Casa San Rafael

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2025

Amy

A beautiful family owned historic home turned into a boutique hotel! Breakfast was home cooked. Close to historic downtown! The property owners weee very helpful and accommodating to all of our needs! Highly recommend!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2025

Amy

Beautiful historic property!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2025

Thomas J

Thank you to the wonderful staff at the Hotel Casa San Rafael. Outstanding hospitality! Looking forward to my next visit.

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

02 Jan 2025

serena

Very noisy you can heard the people next door snoring at night, the floors very squeaky and the bed very noisy and in bad condition. The amenities was real poor two little face soap not even 2x1 for two people per day.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

02 Jan 2025

serena

The bed in terrible condition, breakfast was terrible fried egg burn, first night only one towel for two person had to ask for more. Parking stated 13 per day and ended up paying 13 from 7 to 8 at night And 5 for night time total 18 per day. The gentleman did the cleaning was very nice and Vero. They tried their best to make the guest feel better.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2024

gabriela

GRACIAS, MUY BIEN TODO

Business

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2024

Martha

Great place to stay

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2023

William

Very clean and neat. Friendly staff. It's an old hotel and they still use skeleton keys for the rooms.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Nov 2023

Terry

Nice stay

I liked the place, the room is clean and good for the price, good location, the lady manaywas very nice and helpful at all the time ,.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

28 Oct 2023

VICTORIA

Nice boutique hotel. No access for people with disabilities. We were on the 3rd floor. Quiet and friendly staff. Close to the historic center an 3 blocks from Calderon park

Leisure Friends

2/10

Poor

09 Oct 2023

Ron

Snarly desk help; small room w/o amenities

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2023

Jorge O.

Great place, location & an amazing staff.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2023

Jerry

Helpful staff quiet room

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

10 Jul 2023

Alejandro

It is a well kept historical property. The hotel is about 130 yrs old, but it is cozy, well kept, clean and the staff is super friendly and helpful. It has basic amenities such as wfi and breakfast. That being said, during weekend nights, street noises filter through the windows and it becomes almost impossible to fall asleep in the early morning hrs (12 am -2:00 am). Noise is not a problem M-R nights.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2023

Cecilia

I lovely stay in a beautifully maintained 130 year old building! Not iron and solid wood, i door courtyard and amazing breakfasts every day.

The staff treated us like family. When my husband suffered from altitude sickness they asked after him and offered a number of local remedies (they worked, too!)

We are taking their contact information so next time they come we can skip Expedia and book directly. They were great!

Only advice would be this: spring for a room with two beds. Unless you are traveling solo... the single room was very small, and we ended up upgrading. Well worth it!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2023

Stuart

Wonderful staff and charming hotel.
Each morning we were creating with warmth and a delicious breakfast. They were very helpful with answering our questions about surrounding points of interest.
They offered a reasonable laundry service with one day turnaround.
They supported us with calling taxis when we asked for one.
We stayed in a room on the third floor and it was very quiet.
This hotel is located very close to the Calderon Park in the central historic district.
I would definitely plan to stay here again if I can come back to Cuenca.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Apr 2023

Nelson

Is not what I spect

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2023

Michele

Excellent staff beautiful hotel

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Feb 2023

Melissa

The hotel is nicely remodeled from a former large house. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. The hotel was quiet and very clean, and a short walk to the central plaza. The breakfasts were good but pretty minimal, with little or no choice and very small portions.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

31 Aug 2022

Eric

Beautiful boutique hotel conveniently located in the center of town. The Owners Mr. Camacho and Mrs. Valenzuela were super accommodating and made us feel like at home. Additionally Valeria and the rest of the staff were very nice and attentive. We highly recommend this hotel for someone who wants to have a very unique and classic Cuenca experience.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2022

Kelli

The owners are very kind and accommodating. The hotel is gorgeous and well maintained. The breakfast is delicious and a wonderful way to start the day.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

12 Aug 2022

Isabel

Historic hotel.

