Haugan Cruises - Machu Picchu, Andes and Ecuador Land Tours

The house where the Santa Lucia hotel is located was built by the first governor of Azuay province (where Cuenca is located), Don Manuel Vega Davila, in 1859. Azuay province is located in the Andes of southern Ecuador. The house remained in the Vega family for over a hundred years, being a peaceful witness of important episodes of the history of southern Ecuador.

The restoration of the house began in 1999 and lasted more than two and a half years. Santa Lucia hotel has rescued and preserved this piece of Cuenca heritage, keeping this house as an example of the architectural style of the last part of the XIX Century Ecuador. At the same time our hotel offers its guests all the modern comforts.

In 2002 the city of Cuenca awarded our hotel the prize: "Fray José María Vargas" for the best restoration of a historical building.With 3 generations of experience in hotels and restaurants, the Vintimilla family of Cuenca is a noted resource in tourism of southern Ecuador.

The Santa Lucia hotel belongs to the same family group which owns the Villarosa restaurant (also in Cuenca) which is considered as one of the country's best continental restaurants by the main international travel guides and locals alike.

The Hosteria Uzhupud is a beautiful country inn located on the charming town of Paute, 45 minutes from Cuenca, and is also operated by the Vintimilla family. A short side trip from Cuenca along the winding river Paute rewards you with the Andes splendor of southern Ecuador, cullminating in the villages of Gualaceo and Chordeleg, home of flower and orchid farms.