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.
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? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Amanda K heads to Ecuador. Enjoy.
Being in the mood for something a little more exotic just at the moment, a recent article in Go World Travel caught my eye. It made the Hacienda Pinsaqui in the mountain highlands of Ecuador sound particularly attractive.
Found just an hour and a half away from Ecuador's capital, Quito, the Hacienda Pinsaqui is an old manor home turned small hotel. Its 20 rooms look something like this:
Each large, airy suite is outfitted with French and Spanish antiques, sheepskin rugs and fireplaces or wood stoves. Floral canopies arch between the four posters of many beds; claw-foot tubs in the bathrooms invite travelers to a respite.
Sounds special. What also sounds great is the local touches, like the Andean band that plays each evening in the cellar bar and the traditional foods served up in the restaurant. On top of that, double rooms start at $108 including breakfast, which is more than reasonable. I think I'd use it as a base for exploring this pretty region, including the lakes, the Imbabura Volcano just above it and the famous Otavalo market nearby.
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 Black Sheep Inn near the village of Chugchilán 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.
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 village. And if you're still not convinced, they have a long ecological statement to help out.
The Black Sheep caters for backpackers in bunks from $25 per night, moving up to double rooms with private bathrooms for $50 a night per person, always including dinner and breakfast. Plus you get use of the yoga room, wood-fired sauna, weightlifting area and even a water slide into the pond!
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by annie0007