The hotel is very nice. The service was superb. The beds were not very comfortable

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Jun 2022

Tammy

Great location. Many sites within easy walking distance. The staff were so friendly, helpful and accommodating. The hotel is a Spanish colonial building, and they have managed to keep the boutique hotel feel. We would come back in the afternoon and I enjoyed sitting in the 2nd floor sitting area. Breakfast was fresh squeezed juice, fruit, toast and eggs and the best Ecuadorian coffee.

Our room had a window over the street, but we did not find it noisy. Room 202 is small. There was not much room between the end of the bed and the desk along the wall. The bathroom is also quite small, with no convenient place to put toiletry bags. The beds were also a little hard for me, so I put the extra blankets under the sheet.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2022

Vern

The host was amazing! A great historical hotel close enough to walk downtown

8/10

Excellent

09 Jan 2022

Miguel

Very nice

Overall experience very good.
The only thing not so good was the mattress quality. Hard surface and a bit unpleasant because it is a bit old.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2021

Ma Elena

Everything ea good, and they try to make feel comfortable at any moment, i recommend 100%

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Old fashioned hand painted walls candlelights in the dinning room loved the balcony and happy for their airport shuttle.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

It was an old style home with a courtyard that was converted to a hotel.
The staff was great. The only problem was with one of the two rooms. Room 3 shared a vent with the hall bathroom and the room bathroom often gave off a sewer smell

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2020

Aaron

Always a great experience at Casa San Rafael. I've stayed there 3 times and I am never disappointed.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2020

Floyd E.

very pleased

We were very pleased with our stay and have reserved for friends in a month.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

The staff all of them were excellent, very helpful and makes you feel like family.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

Clean. Friendly. Nice. The front desk help me with suggestions for areataurant. Very good.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Very nice neat and excelent location, the staff are very polite and friendly.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Great service. DIANA was a great host during our stay at San Rafael. The location is great , rigth at the heart of the old city. I recomment this place 100% !!!!!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Property is conveniently located in the center of the city, close to shops, restaurants, and places of attraction.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Attention of personal, they are so nice!!! beautiful place, close to everything, good breakfast

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

The front desk staff all spoke very good english and were very helpful to me on numerous occasions. I highly recommend this hotel.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

Terrific . Good location and great breakfast. Clean room.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

Stay here!!! A wonderful place

A wonderful place to stay in Cuenca. The place is beautiful. Their customer service is superb and very warm and pleasant. Nice breakfast. Could not be cleaner. Wonderful linens and beautiful furniture
Yes, it can be a bit noisy in the buildings of this design and of this age, but a new building would not have the colonial charm of this lovely, centrally located hotel.
Sorry that could not stay for longer than one night - they were fully bookef

6/10

Pleasant

08 May 2019

Rosemary

New ve colonial hotel

The bed was not comfortable at all and it was pretty noisy. I did really like the staff, breakfast and the colonial ambiance of the hotel. We stayed 3 nights there so the bed really started to bother me.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 May 2019

John P

In the center

Old colonial building, right downtown

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2019

Jane

Good place to stay in Cuenca

Old colonial place. Super nice and helpful staff! Great location! Lots of traffic outside but that’s what happens when you are in a good location. I would have preferred a higher up room with a little outside light.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Staff very helpful and understanding.
Great location and the hotel itself is very clean.

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

01 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

I recommend them to change their checkin and checkout times. You should be flexible with the needs of your guests

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2019

Catherine

STAY HERE!!!

This is a gorgeous hotel in the middle of Cuenca's central historic area. We had a beautiful room with a balcony overlooking the lovely town. The staff were so lovely, warm and welcoming, and the breakfast was delicious with fruit salad and yoghurt then eggs to order, with delicious breads and coffee. I highly recommend this hotel

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2019

Daniel

Classy place to stay

By staying there you will feel like living in the Spanish old villa. Very classy interior and so friendly staff. I would definitely stay there again.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Central location, traditional feel, simple and kind.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

15 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Good location close to restaurants and sights. Helpful and friendly staff.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

27 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Good location on central main street. An older hotel with lovely atmosphere. However, a little tight for space and creaky floors. Breakfasts were excellent served by a lovely waitress. A bonus though is a very appealing price!

