Mashpi Lodge
Quito, Ecuador
Mashpi
Vibe
Daily expeditions and birdwatching give way to convivial evenings, where muddy hiking boots swap for linen and cocktail conversation over wildlife sightings.
“Modernist canopy outpost”
Modernist glass-and-steel architecture with floor-to-ceiling window walls framing dense cloud forest canopy views throughout.
Attentive hosts tailor daily itineraries, paired with welcome herbal infusions, seamless transfers, and canopy-facing hot tubs.
Community-trained naturalist guides lead waterfall hikes, while the kitchen serves dishes seasoned with foraged cloud forest herbs.
In the Choco-Andean cloud forest reserve, three hours northwest of Quito surrounded by dense rainforest canopy.
“The interiors are modern and more than a little bit luxe, though with rustic accents that refer to the local and indigenous methods of building.”
Rooms
Minimalist interiors frame sweeping jungle views through glass walls, while Yaku Suites feature freestanding soaking tubs overlooking the verdant canopy.
“It is a glass-walled, modernist building of browns, greens and terracotta-reds, squeezed onto a ridge…”
Wellness
An open-air yoga deck and canopy-facing hot tubs complement the spa, where treatments utilize local herbs, clay, and volcanic stones.
“The lodge itself is a high design, three-story, glass-and-steel marvel among the treetops, completely immersed in the forest.”
Backstory
Environmentalist Roque Sevilla acquired this logging tract to protect the cloud forest, building the sustainable retreat without felling a single mature tree.
Eat & drink
The two-story glass dining room serves regional dishes seasoned with foraged forest herbs, paired with botanical cocktails in the lounge.
The neighborhood
Deep in the Choco reserve, guests explore canopy trails, ride the open-air Dragonfly gondola, and pedal the tandem Sky Bike over gorges.
The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate, in your pocket, for the whole trip.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
They did this well. You’ll notice.
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Architecture and interiors lead. There’s a creative vision at work.
The guest is conspicuously well cared for. Requests met before they’re made.
Rooted in place. Local character runs through the whole stay.
Energy and scene. Where the city goes out, whether or not it’s sleeping here.
A building with history. The story of the place is part of the stay.
Built around feeling better. Rest, sweat, soak, spa.
A hotel the city grew up with. Same rituals, same regulars.
A world of its own. No reason to leave the property.
Scene — what’s outside the door
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A place apart: the property is the destination.