Guayaquil Hotels

Guayaquil is still not a very popular destination with budget travelers, probably because decent cheap or mid-range accommodation is less abundant than in Quito or Cuenca.

There are plenty of high-class hotels to blow your budget. With a handful of in-house restaurants and even a beauty parlor, one Guayaquil hotel where you can really pamper yourself is Hotel Oro Verde. Rooms at this chain hotel start around $130 per night.

In the mid-range, Guayaquil accommodations tend to cost between $40-60. Places to stay in this range are called "guest houses" or "hostals" instead of hotels, even though they are much more classy establishments than the backpacker hostels most travelers are accustomed to. Hostal Linda has marble floors and elegant furnishings, while the more homey Tangara Guest House has peaceful gardens and a shared kitchen.

Your options are fewer if you’re shorter of cash when in Guayaquil. Hostels such as Hostal Manso are more like a boutique hotel than a place where backpackers flock. Hostal Manso has a bar and decently designed rooms, as far as Ecuadorian standards go. Prices start around $25 per night.

Note that it’s best to avoid the cheapest hotels or Guayaquil hostels in the center of town because many are seedy, unfriendly ‘motels,’ frequented by locals for secret amorous encounters. The following budget options do not fit into this category.