Tell us about your visit:
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 7 May 2012)
Beautiful house, nice little town, great experience
Guest: Tom (Madison, Wisconsin USA)
Date of Stay: 06/22/11 Review Submitted: 07/24/11
My wife, two teenage children and I spent a week in June at villa la Solana and had a very memorable time. The house has a lot of character and is very comfortable. There is a large, terraced garden with stone steps descending to a little stream. The town of La Merced is friendly and the surrounding houses are a mix of large gated homes and small family farms. (The cobblestone road in front of the villa has a daily parade of cows or goats being herded past). Ken was very helpful and went out of his way on many occasions to make sure that our plans worked out. (He met us at the airport to make certain our ride was waiting when we flew in from another part of the country). He is a great guide and took us through historic Quito and Otavalo. We really enjoyed the time we spent with Ken. To get around, a local driver, Carlos, took us wherever we wanted to go. He was very friendly and very dependable. Getting a more real feel for Ecuador than can be obtained in a hotel or downtown condo was our goal and this location was perfect. The views are very nice and it was a great home base for our many trips to other area locations (Banos, Otavalo, Quito, Mindo, etc.). There is a very nice shopping mall with a big grocery store close to La Merced. Overall, highly recommended for anyone wanting a memorable experience in Ecuador and not wanting to stay in large, congested downtown Quito.
Owner response:Thank you so much Peggy! It was certainly a pleasure to have you as guests, Ken loves to show around and we like to make sure our guests are comfortable and enjoy the country as much as we do.
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 7 May 2012)
Guest: JandJB (Creemore Onterio Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/22/12 Review Submitted: 04/11/12
My husband and I ( plus friends from time to time ) spent 5 weeks at La Solana, a beautiful little villa, near the village of La Merced, approximately 45 minutes from central Quito. It is the home of an artist, and the attention to detail is evident throughout. The villa, with its 2 fireplaces, large stone terrace,and charming garden ablaze with colour, sits on 2 acres with fabulous views of the surrounding mountains on a clear day you could not have a better view of Volcan Cotopaxi! It is a tranquil retreat after a hectic day in Quito - the only sounds are the contented moos of a few cows grazing nearby. The villa too was a great base for visiting other locations nearby towns such as Sangolqui with its great Saturday market, Cotopaxi National Park, and Volcan Antisana. Our hosts, Maria and Ken , now good friends, went above and beyond the call of duty to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable - in all our travels in many countries, their kindness was the best.There is very good grocery shopping at the SuperMaxi 20 minutes away, and the internet service is excellent. The pebbled road to La Solana, though a little rough, keeps unwanted visitors away.A great spot for a family vacation!
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 7 Oct 2011)
Exquisite location, thoughtful hosts!
Guest: Nicole and Robert (Milwaukee)
Date of Stay: 08/09/10 Review Submitted: 08/09/11
We couldnt have asked for a lovelier home or more thoughtful hosts! The house is stunning beautifully decorated, a fantastic view of Cotopaxi and the Ilinizas (on a clear morning) from the upstairs rooms, gardens carefully tended by Luis...we enjoyed every minute of our stay there. Kens guided tours were both engaging and informative my daughters loved the trip to Antisana! It was pleasant to be close enough to Quito for a day trip, yet far enough in the countryside to enjoy fresh air and relative quiet. Thanks, Maria and Ken, for a wonderful week!
Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0
5/5
Beautiful house, nice little town, great experience
Guest: Tom (Madison, Wisconsin USA)
Date of Stay: 06/22/11 Review Submitted: 07/24/11
My wife, two teenage children and I spent a week in June at villa la Solana and had a very memorable time. The house has a lot of character and is very comfortable. There is a large, terraced garden with stone steps descending to a little stream. The town of La Merced is friendly and the surrounding houses are a mix of large gated homes and small family farms. (The cobblestone road in front of the villa has a daily parade of cows or goats being herded past). Ken was very helpful and went out of his way on many occasions to make sure that our plans worked out. (He met us at the airport to make certain our ride was waiting when we flew in from another part of the country). He is a great guide and took us through historic Quito and Otavalo. We really enjoyed the time we spent with Ken. To get around, a local driver, Carlos, took us wherever we wanted to go. He was very friendly and very dependable. Getting a more real feel for Ecuador than can be obtained in a hotel or downtown condo was our goal and this location was perfect. The views are very nice and it was a great home base for our many trips to other area locations (Banos, Otavalo, Quito, Mindo, etc.). There is a very nice shopping mall with a big grocery store close to La Merced. Overall, highly recommended for anyone wanting a memorable experience in Ecuador and not wanting to stay in large, congested downtown Quito.
Owner response:Thank you so much Peggy! It was certainly a pleasure to have you as guests, Ken loves to show around and we like to make sure our guests are comfortable and enjoy the country as much as we do.
Recommended for:Age 55+, adventure seekers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, families with teenagers, families with young children.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0
4/5
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 11 Sep 2010)
Should have stayed longer!!
