Located just 15 minutes from Quito’s airport, Samay Collections is a unique hippie dreamscape brought to life. This hotel and spa offer a truly one-of-a-kind experience with 12 distinctively designed whimsical cabins perched on a cliff in the Andes Mountains.
Though technically a hotel, I would describe Samay Collections as “glamping on steroids.” Each unique room sports a mix of glass-enclosed beds, wooden plank bridges and suspended hammock netting, which allows guests to feel as though they're floating above the rainforest.
During my stay, I was in the Amazonia room. The expansive suite featured charming thatched roofing with open skylights that let trees grow through from the floor below. Inside, a small chimney and a luxurious canopy bed created a cozy, enchanting atmosphere. The private jacuzzi room, with jungle views, was also a welcome feature. However, the pièce de résistance was the netting above the base floor—a hammock made of netting that spans most of the ceiling, allowing you to hang out above the room in a cozy bed of floating pillows. The shower is a plant-filled outdoor shower, which I found charming and fun but might be an issue in colder weather for some.
The spa portion of the hotel is rustic but cute, with dipping pools as well as dry and wet saunas available at your disposal. You can make appointments for facials, massages and other services while access to the pools and saunas is included in your room at no extra cost.
One of the hotel's coolest features is that once you check in, they will send you a WhatsApp message that you can use to order food or drinks to anywhere on the property. For an extra $10, you can also have a huge breakfast basket—with your choice of eggs, two sides, fruit and coffee—delivered to your sleepy little cabin in the morning. The dinner and cocktail menus are both simple but well-made. The burger was a winner for us, but the cocktail menu is what stood out the most. They do all the classic drinks well, but they get a leg up on other bars because a mojito hand-delivered to you, while lying in hammock, tends to taste better than most.
Neighborhood:
This hotel is in the jungle near the airport, and although the immediate neighborhood itself is mostly other hotels and rental car spots, Quito is an easy and affordable city to get around in by taxi. (We never paid more than $3 to get anywhere.)
Nearby:
La Mariscal Artisan Market: For artisan-made goods. Be ready to haggle!
Quito Historic Centre: For Spanish-colonial architecture, walkable streets and cute eateries.
Teleférico de Quito: For breathtaking views of the city.
Time Out tip
These cabin-esque rooms are outdoors and close to the airport, and Quito is known for its well-cared-for stray dogs, who love to bark. So if you’re a light sleeper, it’d be wise to bring earplugs!