ELK (US) – Orbitz review

Amazing boutique hotel in the hills overlooking the base of the Andes. Staff was incredible! The customer care and attention is truly the best! Breakfast was healthy, fresh and delicious. We ate dinner a few times at the hotel and a few times in town, town is easy walking distance to hotel. The hotel dinner was also truly remarkable- super fresh, and very flavorful! Rooms are immaculate and well decorated and designed- the view was breathtaking…. this will always be remembered as one of our most favorite trips— it is truly magical and peaceful. (Added plus- for birders this is a paradise– from your terrace you can see many many many different species- aracaris, toucans, warblers, hummingbirds, parrots and so many others…..— )

Amir27 (Israel) – Tripadvisor review

VERY RECOMMENDED ! Marlon picked us up at the airport with a sign and we walked together to his truck where he welcomes us to Ecuador with a hot herbal tea :) It took us 2.5 hours with a great view and company to get into Mindo, there we met David, the lovely owner of the Lodge. There was a mistake at Hotels.com and David decided to prepare us dinner on the house, although it wasn’t his mistake at all. Moreover, we are a vegan couple so they cooked us a special meal :) The room was very clean, so are the towels and sheets. A great view from the balcony AND from the jacuzzi that has a window to the outside. You can ask to eat breakfast at the room and chew with a smile while watching and hearing all the birds and butterflies waking up, just AMAZING cause the place is surrounded by nature. David is honest, real, non commercial and it is clear is loves his work and the place. His hospitality is out of the ordinary! It’s like a family member hosting you and taking care of all your needs… He knows a lot about Ecuador and gives great recommendations of Mindo and the rest of Ecuador.

Windcurrent (US) – Tripadvisor review

Staying at Las Terrazas de Dana Lodge was wonderful! From the moment we were picked up at our Quito hotel by Marlon, we were in great hands. As he drove, Marlon told us about the various activities available near Mindo and then made the reservations we asked for: to see the Cock of the Rock on first morning, and to go on a more general birding walk the following day. Each morning, he made sure that we had thermoses of coffee for our very early hikes. The owner, David, was similarly helpful, thoughtful, and a delight to know. The rooms were very attractive, comfortable, and quiet. The highlight was the deck. We had unobstructed views of the mountains and the area directly in front of deck was filled with bird and butterfly attracting plants. Whenever the sun was out, the bushes were covered with humming birds and butterflies. Breakfast was served on our deck when we returned from birding. It was an outstanding breakfast in a remarkable setting. We ate one dinner in the restaurant and it was excellent. There were two somewhat negative aspects to Las Terrazas de Dana. The bathroom–except for the toilet–is open to the bedroom, so all noise, light, etc. from the sink and shower area becomes part of the sleeping area. Similarly, if you’re traveling with someone you don’t want to be naked in front of as you get into the shower, this hotel is not for you. The other possible negative is the location. You will always need a ride to get into town. The hotel will take you if its car is available, or will phone a taxi. For us, the quiet location was a plus, and the positives completely outweighed the negatives. We loved Terrazas de Dana and wouldn’t consider staying anywhere else in Mindo.

Carson T (US) – Tripadvisor review

I have traveled quite a bit and this is one of the nicest overall hotel experiences I have ever had in my life. Here’s why: first and foremost, David, Marlon and the rest of the staff are so, so nice and accommodating. It’s like staying with friends (friends with boundaries – do not fear, they are not overly intrusive, they are perfect). Customer service is absolutely their number one priority. Any time we needed anything, they went out of their way to make it happen and never made us feel like we were any trouble for asking. When we wanted to go zip lining, they drove us there and then picked us up; they also drove us into town a few times (a pleasant 20 minute walk but not one we wanted to make EVERY time) and over to see the butterfly farm (which I highly recommend). They just could not have been nicer. On top of that, the place is STUNNING with amazing views of the beautiful valley from the bungalows. It was so pleasant sitting on my deck watching hummingbirds and butterflies visit all the beautiful plantings outside (very few bugs). Everything is immaculately clean. I wish I’d had time for a bath in the big whirlpool tub with windows looking out over the valley — and I am a germ freak so would never have dreamed of using a hotel bath before (even at some of the 4 star luxury hotels I’ve been lucky enough to stay in), but this one was so clean I think you could have eaten out of it. The bed was super comfortable with high quality linens and firm and soft pillow choices (this last was not our consistent experience in Ecuador, even though we stayed in other very nice hotels; this is a thrifty country, which I think is awesome, but one place we stayed that was very high end still had weirdly ancient linens on their beds!). Breakfast was delicious and cooked to order with many options. Also, David’s English is really excellent, which was a nice break for me as my Spanish is horrible. Went with my husband and three teenage sons and all of us loved it here. An amazing value for what you get.

alicecoleman (US) – Tripadvisor review

My husband and me don´t like to write reviews, anyway since the tour we made with Las Terrazas de Dana we must do it!.

We stayed at the lodge 6 nights. We made a private tour of 5 days and a extra day just to relax in our bungalow before going home. Mindo and Northwest Andes were the hightlight of our trip. We also visited the Andes East Slope and Amazon forest, but believe me that for bird watching in Ecuador Mindo is the best place. The tour we made with Las Terrazas de Dana was amazing. It was a private tour with a timetable but it was flexible as we need and made few changes since we wanted to visit again the hummingbirds garden. We saw more than 210 species in these days, still don´t have exact count. Danny the guide is very friendly, speaks fluent english and will take care of your bird watching needs. Marlon was with us as driver. He was always checking everything was OK (not just driving), in the tour and we know that he was in contact with David, since once we arrive David knew many details of our birding day.