Guest: jakelevi (Phoenix, Arizona USA)
Date of Stay: 03/12/10 Review Submitted: 04/11/10
Our visit to Equador and the Galapagod islands would only have been better had we stayed longer here at Maria and Ken's villa. It was clean, spacious, private and very beautifully done. It was such a tranquil setting with gorgeous gardens and walking distance to the stream and town where we sampled various local foods. We were fortunate enough to have Maria offer to pick us up some groceries since our stay there was short and thank goodness Ken was flexible in picking us up at the airport as our incoming flight was delayed 4 hrs! We were also able to use them as our tour guides which was great as they know the area so well and just being our family, they were exceptionally accomodating. The market where Maria grew up was a fantastic experience and the kids tell anyone who will listen about it. Should we get back there again we would stay much longer and stay here as our home base, doing day trips from there. I can't imagine who I wouldn't recommend this place for. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 4 Jun 2010)
Guest: Lorelei Burns(-)
Date of Stay: 04/17/09 Review Submitted: 04/17/09
We spent a glorious vacation at La Solana. The pleasure comes in layers: the house is magnificent, the home of an artist, I craved every detail. The gardens are remarkable - the short walk down the hill to the river like a private park. The neighborhood is always alive with people, voices and music, animals, buses right outside. I attended soccer games half a block away - my team won! The mountains are everywhere. La Merced is tiny, El Tingo a little bigger, Sangolqui is a dream, Quito a magnificent sprawl. There is a tremendous amount to do in Ecuador - the guidebooks will fill you in. The secret pleasure is La Solana.
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 4 Jun 2010)
Should have stayed longer!!
Guest: jakelevi(Phoenix, Arizona USA)
Date of Stay: 03/12/10 Review Submitted: 04/11/10
Our visit to Equador and the Galapagod islands would only have been better had we stayed longer here at Maria and Ken's villa. It was clean, spacious, private and very beautifully done. It was such a tranquil setting with gorgeous gardens and walking distance to the stream and town where we sampled various local foods. We were fortunate enough to have Maria offer to pick us up some groceries since our stay there was short and thank goodness Ken was flexible in picking us up at the airport as our incoming flight was delayed 4 hrs! We were also able to use them as our tour guides which was great as they know the area so well and just being our family, they were exceptionally accomodating. The market where Maria grew up was a fantastic experience and the kids tell anyone who will listen about it. Should we get back there again we would stay much longer and stay here as our home base, doing day trips from there. I can't imagine who I wouldn't recommend this place for. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 4 Jun 2010)
La Solana is a good break and a good adventure
Guest: writar(Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/27/10 Review Submitted: 05/18/10
Our trip to La Solana was probably our last spring break as a family, just the four of us (my wife and I and two daughters 16 and 20). We have a good history of fun and interesting trips—Vietnam, Thailand, Puerto Progreso (Yucatan)—and we have always had good experiences renting vacation homes from owners. But La Solana is the best yet! This is a wonderful host/hostess team, a very helpful blend of experienced expats and travelers, as well as Maria Teresa’s renewed status as a local after years living abroad. As usual, the villa was nothing like we imagined, even though the photos posted above are perfectly accurate. And, as usual, the reality was even better than our imagination. This is a very beautiful home, spacious, integrated well into its setting, and with well-chosen design elements—thick walls, recessed windows, carefully placed barriers and plantings—that optimize the sun and the rain in a way that some now call “green” building but in Ecuador is traditional. Plus, the “Valley of Eternal Spring “ is exactly that. The setting was also a pleasant surprise. We were prepared for something, say, semi-rural, but we found ourselves perched among and above a mix of small houses, a little village, and tiny farmsteads, with pastures and small pathways and a small creek woven in. Now, I have to admit the road up to Solana is pretty bumpy in places we should have followed Maria Teresa’s advice to rent a 4WD or used public transport, which is literally right outside the gate. But considering how reasonably close we were to Quito, to say nothing of several other very interesting cities and the beauty and novelty of the northern end of the highlands, the stones and potholes are a small thing to endure to have the flexibility of a rented vehicle. Luis (the on-site manager) and his family are truly on-site: their home is inside the gated compound, right nearby for any assistance you might need but mostly unobtrusive, going about their daily business. A little Spanish will come in handy, and you probably should hire a car and guide if you have never driven in a country where traffic laws are treated like suggestions, not rules. Wandering, like driving a steep road up a narrow valley to its very end, passing tiny fields of corn clinging to the slopes, served us very well. It’s a good break and a good adventur
Review submitted by Bruce from Westminster, CO (Submitted: 25 Jan 2008)
Quinta La Solana is a beautiful villa situated in a quiet, lush green valley outside of the hustle and bustle, pollution, and noise of Quito but close enough to be anywhere in town in 30-50 minutes. It is easy to visit areas like Otovalo, Maquipucuna Biological Reserve or Mitad del Mundo and return the same day. And, if you have never been to this area be sure to visit Sangolqui on market day; it is an experience you will never forget.
The villa has a nice hot tub which provided a pleasant, relaxing soak after a long day of sightseeing. And, the flower gardens on the villa property are simply magnificent and well cared for. Security is provided by an on grounds caretaker, and walls so I never was concerned about safety. The caretaker and owner were both very helpful in taking care of my needs and recommending sights to visit which were not listed in my guidebook.
Review submitted by Ivy from NYC (Submitted: 26 Oct 2007)
The glory of this home and the peaceful atmosphere should truely be realized by your own eyes! The setting is idyllic with lush gardens and rolling hills, lit with early sun and sprakling dew. Upon our arrival, which was much later then expected (We had a run around with our rental car) Luis, the caretaker, was there to greet us with warmth and understanding. Walking through the doors of this impecible home we were thrilled. Maria Teresa is an amazing host, a beautiful woman, and a treasure to know. Her world travels and aritistic aestheticism welcomed us into a space where we could thoroughly relax and enjoy eachother as a family. We cooked wonderful food in a thorough and inviting kitchen. We sat on the patio and enjoyed coffee, conversation, and quite meditaions. We reveled in hot showers and hikes down the hills to the river. This was OUR home for the week and for this we are all thankful. Ecuador is an amazing country with open and kind people. I loved La Merced and this home specifically for its tranqility and pueblo atmosphere to really know a different side of this beautiful country.
P.S A car here is a necessity in my opinion to see the beautiful surrounding city and pueblos, markets and amazing natural wonders. Ask Maria Teresa...you will be guided well.