Hotel del Parque

The hotel features a number of colonnaded lounges with funky, high-backed armchairs and modern artwork. You'll also find two patios, one filled with trees and cushy places to relax, and the other, a casual restaurant. Around sunset, head to La Pergola for cocktails, and for dinner, try Casa Julian, one of Guayaquil's finest eateries that serves a mean menu of Ecuadorian cuisine the steamed shrimp buns with curry are exquisite. In the bell tower of the restored Gothic chapel, you'll find a massage room with idyllic garden views.

Hotel del Parque has a collection of 44 rooms, each adorned with tasteful and very stylish details. Decorated in shades of steel-grey with bright splashes of yellow, the walls are dotted with delicate floral sketches and all furnishings were made in Ecuador. The Park Suite is the grandest and most spacious with its own dining area and lounge, and a deep, freestanding bathtub in the en-suite. The extra-tall windows let in plenty of natural light and a view of the pretty gardens below.

Explore the Parque Historico's grounds, alive with birds of every colour, and stroll beside the idyllic Daule River. In Guayaquil, enjoy the spoils of local cocoa harvests at an artisan chocolate tasting and browse the boutiques along the Malecon 2000. Spend the day at Santay Island (accessible on foot or bicycle) or watch the fascinating acrobatics of iguanas at the Parques Seminario. Get to know the culture of Guayaquil at the Anthropological and Contemporary Art Museum, which houses a marvellous collection of pre-Columbian pieces.