V - Victor Hugo Hotel

“It’s great to be here to see you all; I know for me it is like coming home”


There is some discussion over which is the best hotel in Puerto Lopez.

“Best”, of course, is subjective. I have my favorite, the Victor Hugo Hotel (VH), and I’ll explain why. First, I want to run down some of the others.

The primary “challenger” to the VH is the Mandala Hosteria (http://www.hosteriamandala.info/). Established about twenty years ago, it is favorite of many. The hotel, along with the private gardens and beach structures, is meticulously appointed, and the restaurant is top-notch. Aurelio and Maja have created a wonderful destination resort, and they receive absolutely top reviews from all of their guests.

The Mandala, however, is not open to the public. To visit the restaurant or tour the private gardens, a person needs to be a patron of the hotel (or a guest of the owner). This creates a secure, private environment for their guests, but it isn’t available as a meeting place for public events.

Other resort hotels in town include the Nautilus Hotel (https://nautilus-hotel.com/home-en.html) and the Tuzco Lodge (http://www.tuzcolodge.com/). Although not as authentic as the Mandala, both are private and have great swimming pools.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Pacifico (http://www.hotelpacificoecuador.com/). It is where my wife and I stayed during our first trip to Ecuador, and the service is good. Located on the Malecon in the center of town, it has a popular (although limited) restaurant and is open to the public. Founded in 1965, it is possibly the oldest hotel in town.

My preference, though, is the Victor Hugo (http://www.victorhugohotel.com.ec/). Other than a swimming pool (always “coming soon!”), it has all of the amenities one would expect: large rooms, private parking, a full restaurant open all day, beach front location and a five minute walk to town.

The key difference, though, is its social placement. There is a large lounge/restaurant downstairs for casual appointments and a large meeting area upstairs for event hosting, and both are available to the public without reservation. In addition to dances and other events, the upstairs area has become our de-facto “sports bar” for watching football and other sporting events.

Whenever I plan to meet someone from out of town, I will always suggest the Victor Hugo. It makes a great first impression.

(Alluding back to my first post, this is not an advertisement of any kind; it is completely my opinion.)



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