Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Ecuador / Quito / Casa Gangotena
Casa Gangotena
Quito, Ecuador · Metropolitan Touring · Grand Luxury
Casa Gangotena occupies the site of a mansion on Quito's Plaza San Francisco first built in 1600 for the Ponce Castillejo family, later renamed for the Gangotenas, one of the city's most prominent industrialist families. After a 1914 fire, the Italian Russo brothers rebuilt it in the 1920s as an Italianate palazzo with materials shipped from France, Germany, and Italy. It is the only Relais & Chateaux hotel in Quito's colonial Old Town, and a fresco inside names each Gangotena family member on the reins of the horse they are painted riding.
- 31 rooms
- Opened 2011
- Neighborhood: González Suárez
- Rooms from 495 sq ft (46 m²)
About Casa Gangotena
- The house at Quito's Plaza San Francisco dates to 1600, when it was built for the Ponce Castillejo family and known as Casa de San Miguel before being renamed for the Gangotena family in the 19th century.
- A 1914 fire destroyed the original mansion; the family rebuilt it in the 1920s as an Italianate palazzo designed by Italy's Russo brothers, using materials imported from France, Germany, and Italy.
- One surviving fresco depicts Gangotena family members on horseback, with each rider's name inscribed on the reins of their painted horse, and now hangs in the hotel's Junior Suite.
- It is the only Relais & Chateaux member hotel inside Quito's colonial Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and earned a MICHELIN One Key in 2025.
- Former Quito mayor Roque Sevilla bought the abandoned mansion in 2007 and restored it into a hotel, having visited it for tea parties as a child when it was still a Gangotena family home.
History
The site on the southwest corner of Quito's Plaza San Francisco has held a mansion since 1600, when the Ponce Castillejo family built the house known as Casa de San Miguel. It passed to the Gangotena family in the 19th century, who renamed it and hosted early Republican-era presidents. A fire destroyed most of the building in 1914; the Gangotenas rebuilt it in the 1920s as an Italianate palazzo designed by Italy's Russo brothers, with columns, fountains, and murals replacing the original colonial style.
The last Gangotena descendants left the house in decline until former Quito mayor Roque Sevilla, who had visited as a child, bought it in 2007 and restored it as a hotel, reopening in October 2011 as the only Relais & Chateaux property in Quito's Old Town.
Restaurants and bars
- Cafe Quiteño — Café
Experiences
- Signature cuisine and cocktails — Signature cuisine and cocktails presented as part of the hotel's gastronomy.
- Chocolate tastings — Chocolate tastings held in the VIP Salon.
- Rooftop with panoramic views — A rooftop offering panoramic views, known as the Rooftop Terrace atop the building.
- Activities in the historic center — Activities in the best-preserved historic center of Quito.
Amenities
- Signature cuisine and cocktails
- Rooftop with panoramic views
- Activities in the best-preserved historic center
- Chocolate tastings held in the VIP Salon
- The Bar
- Professional event staff
- Weddings and civil marriage ceremonies
- Graduations
- Corporate events, presentations, meetings and dinners
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
Open Casa Gangotena in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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