8/10

Excellent

07 Feb 2019

joseph

Great stay great location

Everything is great! Only complaint is the old floors creek so bad everyone can here everyone moving around.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2019

Tony

Wonderfully helpful staff. Walking distance to churches and museums. Nice breakfast would be improved with the addition of fresh fava beans and cheese or lentils and beans.

6/10

Pleasant

31 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Nice hotel inside with a comfortable sitting area to lounge on.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

The property was beautiful overall and service was excellent. The room and bathroom were better than adequate with the bathroom seeming a bit tight.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Great location at edge of old town.

Service was great. Breakfast was very good. The facility is old and probably a challenge to keep in good order. Walls are a little thin so bring ear plugs. Easy walk to rest of historic town.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Great location, just 3 blocks from main square. Amazing atmosphere with antique decoration, plants and plenty of natural light. Staff was very helpful. Free coffee and tea until 9PM. Balcony with a view to the street. Breakfast is good but can be improved. Bathroom fan was a bit noisy but not a big issue.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Friendly staff, good breakfast, the location was very convenient.
We did not like the fact that because it is an old construction, we can hear our neighbors very clearly

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

great hotel in a good location within 2 mn walk form the city center.
Staff was great and very helpful.Breakfast was included and extremely good. I would go back there if i travel back to Cuenca

8/10

Excellent

08 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Nice room. Good breakfast. Centrally located, close to Parque Calderon and Calle Larga. Friendly staff.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2018

Kate

Great location and wonderful staff. Breakfast good. Attractive room. Coffee and tea available all day

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Nov 2018

Verified traveler

This hotel is perfect!
Clean, friendly, cozy.
Great accomodating staff.
Full fresh delicious breakfast.
In the center of all the action.
Fair priced.
One of the best hotels I’ve stayed in.
Bravo Casa San Rafael!

8/10

Excellent

01 Oct 2018

Carla

Hotel is very nice. My room was small but very comfortable. I had a balcony room and unfortunately the street noice was very loud. Ecuadorians love their parades and are wonderful people. The staff was very accommodating.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2018

Daniel

Wonderful stay in Cuenca central

Amazing stay. Excellent service from the staff. Would gladly stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2018

Jerry

Beautiful, old world charm. Amazing staff. Great location.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Sep 2018

Craig

We loved it!

Casa San Raphael was a great place to spend a week. The staff was very helpful and hospitable, and the facility itself is quaint and lovely.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

09 Aug 2018

Elizabeth

Beautiful place, friendly staff, tasty breakfast. However if you’re looking for a good night sleep, this is not the place for you. light sleepers beware. If you don’t have any problems falling asleep then this is a great place location and price.

Family

8/10

Excellent

21 May 2018

Stephen

Touring Ecuador

Lovely old building, beautiful wood accents. Room provided to us for multiple night stay was more spacious than most others & on main floor to accommodate a recent injury making it difficult to climb stairs (no elevator). Staff very helpful, spoke some English. Clean and comfortable beds. Suggest white noise machine to sleep through street sounds.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 May 2018

Ivy

Nice hotel, great location, nice ambiance. but without a/c.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2018

Ana

Nice boutique hotel in the historic center

The hotel is cozy, cute, pleasant, and perfectly located within the historic downtown; the staff are courteous and knowledgeable. Breakfast was delicious, with seasonal fruits and juices.

8/10

Excellent

21 Mar 2018

normand

Downtown Cuenca

The Casa San Rafael is patrimonial building located downtown Cuenca, closed majors attractions , stores and restaurants.
The hôtel staff was very , very friendly and helpful ( we needed some médical assistance which they arranged quickly and effeciently.)
We highly recommend this hôtel for a stay downtown Cuenca.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2018

Diane

I love Cuenca

We spent 5days here and it wasn't enough. I can't say enough about this hotel. The staff is wonderful, helpful and loving. We decifded to stay in Cuenca 2 extra day and they were booked so we had to move. They invited us back for coffee. Also the breakfast was very good and the table setup encouraged us to make friends, which we did - several.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Historic hotel near Cuenca center

Happy with the historic feel, cleanliness, and friendliness here.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2018

Suzanne

Great stay

I had a wonderful time at this hotel. The location is very convenient. The staff is helpful in providing information. I would definitely stay here again.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2018

Vicky

Great hotel and staff.

