Sure, there are plenty of skyscrapers in New York City, but can that compare with a thermal spa 10,824 feet above sea level?

After a long day droning away in a corporate cubicle, some R&R in a steaming natural bath sounds pretty excellent. Enter Termas de Papallacta Spa & Resort, roughly 40 miles due East from Quito. It sits in the Amazon region of Ecuador, lodged in between two volcanoes that naturally power the thermal springs that are this resort's primary draw.

Let's face it, delays on the MTA subway system pale against the power of a live volcano.

]]> annie0007 2008-04-21T14:21:47-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/8/28/10102/6268 <![CDATA[<p> <i>Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? <a href="tips@hotelchatter.com">Send the story our way</a>.<p> In this episode, Hotel Maven <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/amandak/stories">Amanda K</a> heads to Ecuador. Enjoy.</i><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/HaciendaEcuador.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>Being in the mood for something a little more exotic just at the moment, a amandak 2007-08-29T09:09:16-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/6/26/5332/71005 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/View_Black_Sheep.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p>It's got a cute name, which helps a lot. On top of that, it's got high environmental principles and is located in the Ecuadorian Andes. Perhaps that's reason enough to check in to the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Black+Sheep+Inn/local/673"><b>Black Sheep Inn</b></a> near the village of Chugchil&#225;n in Ecuador. It's just had a renovation so that more of its 9 rooms have private bathrooms, but the eco-Ecuadorian character is still there.</p><p>What's green about the Black Sheep? The food is a good start--room rates include a gourmet vegetarian dinner and an organic farm breakfast. They also have recycling systems in place that, they say, result in zero waste--one of the owners was even elected to be the "King of Garbage" for the amandak 2007-06-26T10:58:33-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/