Estrella is a beautiful oasis near the hustle and bustle of Quito. Great garden , nice digs, safe place (inside the gates), stylish. The owners are totally responsive and helpful.
Would like to give it 5 stars, but there was a parking lot directly out our bedroom window with car alarms that go off until about 2 am every night. It's DIRECTLY out the window of the unit we stayed in. It isn't the owners' fault , and Quito is a loud-ish city where it is hard to get silence, but car alarms don't lend to good sleep .
There was no ventilation in the bedroom, and since you can't open the window (it would be even louder), it got stuffy. I'm sure if we would have mentioned this to the owners , they would have gotten us a fan, but we didn't get around to it.
The other thing we weren't thrilled with was that we were told the neighborhood isn't safe to walk around in at night. So you can feel a little trapped come dark. It actually seemed fine, with kids and families around, and we did walk back from La Ronda at night, so it's up to the traveler's comfort level. Again, this isn't the owner's fault, and it's always a good idea to caution people, but just be aware, it is not a bustling main street in the heart of Quito. (FYI on those bustling streets, which are awesome, there is still crime. I did have someone try to get into my backpack right in the heart of the city as I walked, but I had it so you could not get into it).
I would not book away from Estrella, again, the garden is really a haven (birds!), and it is peaceful, but you should also know the whole of it. Luxury hotels in the heart of the city are expensive now, and this is more affordable, so it does fill a nice niche.
Quito is a great city, enjoy it!
