Staff complete the check-in process in the guests' rooms, which are laid out with a plate of welcome sweets, a thermos of hot water, and a vial of the herb guayusa, said to help alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness.

These experiences are relatively brief, but they do provide a window into the region's culture. Other experiences might include a traditional Ecuadorean toast with locally made sparkling wine and served with sweets, a walk to a nearby shop that crafts high-end versions of the straw hats known as the 'Panama,' or a painting demonstration by an area artist. Eventually, the ice cream begins to solidify into a deliciously soft and creamy frozen confection, which the señora serves in a cone. She pours in milk, a little sugar, and fresh fruit, perhaps locally sourced strawberries, and stirs, stirs, and stirs some more. A local woman who serves as the property's ice cream expert starts with a giant pot lined with straw and ice. One popular activity is ice-cream making. The hotel normally provides an 'experience' for guests immediately upon arrival. Coffee is set up in a small reception area off the lobby, which-thanks to an idea from the owners' son-has a secret 'Harry Potter-style' door. Guests enter through the lobby, where a decorative pool is open to the sky.

The hotel has retained many elements of the structure's colonial past, although the décor gets progressively more contemporary as you ascend from the first to the third floor. Located in the heritage San Marcos neighborhood of residential buildings, small shops, and museums, Illa Experience Hotel opened in late 2017 in a renovated manor that dates to the 1800s. Illa Experience Hotel, a 10-room boutique property in central Quito, takes an opposite approach, welcoming guests with experiences that introduce them to aspects of Ecuadorian culture. Many upper-end hotels shelter guests from the local culture, cocooning them in a posh but generically international environment. This deluxe boutique hotel aims to introduce guests to Ecuadorian culture by offering the 'experiences' that give the property its name. Junin E1-44 and Juan Pio Montufar, San Marcos, Quito, Ecuador

Manor matters wine cellar cone