Really enjoyed our stay. We booked three rooms and all were very nice. Good breakfast. Coffee and tea always aval. Center of town, great walking location. Best of all is the staff. They were so kind and helpful.

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2018

Dr Stu

Lovely small hacienda converted to a hotel.

Small rooms. Good location. Could use some variability with included breakfast choices. Good value.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2018

J N

Good value reasonably priced

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Dec 2017

Sam

Friendly quirky hotel in a good location

Casa San Rafael is a lovely hotel in the colonial style - a rectangle of rooms surrounding a central courtyard. The rooms and open area are comfortable and inviting, and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. The hotel is well located, near the old city center and many attractions.

8/10

Excellent

22 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Great hotel in Cuenca

We had a good time in Cuenca. The hotel was nice for the price, but the only issue was you could hear every sound going through the hotel. It sounded like someone was changing a propane tank in the middle of the night. Breakfast was good with the usual fresh juice, eggs, toast and fruit.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Nov 2017

Johanna

Nice and central location

Nice hotel and great service! Excellent attention from the staff, clean rooms and delicious breakfast

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2017

Monica

Great location, wonderful staff.

You are able to walk everywhere in the historic part of town. The staff was always accomodating and helpful and always with a smile.

8/10

Excellent

18 Oct 2017

Dorothy

Great hotel close to El Centro in Cuenca

Staff were all very helpful and accesible. Hotel is a couple of blocks from Parque Calderon,
Always willing to help with calling for taxis

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Oct 2017

Payor

Highly recommended

The noise level was a bit distracting but everything else made up for it. The staff went above & beyond to make you feel at home. The cleanliness was a huge plus for us. They were very accommodating regardless of what you asked. Their American breakfast was not American at all, it was way better. Fresh made juices, made to order eggs, fresh fruits, & delicious homemade bread & yogurt. Although there is not room service restaurant, they have local restaurants that deliver to your room. The front desk even understood my husband's broken Spanish. If we ever visited again, although we have friends in the area, we would stay at Casa San Rafael!

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2017

LS

Beautiful historic hotel in downtown Cuenca

Hotel Casa San Rafael is a beautiful place to stay in downtown Cuenca.
Mostly original architecture inside.
The staff was awesome. Very friendly and helpful.
Pricing was very reasonable.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2017

Peter

Friendly and efficient service.

Quaint old building. Room was relatively basic but comfortable. Wonderful service with great help from the front desk in sorting out my onward travel arrangements.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2017

Julian

Very well situated hotel in the middle of Cuenca

We stayed here for 3 nights during February 2017. The Casa San Raphael is a charming, \"olde worlde\" hotel in the centre of Cuenca, & is very well located for walking to all the local attractions such as the 2 Cathedals & the Panama Hat factory, etc. All the staff were most helpful & the hotel itself was spotless. Our only gripe was the very hard mattress in our room. However, despite this, we would definately stay here again.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2017

jonathan

nice with a good location.

The staff was friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and breakfast was delicious.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

Centrally located, excellent service!

I had a wonderful room with great amenities, and the receptionist was always willing to help - whether it was suggesting a tour or making sure I had breakfast before it ended at 10am. The free breakfast was exceptional, and the decor of the dining area as well as the rooms was beautiful. I definitely recommend staying here.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

central boutique hotel

beautiful old house, now a hotel, just 3 blocks from central square where tourbusses stop.

8/10

Excellent

30 Jan 2017

Verified traveler

Nice hotel

Staff very friendly but not particularly knowledgable regarding activities/sites/transportation. Would have been helpful if they could have provided some basic information. Was a beautiful hotel . Good breakfast.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jan 2017

Verified traveler

Lovely boutique hotel near historic enter

The hotel is really lovely the rooms and common areas make you feel you are a guest in someone's home. Breakfast was delicious and filling. The staff were helpful and had maps of the historic enter.

