Hostal Saint Mary's Tababela — Hotel in Tababela

My wife and I are senior citizens who have traveled a lot and by far this was our worst nightmare ever.||||We chose this hotel based on location for a short stopover in Quito. We sent 2 messages to confirm airport shuttle pick-up and the hotel confirmed pick-up on both occasions. Upon arrival near midnight, we looked for a driver with sign and could not find one. We called the number given by Booking.com for this hotel but it was a Belgian tel. number and there was no answer. We searched the Internet and called all numbers associated to this hotel and again no answer. We decided to wait and see if the shuttle pick-up would show up. After approx. an hour of waiting, we took a taxi to the hotel at 1:15 am. ||||The hotel is located in a very secluded area (sketchy-looking). There is nothing in this area of town (no restaurants, shops, etc.). It is located in the middle of nowhere!||||The hotel is gated with an Intercom at the gate. We got out of the cab and fortunately asked the driver to wait while we tried to contact management. There was no answer with their intercom. Again, we tried to call but no answer. We knocked loudly on the gate, no answer. We shouted loudly "hola" to get their attention. The driver tried to help us. Dogs barked in the hotel compound but still no answer. We were left out with no other recourse but to return to the airport and sleep on benches at 2:00 am. ||||The hotel contacted us by email the next day on 3 or 4 occasions with a different excuse each time but none of them made sense. After contacting Booking.com to complain, the hotel finally (and this was after 4 or 5 days) offered an apology and a free night in the future. By then, we had already cancelled our future booking with them for our return stay in Quito and passed on their offer, preferring instead to book elsewhere. ||||The hotel has great reviews and it was one of the reasons for choosing it in the first place, but beware that they may not be as honest or as dependable as the reviews indicate, based upon our experience with them. Their lack of service, by leaving their customers stranded at the airport and just outside of their gate, was totally unacceptable and we would never recommend a booking at...

We stayed here for one night before our trip to the Galapagos and then again for two nights afterwards. We could not have been happier. The owners, Raoul and Rosalba, and one of their daughters, Monserat, were so gracious and helpful. On our first stay, our flight was at 6:50a so they had breakfast ready for us at 4:30a, then drove us to airport at 5a for only $10. On our return, they picked us up at the airport. Each time, we stayed in room 4 which is in a separate building from the main house (casa grande). It was a comfortable and clean room with a nice shower with hot water. Breakfast was served in the main house each morning at a time of our choosing and each day, they ate breakfast with us. Monserat speaks some English and I a little Spanish, but we still managed to converse and get to know each other - it was like being guests in their house. The fruits and juices were delicious as were the rest of the offerings. We mentioned that we liked the Ecuadorian papayas and the next morning, they had two types to share with us.||During the day, we relaxed in their beautiful gardens and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the many birds including several sparkling violetear hummingbirds. Their two dogs, Skinny and Rex, were also fun to play with.||It is a very short walk into town (Tababela is not very big at all) so it was easy to get lunch and dinner as well as enjoy the plaza in town.||Having spent three nights in Quito, this was a wonderful change of pace and its proximity to the airport made it the ideal place to stay on the nights before our flights. We can definitely recommend it and we are most grateful to Raoul, Rosalba and Monserat for being such...

St Mary's in Tababela is a place I won't soon forget. We arrived late at night and didn't look around till the morning. We were promptly greeted by the friendliest dog--Kinny, and the sun shining out of a piercing blue sky. The large and idyllic garden made me reluctant to go to Quito for sightseeing, but even though Rosalba's breakfast was abundant (and delicious), we had to eat dinner! There's a good pizza place nearby, with attractive grounds too, and walking through the town, past the main plaza and church, looking out at one of the surrounding mountains--Oyacoto or Llaló (I don't know which, but want to), is a lovely way to spend an evening in late July. I cannot comment on the English skills of Rosalba or her husband, Raul because I speak Spanish and was just glad that they spoke slowly and clearly for me. They were also willing and capable chauffers and took us to a Papalacta Thermal baths, Pululagua, Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, Mindo, & Quito, and even picked us up from the airport at 1:30 am! I said I won't soon forget this place, and now I realize that's because I'm already planning how I...