Axel's take on Old Town (Centro Histórico): #1 of 5 in Quito, 8.0/10
Sleep among Quito’s grandest churches, but plan your evenings. Old Town takes first for strong hotels, outstanding value and historic sights on foot, though its evenings need more planning.
Stay here if Quito means churches, courtyards and streets worth exploring slowly. Around García Moreno, Sucre and Plaza Grande, the historic city is your daily surroundings rather than a separate excursion. San Francisco and La Compañía give the neighborhood its architectural weight, while traditional shops and daytime trading keep it from feeling like a museum.
The catch is evening flexibility: visitors report many businesses closing early and streets thinning out after the daytime crowds leave. Plan dinner or an organized evening outing rather than assuming you can wander late. Cobbles, narrow pavements and hills also complicate limited-mobility travel. Choose it for a culture-heavy visit; skip it for spontaneous nightlife.
- Best for: museums and culture, travelers on a budget, travelers without a car
- Skip it if: You want spontaneous late-night dining and bar-hopping; Hills and uneven pavements are a problem
- Getting around: Walk between the main historic sights; Metro Line 1 at San Francisco connects north and south. From UIO, take an airport taxi/transfer, or an airport bus to Quitumbe followed by the Metro.
- After dark: Many streets quieten after shops close; Quito Tourism recommends guided, group or organized evening visits rather than aimless wandering.
- Rates: Typical Axel rate $49 a night · usually 23% under the public rate
Where to stay in Quito: every neighborhood ranked
Where to look in Old Town (Centro Histórico)
- Plaza Grande and García Moreno. Start here for churches, museums and grand civic buildings within short walks; best for a sightseeing-heavy first visit. Hotels here: Hotel Plaza Grande, Hotel Patio Andaluz, Hotel Colonial San Agustin.
- Junín, around Montúfar. Historic façades, small museums and artists’ workshops suit travelers who want neighborhood character alongside the major monuments. Hotels here: Hotel Casa Alquimia, Illa Experience Hotel, Rincón Familiar Hostel Boutique.
- La Alameda Park. Choose the park edges for gardens and Metro access rather than doorstep churches; useful for sightseeing across the city. Hotels here: La Rosario Hotel, Hotel Báltico, Travel House.
How to choose
- Choose Hotel Plaza Grande if personal service and spacious traditional suites matter more than cost; request your preferred view.
- Choose Hotel Casa Alquimia if you want generous rooms and historic character without the luxury-hotel premium, and can manage stairs.
- Choose La Rosario Hotel if you want a cheaper-than-most Metro base with helpful staff and can tolerate noise.
What paying more buys
La Rosario Hotel buys you a simple Metro base; Hotel Casa Alquimia adds generous rooms and historic character. Hotel Plaza Grande costs substantially more for all-suite accommodation and especially attentive service, while Illa Experience Hotel adds cultural activities and a spa. Those premiums are hard to justify if you will be sightseeing all day; they do not guarantee quieter nights. Typical rates with Axel here run from $15 a night at Travel House to $653 at Illa Experience Hotel (last 30 days).
The best hotels in Old Town (Centro Histórico), ranked by Axel's take
Each hotel scored for what it is by Axel's own review; the rate is one stay Axel priced this week, beside the public rate for the same dates.
- Hotel Plaza Grande 9.2/10, historic, five-star all-suite boutique hotel on Quito’s main square. Old-world luxury with standout service, though the main-square setting can be noisy. Why it's here: spacious traditional suites and especially attentive personal service directly on Quito’s main square. Accept: plaza-facing noise; not every suite has a square view. $234 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Hotel Casa Alquimia 8.9/10, historic, independent 3-star hotel in Quito’s Old Town. Old Town character, generous rooms and standout hospitality, with street noise as the trade-off. Why it's here: generous historic rooms and warm hospitality without the luxury-hotel premium. Accept: street noise, no elevator and a reported card surcharge. $63 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Illa Experience Hotel 8.9/10, luxury boutique hotel in a restored mansion in Quito’s old town. Personal service and historic character shine, but choose your room carefully. Why it's here: attentive boutique service with cultural activities, rooftop dining and a spa in a restored mansion. Accept: daylight and privacy vary; stairs and courtyard noise need consideration. $466 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Hotel Patio Andaluz 8.7/10, historic 4-star boutique hotel in Quito’s old town. A strong old-town base for character and service, with some courtyard compromises. Why it's here: historic courtyard character and attentive staff close to Plaza Grande. Accept: courtyard noise, imperfect blackout coverage and stairs in duplex rooms. $132 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- La Rosario Hotel 8.4/10, simple budget hostal near Quito’s La Alameda metro. Strong budget value and helpful staff, but bring earplugs. Why it's here: a cheaper-than-most Metro base with helpful staff, breakfast and rooftop views. Accept: limited soundproofing, no elevator and uneven Wi-Fi. $22 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Hotel Báltico 8.4/10, simple, independent budget hotel near Quito’s historic center. Helpful staff and strong value, with basic rooms and a few booking details to check. Why it's here: budget-friendly group rooms, a shared kitchen and helpful staff near La Alameda. Accept: no elevator, variable room sizes and conflicting arrival addresses. $28 a night with Axel against $45 a night on Expedia for the same dates and party: $17 a night less (37%). Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Hotel Colonial San Agustin 8.3/10, simple, family-run 3-star in Quito’s historic center. A friendly old-town base, with strong service and some old-house compromises. Why it's here: a mid-priced, family-run sightseeing base with helpful staff two blocks from Plaza Grande. Accept: noise, variable daylight and no elevator. $50 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Rincón Familiar Hostel Boutique 8.2/10, budget 3-star hotel-and-hostel in Quito’s historic center. A characterful Old Town budget base, with helpful staff and renovation caveats. Why it's here: a characterful, mid-priced sightseeing base with family options, patios and helpful travel assistance. Accept: construction concerns, narrow stairs and variable bathroom and hot-water arrangements. $48 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
- Travel House 7.1/10, basic budget guesthouse and hostel near Quito’s historic center. A workable budget base, but housekeeping and bathroom consistency need checking. Why it's here: a lowest-cost base for sightseers comfortable with basic accommodation and helpful staff. Accept: uneven housekeeping and bathroom upkeep; arrival terms need confirming. $15 a night with Axel; no public rate was seen for these dates. Sign up free to book this rate · Customer link — Open hotel details
