Hotel Cruz del Vado

This place is really special. It’s visually a stunning hotel that is kept immaculately. Steeped in history, culture, and art but with a slight modern elegance. When my wife and I got to the hotel, we were greeted with a warm smile by Sebastian (the general manager), an absolutely charming dude who turned out to have a vast array of knowledge from sports teams (even North American) to history, and Paula who had a beautiful welcoming charming smile and warm aura (as well as immense knowledge not only of the historical building, but of the city and surrounding areas). They welcomed us with face towels to freshen us up from the travel, and also a wonderful cold herbal drink. Together and right away, they just made us feel like we were at the right place at the right time. As we decided to walk up the stairs to our room (they also have an elevator) which featured the beautiful original marble railing, we noticed the stunning and warm decor. As Paula and Sebastian explained, a lot of the hotel was renovated, but a lot of it was also original. Honestly a perfect mix of modern that highlighted the classic, with the beautiful organic feel of art from Cuenca’s vibrant history and culture. That feel continued to our room which was stocked with some delicious snacks/coffee, and had a spectacular view. And that bed…dios mio…My first night there I actually slept for 12 hours straight. One of the best sleeps I ever had. Perhaps the elevation had something to do with it (Cuenca is more than 2500m above sea level), but honestly I think I just felt really good being there. For the restaurant at the top, read my other review. It showcases some beautiful views of the mountains, especially at sunset, and at night the famous blue cupolas from the cathedral are lit up for your admiration. And the food…delicious plates of art. Some modern twists to some classic Ecuadorian dishes, with some regional dishes as well. Finally, and I can’t stress this enough…I don’t think our stay would have been nearly as enjoyable if it wasn’t for the people. They are really what makes that place truly special. They made us really feel welcome and special, as well as made the experience at the hotel the best stay we’ve ever had, anywhere. Thank you to everyone at Hotel Cruz Del Vado. We hope to come back in the future.

My wife and I had an amazing experience. For our anniversary, we were received with a bottle of champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a huge bouquet of beautiful flowers. The service was exceptional and very professional. The food was exquisite and the breakfast buffet was delicious and varied. We had the best ever hotel stay. We loved our suite which had a balcony with an amazing view. Everything was exceptional!

We walked into the lovely reception area and were greeted warmly with cold towels and a welcome drink and an upgrade to a lovely suite located looking out to the river. Our suite was lovely, spacious with a cute shared balcony. (Which does mean other people can see into your room) A few improvements required though I thought I’d use the jacuzzi bath but the water was luke warm without adding any cold … the towels - one each are so so tiny as were the bath robes… I’m 5 ft 3 size U.K. 12 and I could hardly get the robe on - my husband could get one arm in and as for the towel couldn’t even get it around his waist….. We had booked in for dinner from the U.K. and upon checking in the chef came to the front desk to tell us they were having a bbq that night… we attended the restaurant and said we’d have a drink first - I ordered an Aperol spritz and I have zero idea what they gave me.. when I queried it they actually knew they’d given me something else and apologised.. they then delivered a small plate with tiny bits of chicken and beef strips and I mean tiny, 4 small pieces of sausage and 4 small pieces of blood sausage - we were perplexed - zero side dishes so we thought they must come soon but no - we asked for some more as they said it was all you could eat - they delivered the exact same again tiny meat strips and again no sides and there was no one about to ask so we ate the little plate of meat then I found someone and he asked if all was ok and I said do they not include sides and he said I can go and get you something. … I said don’t worry now it’s too late ….but eating a small plate of meat with nothing else is not a proper dinner. We tried to order a bottle of Rioja but he cane over with the bottle and said we could only order a glass as it was the last one… Breakfast next morning was a buffet and as we sat down the waiter said we’ve set it up for brunch… there were a few Ecuador lunch dishes, a plate of bread and a plate of salad and a plate of fruit … it just felt like they didn’t know how to run the dining side of things. The location is good and the staff are very nice and try super hard to be accommodating. The hotel is decorated beautifully, the bed was comfortable - such a pity re the dining and silly things like tiny towels and robes and lack of hot water because it could be a very nice hotel. Upon checking out they didn’t charge us for the dinner and drinks which was appreciated as it was a bit of a disaster.