8/10

Excellent

08 Jan 2017

Verified traveler

Cost-benefit relation is fair enough. The staff was very kind making the stay very comfortable.

8/10

Excellent

02 Jan 2017

Verified traveler

Nice boutique hotel in a Spanish style building.

The only reason why the hotel does not deserve 5 stars is because of the noise. Unfortunately, the old wood floor squeaks and the sound insulation is non existent.
The staff is great! Fantastic!
The breakfast is very good.
The location is excellent.
The room is very small although very clean.
Highly recommended value boutique hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2016

Benjamin

We stayed three nights in Cuenca at this great little place. Very good location, good breakfast each morning, everything we needed. Would definitely recommend!

Partner

4/10

Poor

28 Nov 2016

alexa

beds are hard

Hotel is clean and very well locater to the main things in the center of Cuenca, walk in distance, has a lot of beautiful antique details and staff and very friendly. The only thing i didnt like was the matress. Very hard to sleep in. I stayed two night and I woke up in pain and disconfort, pillows were the same!

8/10

Excellent

16 Nov 2016

Laurie

Nice hotel very central small room noisy

Overall nice hotel sleeping a problem due to noisy floorboards

4/10

Poor

13 Nov 2016

Mario

Pricy hotel for Ecuadorian standards -well located

Although the hotel has excellent location towards the airport at walking distance, the walk from the hotel is some how very difficult. Also the hotel staff is average in friendliness and the swimming pool area is disappointing.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2016

Sandra M

Quaint B&B in historical section

We arrived in city on early flight and could not check into room, they stored our bags while we explored and found nice place for breakfast. Hotel is 3 blocks from Calderon Plaza; good place for restaurants, music many nights, and people watching. Beautiful old churches, many museums, good city bus tours all located near by. Sweet staff. Daily breakfast of fresh fruits w/yogurt & granola, fresh juice, made to order eggs, toast, fresh brewed coffee, and varied tea selection got us off to good start.

8/10

Excellent

29 Oct 2016

Deborah

Great location, nice hotel

Very nice boutique hotel. Our only issues were the very hard bed and the poor attitude of the night clerk. When you enter the hotel, you are told to press a buzzer so the clerk opens it remtely. One evening we did so, and he complained that the door was already unlocked, and we had rung the buzzer in his year. His attitude was not helpful or friendly. Other than that, good hotel

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2016

Verified traveler

nice stay

nice and very friendly staff. good hotel in good location.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2016

rafael

San Rafael in Cuenca at its best

We stayed in Cuenca at this hotel for about seven (7) nights or so. The service is amazing and the benefit of free parking with in and out privileges is fantastic. Cuenca is a city very easy to walk and we definitely took advantage of that. Currently (2016 September)they are working on the train tracks (was scheduled to finish Spring 2016) now scheduled for 2017. I say all this to emphasize that the hotel is blocks away from all the construction and noise (but driving is a nightmare. Love the hotel and the amazing people working there

6/10

Pleasant

05 Sep 2016

John

Close to downtown....but with drawbacks..

First of all....if you are driving and you arrive on the evening, get ready for ridiculous travel.

Big disappointment with respect to parking. Shows included, but it is NOT ONSITE! It's about five blocks away. It's just not practical....they should work on getting a valet service. We lucked out with local street parking....but you purchase parking cards.

The hotel does have georgeous old French influence from the original owners. Beautiful old wood beams etc. we stayed on the top floor. But noticed ligh leaking through all the beams in the morning. They could go through 10 tubes of caulking to patch it up.......And they should because it detracts from the rest of the fine bathroom tile work and beautiful creaking staircases.

Would recommend as ideal if you're coming in by taxi.

Breakfast was very good, fresh fruits and juice and they made special accommodation for ,y wife. Staff experience ranged from 3-5...average to excellent,