Staying at the Hotel Victoria, when you leave your hotel you’ll immediately find yourself in the loveliest neighborhood in Cuenca. Rooms here face either a historic street or the Río Tomebamba, the idyllic river that drew the Inca to settle here many years ago.

Hotel Victoria is located on Calle Larga, the road that follows the Río Tomebamba. It is a busy street, and you’ll find plenty of restaurants with both Ecuadorian and American fare within a couple blocks. You’ll be walking distance from some of Cuenca’s most interesting museums. Walk just two minutes to Museo de Las Culturas Aborigenes to learn about the huge number of pre-Columbian cultures that lived in Ecuador thousands of years ago. This museum provides information about the displays in English. Museo del Banco, a few blocks south of Museo de Aborigenes, has Cuenca’s finest display of pre-Columbian pottery. Directly behind the museum you can see the Inca Pumapungo ruins, the palace of an Inca king, Cross the river to reach Parque de la Madre, for some green space in downtown Cuenca.

From the outside, Hotel Victoria looks stately and solid, built almost entirely out of brick. Inside, the lobby is homey and inviting, with big armchairs, stained glass, and lots of potted plants. Guests can spend time with a guidebook or a newspaper in the hotel’s inviting garden area. Get some fresh air on the outdoor patio, overlooking the spires of Cuenca’s many churches.

Rooms in Hotel Victoria feel quite cozy – dark wood panels contrast with white walls and crisp, white sheets. The linens on the beds are anti-allergenic and have a high thread count. Phones in the rooms can make international calls. Each room has a private bathroom with reliable hot water.

El Barril, the hotel bar, has an excellent wine list and a selection of specialty cocktails. At the hotel’s El Jardín restaurant, the staff prides itself on its excellent service and magnificent view of the treetops and the river. There are a la carte menus for lunch and dinner. At breakfast you can order fresh bread, coffee, juice, tropical fruit, and eggs cooked to order.