Mashpi Lodge
Ecuador
Mashpi Lodge
Parroquia La Delicia, Pacto,
Provincia de Pichincha.
Ecuador
www.mashpi.com
HOTEL INFORMATION
Group
Independent
Shareholders
Privately-owned
Date of Creation
June, 2012
Hotel General Manager
Ignacio Paz, General Manager
Has worked in the holding group which owns the hotel since 2010. He was part of the team responsible for the opening and running of this hotel, as well as Mashpi Lodge.
Hotel Positioning
5-star luxury rainforest lodge. Only Ecuadorian member of Nat Geo’s Unique Lodges of the World.
Development strategy
Position the hotel as the finest of its category in Ecuador, giving guests an unparalleled experience of staying in the midst of 1,200-hectare private forest reserve,
MASHPI LODGE
History & Story
Mashpi Lodge was built with the latest techniques for sustainable construction and is designed to blend perfectly with its natural environs. It features contemporary, minimalist decor, mixing warm earth tones, notes of bright color, clean lines and striking angles and vistas: a luxury cocoon amidst the cloud and tropical forests, a unique natural world just steps away, ideal for discovery, exploration, contemplation and relaxation. The lodge lies at the heart of a private nature reserve that was established back in 2001. The tourism project came after the conservation effort.
Main Strengths, Special Touch
The sophisticated and strikingly-contemporary Lodge is designed as the ideal springboard for exploring the unique world of the Mashpi Reserve, located in the Chocó Bio-Region, regarded as one of the planet’s most important “hot spots”. A hideaway in the forest, only accessible to its privileged guests and located on a scenic plateau, Mashpi features amazing views of the surrounding forested mountains right up close. through its floor-to-ceiling panoramic glass windows.
Location
Perched at 900 meters, (3,116 feet) above sea level between lower montane rainforest and cloud forests, the Lodge is surrounded by a profusion of plant species, from ferns and bromeliads to large numbers of orchid species, many newly-discovered. A staggering 400 species of birds – including some 36 endemics – inhabit the forest, fluttering through the canopy. Monkeys, peccaries and even puma make their homes inside the Reserve crisscrossed by waterfalls, all between dramatic, verdant hills. The lodge is located close to the capital, Quito.
Key sites/activities in the area
There are dozens of activities to enjoy within the reserve, setting out from the lodge. These will be chosen by our guests depending on their interests and skills. They include visiting the Life Centre, with its fascinating and colourful butterflies; riding the ingenious Sky Bike across a gorge; climbing the Observation Tower; spotting dozens of birds at the Hummingbird Garden; trekking through the forests, walking to refreshing waterfalls; birdwatching at dawn from the terrace; and letting the magic of the forest sink under your skin and into your soul…
Fun Facts
In the reserve, we find all sorts of creatures, great and small. These include those captured by our series of camera traps (part of our lodge-funded scientific research project) including pumas, ocelots, margays, ant eaters and many more.
There are palms that can walk – yes, they move! – and amazing symbiotic relationships between plants and insects to understand. You might also be lucky and here howler monkeys calling to each other across the trees.
Children’s Corner
We welcome children of all sizes and ages at the hotel with special gifts. We have special activities for younger guests, including painting and drawing, and identifying local species by their prints. The Sky Bike is a great activities for children over 8.
HOTEL FEATURES
Accommodation
• Number of rooms (keys) in all: 22
The lodge’s three Yaku Suites (Yaku is a Kichwa word meaning “Water”) extend over an expansive 37 square meters (400 square feet). They are located on the first floor, at the lodge’s northwestern end. Each one features a large bathroom with twin washbasins and Philippe Starck-designed bathtubs-with-a-view. All of them have king-size beds.
The 19 Wayra rooms (Wayra is a Kichwa word which means “Wind”) all cover a generous 34 square meters (366 square feet). 12 Wayra Twin Rooms have two full-size beds, three rooms located at the end of the northwestern wing (next to the outside terraces) and the rest along the southeastern wing. 7 Wayra King Rooms out of the 19 rooms feature king-size beds. For families or groups of friends, three pairs of Wayra Rooms inter-connect, two pairs on the second floor and one pair on the ground floor, each one with a king-size bed connected to a room with two full-size beds.
Restaurants & Bars
Mashpi creates its gastronomic identity around native ingredients of generous flavors such as wild garlic, chillangua and other products of the forest. They provide aromas and flavors that will linger on your savoring memory. Our cuisine utilizes modern techniques and tools together with permanent investigation. The idea is that our menus offer sustainability, accomplishing a perfect match between the forest where we are and fine dining. Our mission is to explore, expose and share with our guests the formidable new potential of the Ecuadorian cuisine.
The bar adjoining the Dining room offers specialty house cocktails and natural energetic drinks. A carefully-selected wine list features especially Chilean and Argentinean vintages.
Wellness
From the moment you enter our sanctuary you will feel a wave of calm wash over you. As your guide on this journey of rejuvenation we will tailor our range of beauty and body treatments to meet your personal needs and preferences. Our Spa suites, relaxation areas and grounds will add to the total experience you will enjoy at Mashpi Wellness Spa.
We have a spa suite, Jacuzzi and relaxation area within the lodge.
Corporate & Celebration Events
The lodge is the ideal venue for corporate team-building events.
Extra Notable Features
Located close to the hotel, the Sky Bike makes for an original and exciting way to explore the forest canopy up close. Designed for two people to use at once, one person pedals the bike along a cable stretched between two points in the forest, around 200 m (655 feet) apart, crossing a beautiful gorge above a river flowing between rocks and trees below. Silent, easy-to-use and fun, it’s an activity for children over 8 years-old accompanied by an adult, providing guests with another chance to observe the natural world close to the lodge and even spot its denizens. The ride takes 10 minutes or 20 round-trip.
Hotel & Restaurants Awards
2015-2016
• Top 10 Eco-Lodges in South America, Travel Weekly.
• The most amazing hotel experiences in the world, Daily Telegraph.
2013-2014
• Condé Nast Hot List. Travel+Leisure It List.
Number of employees
82