La Cartuja is best described as a ostal. it has a small but comfortable room, nice bed, sheets and covers and an old t.v. set with premium cable. it is quiet and cozy, and will allow you to rest easily at night.

it is perfect for one-night travelers, specially young adventurers passing by Quito or staying for a larger period of time. front desk is always nice and can even help you out if need a taxi/cab.

I did find some hair in the bathroom walls for example, but other than that, the room was clean enough and the hotel in general is nicely put. I didn't have breakfast (which is often included in the $60 plus room rate), but the room where it is served is simple with small amount of decoration and attention to detail. It also has a central patio which is wonderful during the daytime.

One of the disadvantages of La Cartuja is it's location. it might seem fine during the day, but please, don't take strolls near by during the night. It is also quite difficult to catch a taxi/cab just by standing outside of building.

La Cartuja is not for every traveler, but if you happen to stumble into it, you won't have a problem with it.

note: I stayed in a single room.

I stayed at the Hostal Cartuja for one night at the end of my GAP adventures tour in the Galapagos. To get into the Hostal Cartuja, you have to be buzzed in through a gate by someone at the front desk, which is manned 24 hours. The hotel has a lot of character and feels like you are staying at a friends home. I loved the atmosphere of the place.

The rooms, while a little dated, are larger than the other hotel I stayed in at Quito. The room I got was on the second floor of the main building. It was sparsely furnished with a queen sized bed, work desk with a small (maybe 20 inch) tube television on it, and an armoire. The room did come with a very nice bathroom, and had high vaulted ceilings. Everything looked like it was made out of dark stained woods to make them look older or to make them look like antiques. I never got a chance to sleep on the bed, as I had to be at the airport at 3:00 in the morning, but the bed felt hard when I pressed down on it as I was checking the room. It didn't seem very comfortable at all.

The hotel isn't in a bad location, it just isn't in a great location. There are very few streetlights in the area, and there are trees in front of the hotel that block out light coming from the other buildings so at night it gets very very dark in front of the hotel. I don't remember there being any restaurants on the same street as the hotel, but there is a lot of night life within walking distance. There were plenty of bars, restaurants, clubs, and two markets within a 10 block radius to the hotel.

The best part of the hotel was the staff, who were all excellent. There was a problem with my booking, but the staff cleared it up in minutes. Not all of the staff I dealt with spoke English but we were able to communicate with hand signals and my limited Spanish. They were also able to help me get a cab driver who spoke English at 3:00 in the morning to get to the airport.

The only other problem I had with the Hostal Cartuja was with their "Business Center," which consisted of two computers attached to a printer. Several of the guests needed to print out their boarding passes for their flight the next day but we were told that the printer was out of service. Not because it was broken, but because it had run out of ink, and they didn't have a cartridge to replace it with yet.

I was La Cartuja for 2 nights at the beginning and end of a GAP Adventures Galapagos trip. It is a nice, basic clean hotel in a good part of town. The staff are friendly and helpful. There is a market nearby with great leather, wool and other souvenir items. Plaza Foch is nearby with many good restaurants.

Had a quiet stay when I was here before and after my GAP tour.. Although there's no lunch or dinner service(good breakfast though), a lot of good restaurants are only a cab away. A short walk to fastfood such as Mcdonald's and KFC are available. The hotel is very clean with a small courtyard. The staff are nice and helpful. There's also internet service available. I definitely recommend this place for short stay.