Amazing Hotels BBC2: everything you need to know about Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador

Kate Lough gives you the lowdown on the star of this week's episode of Amazing Hotels
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Kate Lough4 April 2017

In the latest episode of BBC2 documentary Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, where hosts Giles Coren and Monica Galetti work alongside staff in some of the world’s most spectacular hotels, Ecuador made its debut.

Last week the pair got to grips with the running of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, which is known for its jaw-dropping rooftop infinity pool. This week, the foodies were bound for Ecuador’s Mashpi Lodge.

Here’s everything you need to know about the stunning lodge hotel.

Where is it?

The lodge is located in the Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve, two and a half hours from Quito in the Ecuadorian Andes. You’ll find this ‘hideaway in the clouds’ perched on a high plateau 900m above sea level, nestled in mountain forests. On one side, there are spectacular views of these forested mountains through its floor to ceiling glass windows. It opened in April 2012.

The clean lines of the exterior

What’s the style?

It’s a boutique blend of the eco and contemporary, brought together to create a luxurious cocoon in the jungle. The architecture is focused on clean lines, striking angles and a minimalist interior design where natural materials and neutral palette reign to allow the views to do the talking. The lodge is built using the latest sustainable techniques and hopes to incorporate hydroelectric power in the near future.

The dining room

How many rooms are there?

There are just 22 simple yet luxurious rooms, which accommodate a total of 44 guests. All rooms have floor to ceiling and wall to wall glass windows to allow the guests to be immersed in forest life. The best rooms are the three Yaku suites, which cover 400 square feet and feature Philippe Starck freestanding white tubs looking out over the forest.

One of the Yaku suites

What about food and drink?

The Lodge has a two-storey dining room where Mashpi’s chefs make the most of the region’s natural larder, using herbs, spices and plants from the surrounding rainforest. As well as regional ingredients such as papaya, palm heart, coffee, chocolate and plantain. The bar has a good-looking menu of fruit cocktails, natural energy drinks and a curation of mostly Chilean and Argentinian wines.

Any other facilities?

For those looking to relax and reconnect, the Wellness Area has a Jacuzzi open to the elements where you can soak after a hike in the forest. In the next door room, massages and treatments using local ingredients are on hand to revive guests.

What is there to do?

The observation tower
Matthew Williams-Ellis, www.matt

Exploring nature and relaxation are the main things on the agenda here. You can stay put at the lodge, kicking back in a hammock, doing yoga, drinking in the view – and locally-grown coffee.

Or you can climb the eight-storey observation tower for a bird’s eye view of the rainforest, or ride the aerial bicycle through the forest canopy.

There are rivers and waterfalls to hike to and guided night walks with local experts. The area is teeming with wildlife from hummingbirds to monkeys and even puma.

Find out more at mashpilodge.com

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