, in my case a small overripened banana, you may see the matron fly off the handle and go into a loud screed about U.S. sense of entitlement and Western...

Very hospitable staff, always happy to accomodate our requests. We had a room with a fireplace and each night, they were happy to start a fire for us. The view from our room and the dining area is beautiful! The rooms were clean and cozy. There was no heat but the bed had many heavy blankets to keep us nice and warm. We were not able to make use of the hot tub due to the power outages in Ecuador. WiFi worked well when power was on and the gas hot water heater worked great! We really enjoyed our coffee and breakfast every morning. We enjoyed the location because it was quiet and away from the coty but only a 15 minute drive to the market and there are buses that run regularly in the road the hotel is on. The bus schedule is posted in the office. We had to pay with cash because the power was out when we arrived, but we expected this as I had read about it in other reviews. ...