Cruz del Vado was recommended by the people that organized our trip and cited as one of the top hotels in the city. But, the stay experience fell very short of our expectations. I will share a few of the detractors that should guide you with your decision making. Firstly, I was assigned a room that was the smallest I’ve stayed in, perhaps in my almost 5 decades of travel. I would say that it was not much more than 100 square feet, including the closet and bathroom. To be fair, I saw some other rooms and they were larger. But this is not something that you expect in a supposedly high-end property. The second important thing to consider is that with the exception of a couple of suites in the front of the building, all the rooms face inwards, to a modern and closed vestibule that is very far from being a charming courtyard. The door has a blasted glass panel and there is a small window at its side. This window does open, but I was not able to cool my room; it was always stuffy and unventilated. Again, in such a beautiful city with such amazing buildings, this is a big negative. For those of you who will need a decent internet signal, I barely had enough to connect and I had to make calls from the corridor. Showers are important to me. For all 4 days that I was at the hotel, I had access to very little pressure, and the temperature was warm, but definitely not hot. The final negative that I will mention is with regard to location. Cruz del Vado was cited as having a great location, but actually, it’s on the busiest entrance to the city center, from the south. This street has a lot of traffic. It is actually difficult to cross it and it always reeks of diesel and oil, from all of the vehicles. Consider that anything within 6 or 7 blocks of the central plaza offers a great location, so if you look around, you will find all sorts of alternatives.

Excellent location, just off the historic center of town. It's above a busy street, but it quieted down at night and we had no problems sleeping. The room was very modern, and our room (an upgraded one) had a balcony with a wonderful view of the city. The staff could not have been friendlier. We had several chats with folks at the front desk. Breakfast is on the top floor with nice views of the city. The homemade breads with breakfast were excellent, as well.

Stayed here for a couple of nights with my family. We were in rooms 1 and 2 on the first floor. Amazing view from the shared balcony. Unfortunately there is a very bright street light outside room which kept my daughter awake. The staff were very understanding and moved them next day to a room on a higher floor which solved the problem. We used the roof terrace bar and restaurant for cocktails at sunset as well as snacks and excellent breakfasts. Very good service with most staff speaking excellent English. I would recommend.

Having booked the "best suite in the hotel" (according to the front desk) we hoped for a beautiful night in Cuenca. Instead we experienced a truly terrible bed, a broken bathtub and we lost a nights sleep. Facts: 1)The Hotel's King Bed Suite is NOT a King Bed; it is two small beds pushed together and there is a hard lump that runs the entire length of the bed. Mattress quality not 5-star! This was truly offensive and reflects a management that does not care about the customer's sleep experience. 2). The suite has the television on the wall opposite the bed and one must sit up in bed to watch TV. THERE ARE NO CHAIRS! The padded headboard is on a sliding track and the headboard slides left and right whenever you move. It knocks the items on the night table to the floor. Worse is that the light switch is behind the headboard and the weight of your body turns the lights on and off every time you move or cross your legs. An incredible design flaw. 3) We booked the suite hoping to enjoy the Jacuzzi tub - again a big disappointment as the tub handles fell off in our hands! And, the hotel has the hot water regulated so low that one can not consider mixing cold water in - the full hot setting is not hot. ..even when filling the bathtub on full velocity the hot water is only lukewarm. By the time the water fills the bathtub the water is cold and unpleasant. This is a beautiful property and it could be a fabulous destination. But to ask $350 for a suite that is defective is insulting. We asked the front desk for assistance and they told us there was nothing they could do. We asked for a manager and were told that the manager would call us...two days later we received a call and all the management said was "I will review your comments and contact you as soon as possible" It is now many days later and there is no contact from the hotel management. Obviously the management of this hotel does not care about their customer's experience. Their lack of care and attention to room quality resulted in a ruined vacation experience.

This hotel make an effort to meet needs but as a North American, we were surprised by the absence of a window to the outside and limited air circulation. The room was beautifully appointed and furnished, though small. The bathroom has every convenience and a large shower. The bed was excellent. When we complained about air circulation, they brought an air purifier (which provided limited cooling effect). The breakfasts were excellent and the service at the front desk was considerate and supportive. The location was very convenient and allowed access to many sites. It met our needs for the 3 nights and it allowed us to see the local sites.

Stayed 2 nights in a luxury suite Hotel is located in a beautifully restored mansion near the river in the old town, you can walk easily to the city center and it felt safe. Compared to other city’s, Cuenca is clean ! Design of the hotel and rooms is great and a oasis in the busy city All is very clean Restaurant is on the top floor and offers a great view of the city ! Suite was spacious, good bed and jacuzzi, shower You have a terrace, but you share this with another suite, the is no privacy as you can look into the other your ! Also, every other guest can just walk on the terrace via the hallway ! Not safe and no privacy ! Sitting on the terrace is not the best choice, since there is a busy street below, with constantly a lot if traffic Be aware that a lot of rooms don’t have a outside window, only a door to the hallway ! It was a great stay, but the main problem is the restaurant ! Not the food, but the organisation needs lots of improvement Service is slow , even at times when there only a few guests. The do the washing of the plates behind the bar, so you see and hear that ! Food comes by elevator from the basement and the waiters don’t always notice that, so more de.ay and cool food ! On the first night, there was a group of noisy french, around 20 pers They got all the attention from the waiters and we were forgotten and got cool food after a long time ! Staff realised the problem and did not charge for the meal Still, in such beautiful boutique hotel, they should not allow these groups, or place them in a separate room ! Still we would stay here again and hope the restaurant service has improved