Luxury Metro Quito Villa, Great Mountain Views, Horses, Golf

• A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN

  A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN

  • Guest Pam, Ken & Family
  • Date of stay 06/24/12
  • Review Submitted 07/11/12
  La Solana was a perfect vacation spot for our family. We were very much interested to be able to soak up all the Ecuadorean culture we could. Our children were born in Quito so we wanted them to experience life in Ecuador....not in an Americanized Hotel in the city crowded into one room. Our stay was magnificent! The Villa is beautiful. We employed a local family for all our transportation and touring (and translating) Carlos, Rosana, Carolina, Eric and "Papi" where more than accommodating, kind, and compassionate and became our good friends. It was wonderful to get to know them and have them truly share in our story. Our teenage children loved not only the places we travelled and toured, but the villa, the surrounding property and the "neighborhood". I cannot tell you how peaceful, serene and safe we felt. The owners were so helpful also. La Solana is a little piece of heaven! We loved staying outside bustling Quito which was only 30-45 minutes away....the ride was always interesting and enjoyable.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you so much Ken and Pam, we are very happy that you enjoyed the whole experience, it is so important for us that our guests feel comfortable and special.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Country Retreat of an Artist

  Country Retreat of an Artist

  • Guest JandJB
  • 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!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you so much for your comment! It was a real pleasure to have known you and we hope you visit us again in the future!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Exquisite location, thoughtful hosts!

  Exquisite location, thoughtful hosts!

  • Guest Nicole and Robert
  • Date of stay 08/09/10
  • Review Submitted 08/09/11
  We couldn't 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. Ken's 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: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Beautiful house, nice little town, great experience

  Beautiful house, nice little town, great experience

  • Guest Tom
  • 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.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers.

  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.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Beautiful views!

  Beautiful views!

  • Guest Peggy
  • Date of stay 01/01/11
  • Review Submitted 01/11/11
  La Solana has magnificent views of the mountains and countryside of Ecuador. Our first evening there we relaxed in the outdoor hot tub and enjoyed a tremendous view of the starry skies. This is a beautiful place to just relax and enjoy the outdoors. However, the property was further out of Quito and more remote than we expected. I had hoped to be able to walk into the town of La Merced but it is quite a long walk on a dirt/cobblestone road, you really need to call a taxi to go to the town. The bus to neighboring towns and to Quito picks up in front of the villa on weekdays, it is an hour trip to the La Marin bus station in Quito but only costs 50 cents. The taxi to Quito was a little faster (40 to 60 minutes) but much more costly ($22 - $30 depending on where you went). You should speak some level of Spanish as the caretaker and cab drivers do not speak English. When my daughter left (she was the only one fluent in spanish), Maria was helpful in arranging the taxi service to get us into town and to the airport. Visitors should also know that they must bring bottled water with them; the tap water is not safe to drink. We stayed at 3 other places in Quito, Otavalo and Mindo - each were equipped with 5 gallon jugs of drinking water and dispensers, I would recommend to the owners that they consider providing water such as that.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you for your comments and for staying with us. The web site states that in effect the villa sits one kilometer away from the town, many of our guests have enjoyed the walk on a road which of course is rural-pebbled, this is still suitable for vehicles, otherwise, it would be impossible for buses or taxis to reach the villa. When our guests arrive late at night, I purchase breakfast items for them at no extra cost, and this includes bottled water. If our guests arrive any other time, they are encouraged to do their own shopping and the taxi is happy to take them to the shopping mall to do so. We are now providing filters for water to be safe to drink. We also have a Spanish-English dictionary in the premises.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Lovely Setting; Authentic Experience

  Lovely Setting; Authentic Experience

  • Guest Kelly84
  • Date of stay 12/22/10
  • Review Submitted 01/09/11
  We spent Christmas at the Villa and reveled at our ability to drink wine on the terrace viewing the mountains on Christmas day while our relatives experienced a White Christmas. We missed meeting Ken and Maria, but felt they were friends due to their helpfulness as we planned our trip. Carlos was a great driver and took us to splendid locations recommended by Ken. Luis helped us everyday as well. It was great to have these friendly locals. If you want to experience Ecuadorian people and see the life of many this is a great place. I enjoyed seeing the neighbors take their cows, goats, and other animals for a walk and delighted as we saw a little flock of piglets crossing the road following an escape from their nest. I would stay here again. The Internet is a great attempt at helping you keep in touch. For me, since I generally have to stay in touch with the office while I'm away, it was helpful, but speed is an issue if you have to do anything significant. Thank you Maria, Ken, Luis, and Carlos. You welcomed us to your great country. We stayed 3 weeks and are already plotting our return. I loved the flowers and the beauty. And, hot tub under the stars. Kelly & Lyle

