Hacienda Cusin

Cusín is one of the best places I've stayed while visiting over a dozen countries. The grounds are gorgeous, the staff is friendly, the room was large and comfortable, and the restaurant was great. The grounds and buildings offer numerous places to socialize, admire the gardens, or curl up with a book. For those who don't have any command of Spanish, the front desk staff has excellent English, and the restaurant staff have *enough* English to be understood. The location was great for getting out and exploring the Imbabura region. You can walk, hike, or ride a rented bike in any direction. The village of San Pablo is friendly, charming enough, and does not have any trace of tourism so it really offers an authentic look at small-town indigenous life – there are restaurants, shops, bakeries, and a town square, although you will definitely have to use some Spanish to get the most out of this place. We paired up with the local guide Christian Palomeque for several day trips – a hike at Cuicocha, a trip to Zuleta and a hike at Cubilche with hiking guide Charly de Castro, and a bike ride around the lake and over to Otavalo. Christian was fantastic and easy to work with, and his connection to the Hacienda really made our trip. Overall, the value for the money was incredible – we paid around $130 per night which is quite a bit less than our average hotel room over the past few countries we've visited; yet Hacienda Cusín was one of the best, most comfortable, and most beautiful places we've stayed.