Casa Del Barranco HOTEL - RESTAURANTE Y ROOFTOP

Room and location are fine, but the service is the WORST I’ve experienced in Cuenca over 14 visits spanning almost twenty years. There is one manager who is professional, and he provided two extra keys to me the first day, in case I came in late, telling me that the doors to the hotel locked at 10pm on weekday nights and at 1am on weekend nights. He did not mention that they locked the entire hotel on Sunday afternoons, so when I went out for lunch with my girlfriend, I did not bring the hotel keys (only the room key) with me. Upon returning from lunch, I was locked out of the entire hotel in the rain, and no one responded to my ringing the bell for fifteen minutes. Finally, one of the employees - a shirt, chubby, bespectacled young man - lazily answered the door, and I expressed my frustration about being locked out in the rain without being told that I would need the hotel keys in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. This particularly lackluster employee decided to then chide my girlfriend in the lobby, telling her she couldn’t go up to my room with me. No other hotel in Cuenca has denied her the opportunity to visit me where I stay. He decided to be sensitive and petty with her, telling her that he didn’t like me “yelling” at him - apparently any firm expression of frustration was considered “yelling” to this fragile soul. He stated that I was the only guest at the hotel. Apparently, that was his justification for such lazy, petty service. A few nights later, it was raining hard when she dropped me off at the hotel, and I invited her up for a bit until the rain passed. After an hour or two, she went to leave, and the same petty employee wouldn’t unlock the door for her, telling her to call me and tell me to come down and unlock it for her. The final night, she dropped me off late, and the rain was coming down heavy. Rather than make her drive back across town in the heavy rain, she came up and we passed out. When I checked out, I was told I was being charged an extra $40 for an extra guest. Apparently, this petty employee decided to call his mommy to level extra charges out of his bitterness. Whatever. $40 is more than worth it for me to provide a safe and comfortable night for my girlfriend in a pinch. However, this particularly petty, lazy, and unprofessional employee made this the WORST lodging experience I have ever had in 14 visits to Cuenca. Cuenca is full of vibrant, new hotels, hostels, and AirBnBs. This place clearly struggles to bring in clients, and it is abundantly clear to me as to why. STAY AWAY. Not worth your time nor money to suffer such petty unprofessionalism. The location is great, the room comfortable, and the price reasonable…but one bad apple (employee) can ruin the entire experience. I will never consider staying here again and look forward to seeing a new, better hotel in its place in the near future.

We went to the restaurant and while the view and the rooftop is nice, the food is absolutely not. We ordered a mix of dishes, an Ecuadorean soup (locro de papas) and some extras. The soup had no flavour at all. We also had some pasta with pesto and champignons, the pasta stuck together as it does when you let it sit for a while after cooking it. It did not have ANY flavour. I put on what felt like a whole tablespoon of salt but it was still not enjoyable. The beer we got served was warm. The prices for the extras were ridiculous, charge for bacon was 2$ and it was literally one slice. The avocado for 1.50 got us 3 tiny slices. If only one of the dishes was bad, it would not have been such an issue, but it was bad all over. When I told the waiter about it (in fluent Spanish), he just said “okay” and left.

Outstanding hotel! We were so fortunate to have come across Casa Barranco – we stayed in a room with a patio overlooking the river which was delightful. The room and hotel were spotless, and beautifully decorated and the staff was extremely helpful and competent. We had breakfast, dinner, and snacks while at Casa Barranco and every meal was delicious – our hats off to the chef! Most importantly, it was the assistance we received from co-owners Olmedo and Diego when my husband became ill and had to be hospitalized. Both stepped in and assisted with all the many details I had to deal with – so what could have been a true nightmare turned out to be a heartwarming experience of the love, compassion and caring of the Ecuadorian people.

Fantastic location and really attentive owners. Breakfasts were included with our room; we particularly enjoyed coming back to the bar and enjoying a few espresso martinis; rooftop bar is a hidden gem. The owners were well-informed about all things in Cuenca- very willing to assist.

My three days and nights here was great. The bed was comfy and my room was very clean. I loved my rook with the patio and view. On my last day, I became very ill and the staff and manager were very king in bringing me tea and checking up on me to make sure I am okay. The price was very good and I loved the decorations inside as you walk through your room. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here and would do so again. The staff are warm and friendly and that made the difference for me.

MUST READ!!! We just had a really HORRIBLE experience. We went up just for one beer to have a look at the view. When we were leaving the waiter asked if we wanted to use the bathroom. I used the bathroom (male) then he asked my wife if she needed to. She said yes but he said he needed to quickly clean it. She went in and as she was washing her hands she noticed a towel in the corner. The waiter had gone in and set up his phone wrapped in a towel with only the camera lens showing and RECORDED her using the bathroom. He denied everything said it wasn't his phone and then said it was his phone and that he dropped it. He had an encrypted video taken at the time of her using the bathroom. Manager didn't care at all. Only when we returned with the Police did he take it "seriously" When we returned with the police three of them were sitting laughing. The little worm that took the video was frantically doing things on his phone the whole time. Hands shaking like crazy. If you have ever been here or stayed here you may have been recorded secretly. The matter is with Police. Please be careful wherever you go and avoid this place at all costs.

This was my second trip to Cuenca and this time I was determined to find a room with a view of the Tomebamba River and close to the historic center. I found a lot of options that met this criteria but was impressed with how committed Casa del Barranco appeared to be in regards to COVID protocols and kept their guest's safety as a top priority. I got this and so much more.||||From the moment Diego picked us up from the airport, I knew we had made the right choice. He was waiting for us with a hand written sign the second we grabbed our bags. The first thing Diego said to us when we got in the car is that he becomes friends with all his guests by the end of their stay. I've heard this before but Diego is very serious about this. He goes out of his way to make sure your stay in Cuenca is the best it possibly can be. I feel like I've made a friend for life with the bonus that our stay at the hotel was incredible. Rather than write out pages about how great Diego and his family are (they are!), I'll write out some of the highlights:||||- The view of the river from our room was absolutely perfect. Our room (109) looked directly down to the river with an incredible view up with Mirador de Turi.||||- The bed was very comfortable and the roaring sound of the Tomebamba put me to sleep very quickly each night.||||- The breakfast every morning was the best we had in Ecuador. The coffee was hot and fresh, there was fresh-squeezed juice, and the eggs... I don't know their secret but I've never had cooked this perfectly. And sitting out on the terrace with another million-dollar view made the breakfast even more special.||||-The family. I can't say enough about the family. Diego, Daniel, and their mother (sorry I didn't catch her name) were all so kind and welcoming. They made great suggestions of things to do around the city and made sure our visit was special. The care a great deal about Cuenca and a great deal about their guests.||||They're constantly improving the property and this will be my go-to hotel any time I go to Cuenca. I hope it's your choice too!

Great location. Wonderful staff. Comfortable room. Diego and Daniel were extremely helpful and shared many details about the history of Cuenca and the hotel. They both speak English. The condition of the hotel is very good. It is walking distance to most attractions and restaurants. The internet worked well. The water was plenty hot. I would recommend you book this place immediately. You will not regret it. It is family owned and the family has a very interesting story behind it. I will come back to this place when I visit cuenca again. I paid 26$ has a solo traveler including tax.