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, age 55+, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Thank you very much Kelly, we are indeed working on getting a better internet service, but the modem is still the only thing we can use. We are on a waiting list. Thank you for your comments, and for choosing us!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Beautiful Villa near La Merced

  Beautiful Villa near La Merced

  • Guest Laurie & Owen
  • Date of stay 09/24/10
  • Review Submitted 10/18/10
  Thank you to Ken and Maria for an excellent week. Our flight was delayed 4 hours due to fog and we were very relieved when we saw Ken and Maria's smiling faces at the airport at 3am. Carlos Lopez (taxi driver) got us home safely by 4am and we were greeted by Luis who proceeded to get us settled. The villa was incredible - the design, layout, construction and the tasteful decorating. We were very impressed. The property was equally impressive - the landscaping, flowers, walk to the river and view of Cotopaxi. We booked the property near Quito mainly so we could golf for a week before heading to the beach. Ken made arrangements with the manager at Los Chillos to provide us with a one week membership at an amazing rate! Los Chillos is a beautiful 9 hole course. Most days we were almost the only ones golfing. The staff was exceptional. So were the massages - thanks Patricio...Carlos, the taxi driver, was always very friendly and punctual. We had Ken take us on the tour to the market in Otavalo and leather shops in Cotacachi - a very enjoyable day. The day before we left, the airport closed down due to the clash between Correa and the police. We were very concerned and unsure of what we should do. Ken and Maria were very patient with us and calmed us down. The next day when we headed to the airport, everything was business as usual - like nothing had happened at all... We look forward to staying at Ken and Maria's apartment in Quito before returning to our home in Saskatchewan, Canada.

  Recommended for: Pet owners, romantic getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Owners make La Solana an incredible find

  Owners make La Solana an incredible find

  • Guest nicole & mike
  • Date of stay 07/24/10
  • Review Submitted 08/05/10
  We stayed at Maria and Ken’s quinta near La Merced, and it was wonderful. The house was gorgeous, filled with touches from their travels, and had all of the amenities we needed. We were only 30 minutes from Quito with a shopping mall just 20 minutes away, so although you were in the countryside, it was close to city life too. The gardens were beautiful for taking walks, especially when we saw hummingbirds in the yard, and when we picked lemons and made homemade lemonade right from the yard. The jacuzzi was a beautiful place to sit at night surrounded by flowers and bright stars. Luis, the caretaker on site has a wonderful family and is helpful when needed. Ken took us on 3 day tours and he was an excellent guide, not only due to his knowledge of the land, but also because he tailored the trips to our family, including a 6-year old. We toured Quito, saw Antisana, and visited Mindo, all very different climates and trips. He added personal touches such as bringing homemade hot chocolate, and he gave us many additional tips for our visit. On the last day, ken made us a reservation at a wonderful restaurant in El Tingo, and it could not have been more delicious. The quinta, La Solana, is truly a place of beauty, and Maria and Ken are wonderfully helpful owners. It all made the trip perfect.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: We are happy to provide very personal services trying to cater our guests' needs, give suggestions and if necessary recommend and guide to make their stay a very pleasant one. Ken's tours have become very popular because as an American former diplomat who served in Ecuador for sixteen years in development projects, knows Quito, the surrounding areas and the country better than anyone I know. He taylors to our guests' special interests, loves to show around, is very knowledgeable and above all, takes them to places they would not normally see and experience with a tour operator. Maria, an Ecuadorean/American photographer was born near Quito and though has lived in other countries in the world due to her husband's work, enjoys inmensely being back in Ecuador and having guests. We have met amazing people though this enterprise who have enriched our lives and some of them have remained as our new friends.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• La Solana is a good break and a good adventure

  La Solana is a good break and a good adventure

  • Guest writar
  • 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 adventure.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Should have stayed longer!!

  Should have stayed longer!!

  • Guest jakelevi
  • 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!!!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Additional information about rental rates

50% deposit to book

50% balance two weeks prior to arrival

Paypal.com

Bank Deposit

Additional Fees and Taxes:

$35 additional per week per additional guest over four occupants/Children under 12 are free.

$40 compulsory cleaning fee

$300 Refundable security deposit