I stayed in "New Town" Quito for 3 nights at Hotel Cayman in Feb 2010 while trekking through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. If you are a no-frills traveler looking for decent accommodations at a reasonable price ($28/night for a single when I was there), this is it. It's also secure, well located, and has hot water (albeit only in the shower and varies from piping hot to suddenly cold as well). The nightly rate also included a good-but-not-fancy standard Ecuadorian breakfast -- eggs, bread, juice, and coffee. The breakfast/dining area also had a single PC with internet connectivity. There are several clubs nearby, as well as a main thoroughfare, so it can also be loud at times... not so much that it kept me from sleeping soundly however.

The hotel is in the "New Town" designated portion of Quito (which some of the locals claim is a bogus separation from the original colonial "Old Town"). Maybe, but what I WILL say is that the major distinction between the old and new town areas is that there are A LOT more choices for dining and going out at night in the New Town than the Old Town area. Safety-wise, they're probably the same... which means think about taking a taxi anywhere after 8 or 9 pm instead of walking. Although I walked everywhere after 11pm in New Town and had no problems, so maybe I should practice what I preach.

My sister and I stayed here for four nights before and after a trip to the Galapagos. We absolutely adored Hotel Cayman and are recommending it to everyone. The staff was very friendly, even though we didn't speak any Spanish. One of the clerks, Fernando, even got up at 5:30 am to let us out of the front gate (which is always locked, which made us feel very safe!) so we could make our morning flight. Breakfast was always good if not large, but additional food items were very cheap (scrambled eggs and a slice of bacon were $1). The rooms were clean, the beds were wonderfully comfortable, and we always had hot water. It can get noisy thanks to the location in La Mariscal, but the hotel offers earplugs to anyone who asks. If you go, request room 8 - we had private roof access!

The hostel was pretty basic, but we had all that we needed - private double room with en-suite shower room, basic breakfast included in the room price, free internet access, and good, cheap laundry service.

The staff seemed pleasant and helpful enough.

Very good location for bars, restaurants and other tourist "needs" such as convenience stores and second hand book shops. However, the noise from the street outside was quite loud at night. Not so bad that it prevented us from getting a good night's sleep, though.

In May, I went to visit Quito, and was going to stay at this horrible place for a week but decided to leave after one night. The description on the internet is very deciving. There is no telephone in the rooms. They mention cable t.v., but there is only one t.v. in a gathering room, so be prepared to fight for the remote with whoever happens to be there. Even the restaurant is out of service. The staff is umfreandly and unprofessional, and this includes the owner. When I arrived, I asked the guy at the desk for information about places I wanted to visit, and he did not know much about anything. Later that day, I happened to come across the "owner" by the front entrance. In a nasty tone, she asked "Can I help you" and when I told her that I had just arrived that day, she just walked away and could not even say welcome. For the same price, I stayed at the Windsor right on Amazonas Avenue and had a great experience with them.