We booked this hotel after readings several positive reviews. The first problem we had was finding it. We took a bus from Quito and told the driver where we wanted to get off. He dropped us next to a dirt path, gesturing that it was right there.turns out La Cienega is actually a ten minute drive away, or for us, twenty minutes dragging our suitcases along a gravel and mud path in the pouring rain.
There is some confusion about the location amongst even the locals, so learn from us and just go the main bus area and take a taxi.
Now on to the hotel...we had a beautiful big room with a fireplace and exposed stone walls. Everything is quite dated, so while not unenjoyable, we noticed things like very creaky floors and squeaky beds. Otherwise the room was great.
We ate most meals at the hotel as the isolated location means there was nothing else around. The food was good, not great. Certainly for the prices as compared to the usual Ecuadoran meals, were quite high. US$8 for a salad is a bit steep....
My final comment is back to the location. It is misleading to state as La Cienega does, that it's at the foot of the Cotopaxi volcano. This maybe geographically true, but we read that the hotel is right inside the Cotopaxi national park. Not true. We travelled about 20 mins by car just to reach the park entrance.
