Hacienda Jimenita Wildlife Reserve

We wanted to love this hotel so much after seeing all the wonderful trip advisor reviews. But while the facility and rooms are stunning, the lack of functional heat made for an uncomfortable stay. And unfortunately, the staff response to our concerns (as outlined later) did not address the issue or provide a viable alternative. We stayed at the hotel for two nights on New Years Eve and New Years Day, and both days were cold and overcast. We were really blown away by the beautiful gardens, the birds, and plants and flowers immediately upon arrival. We also loved our very spacious room. We walked the grounds and did the hikes at the facility, which while not extensive, offered some great views and opportunities to see more birds. We appreciated the signage that helped us identify specific bird species. We dined at the restaurant, which was very solid. And we did a great tour of the tunnels. However, our very spacious room was very very chilly. I understand that the hotel does not have central heating and relies on the wood burning fireplaces in the rooms for heat. So on our first night, I checked in at the front desk to ask them to turn ours on for us while we had dinner. After dinner, we returned to the cold room and the fire was not lit. We went back to the front desk to once again ask the staff to help us light the fire. The staff member came to our room about 10 minutes later with some egg carton material and matches and lit the paper as kindling to start the fire. He then left, leaving us with matches and more egg carton material for the fire. Unfortunately, once the kindling burned, the fire stopped a few minutes after he left. We tried unsuccessfully on our own to restart the fire for several minutes, after which point we returned to the front desk to ask for help. The staff member returned with some printer paper, used it to start the fire, then left. The fire burned out right away again as the wood wasn’t catching fire, only the paper. At this point, we were so exhausted with the process that we went to bed. Thankfully, the beds in the room are very comfortable and there were some great blankets (but we needed to pull out an extra from the closet). The next morning around 11am, we went back to the office to let them know how cold the room was and how we had struggled with the furnace. The staff member suggested that the wood might need to be changed out. At about 4:15 that afternoon, another staff member came by the room with more wood and spent 15 minutes trying to start the fire. He was successful actually lighting the wood, but the fire fizzled out after he left. So we had to return to the office once again. At this point, another staff member suggested an electric space heater. This was delivered to our room that night, but it wasn’t really functional, only had a low setting, and did nothing to warm up the large space. We were so disappointed that after talking with four different staff about the lack of heat, that no one follo

An amazing enchanted place! Very well run, clean and beautiful rooms. A special environment of a real hacienda. Rooms are large and well equipped. Food in the restaurant is excellent! Just 15 minutes from the airport, and they arranged for us transportation to and from which worked very well! Great variety of birds with many bird feeders that are well maintained. Only issue we had was that the electrical grid is down in Quito and the generator at the hotel is only activated from 6p to midnight, so it was challenging to pack our bags early in the morning...the water in the shower were not very hot, but acceptable.

This is a relaxing paradise with many bird species, close to Quito airport and was also the last stop of our 2 week trip in Ecuador. The ground was extensive with many feeders and a nature trail in the canyon. We stayed for 4 nights. The accommodation was very comfortable. Breakfast varied with home made bread, eggs cooked to our choice. One morning, we had a 4 o'clock start for the birding trip. Takeaway breakfast were kindly provided by staff, nice touch! Also, a big thank you to Daniel who took us to see the crimson-mantled woodpecker that had eluded us so far, finally found in the woods!👍 This stay in Jimenita has made our Ecuadorian trip finished in 200% satisfaction, muchas gracias!!!

An absolutely brilliant place to stay. The staff are so helpful and friendly. It’s a family run establishment…. And what a wonderful establishment it is. The rooms are lovely, the gardens are superb… where you can see a while history of terrific birds. The restaurant is excellent value for money, with stunning food. Fabulous place.

We drove through the gates of Hacienda Jimenita into paradise. So picturesque. Beautiful greenery and flowers everywhere. The staff are SO helpful and friendly. Our unit (#20) was beautiful. Views of downtown Quito and trees. The restaurant staff were wonderful and the menu choices plentiful. Everything was run so efficiently. We got to feed the Llamas!! The beds and bedding are SUPER cozy! If you need to book any tours, they will help you with that. Just as a heads up, there isn't AC or TV or fridge. We loved our stay there.

I cannot rate this beautiful hacienda highly enough! We had two nights here in total and both nights were peaceful and relaxing. It was a joy to sit in the viewpoints (of which there are many!) and watch the beautiful hummingbirds and many other endemic species of birds around the wildlife reserve. Our room was beautifully furnished and very spacious and the bed was very comfortable! Food at the restaurant was excellent and service was brilliant. Everyone working here made us feel so welcome and everyone was so kind. If you're looking for a relaxing stay outside the bustle of Quito definitely choose Hacienda Jimenita and continue to support them to protect the wonderful array of endemic species they protect in the reserve.