The lodge is in a privileged situation and service is top notch. View from our terrace of the valley can´t be described with photos or videos. From terrace we saw many tanagers, hummingbirds, some woodpeckers and one afternoon toucans in the tree near our bungalow!

David and his staff will take care of everything you need. It is not just a hotel, you will feel like you are at a friend´s home!

Room Tip: All of them have awesome valley view
 

KT1970 (US) – Tripadvisor review

I have traveled quite a bit and this is one of the nicest overall hotel experiences I have ever had in my life. Here’s why: first and foremost, David, Marlon and the rest of the staff are so, so nice and accommodating. It’s like staying with friends (friends with boundaries – do not fear, they are not overly intrusive, they are perfect). Customer service is absolutely their number one priority. Any time we needed anything, they went out of their way to make it happen and never made us feel like we were any trouble for asking. When we wanted to go zip lining, they drove us there and then picked us up; they also drove us into town a few times (a pleasant 20 minute walk but not one we wanted to make EVERY time) and over to see the butterfly farm (which I highly recommend). They just could not have been nicer. On top of that, the place is STUNNING with amazing views of the beautiful valley from the bungalows. It was so pleasant sitting on my deck watching hummingbirds and butterflies visit all the beautiful plantings outside (very few bugs). Everything is immaculately clean. I wish I’d had time for a bath in the big whirlpool tub with windows looking out over the valley — and I am a germ freak so would never have dreamed of using a hotel bath before (even at some of the 4 star luxury hotels I’ve been lucky enough to stay in), but this one was so clean I think you could have eaten out of it. The bed was super comfortable with high quality linens and firm and soft pillow choices (this last was not our consistent experience in Ecuador, even though we stayed in other very nice hotels; this is a thrifty country, which I think is awesome, but one place we stayed that was very high end still had weirdly ancient linens on their beds!). Breakfast was delicious and cooked to order with many options. Also, David’s English is really excellent, which was a nice break for me as my Spanish is horrible. Went with my husband and three teenage sons and all of us loved it here. An amazing value for what you get.

Tonny (BE) – Booking.com review

During our recent trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos, we stayed at 10 different locations. Las Terrazas de Dana by far was our best lodge. No doubts about this! Everything was really outstanding at this lodge: the rooms are superb, clean and quiet; the service is top notch (very friendly and helpful staff); their food (breakfast and dinner) were the best we got in Ecuador; their recommendations for local activities were spot on; etc. Wish all travel experiences were as excellent as at Las Terrazas de Dana. This is a dream property at a dream location, ran by extremely helpful, experienced and knowledgeable people. Travel at its best!

walkabouttoday (US) – Tripadvisor review

This hotel has only 4 cabins so the attention and service are first rate and outstanding. Rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable with great views of the valley and mountain range. It lies slightly outside of town so away from the hustle and bustle of Mindo which I loved. The road to the waterfalls is very close and is a good location for birding – particularly closer to the top. We had our own car so were able to drive to town for meals when we wanted or stay at the hotel for meals. The meals here were all good. The hotel is within walking distance of town if you wanted to walk. They only have three or four neighbors further down the dead end road from them so very little traffic along the one lane road fortunately. The property has a small footprint so birding on site is limited. My only nit which I had with every place we stayed in Ecuador is that the water temperature in the shower varies and doesn’t maintain a constant temperature once you find a comfortable setting otherwise you couldn’t ask for a better experience. The hill getting to the rooms is a little steep but any walking in Ecuador is going to involve walking up or down hill. The hotel is also not far from the river which you can hear roaring constantly in the distance.

Charlene S (US) – Tripadvisor review

Not sure where to start because everything was so outstanding. The meals were some of the best we had during our entire 3-week trip. Fresh and delicious at all times. David and Marlon were waiting on us hand and foot every time we appeared in the common room. They made sure we had filtered water for our outings and in our room, and drove us into town if they were available. We did some birding and saw many fabulous birds including Cock o’ the Rock with a local guide whom David arranged. Our lovely and spacious room had a large terrace with an outstanding view into the valley and we saw many birds from there, including 2 Araçari toucans who came to the tree right outside one morning. The grounds are lush with many hummingbirds, heliconia, banana and papaya trees, flowering vines,etc. etc. We had a great time at Terrazas and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the beautiful Mindo area.

Crowhollow (US) – Tripadvisor review

We enjoyed 3 nights at Las Terrazas de Dana lodge and I would have liked to have stayed longer because it was so pleasant and relaxing. The staff (David, Marlon, Veronica, etc) were extremely helpful and regularly went the extra mile to make their guests’ stay relaxing and memorable. The birdlife viewed from our deck was wonderful-our last morning we just relaxed and watched it all unfold from the deck rather than going elsewhere to bird watch. The location is close to other good birdwatching areas, such as the road to the waterfall.
As others have mentioned, breakfast is very tasty and served on your deck if you like. (Try the Ecuadoran breakfast) They were very considerate to offer breakfast later in the morning after we arrived back from a birding trip.
Walk to town is easy (15-20 min) or an inexpensive taxi ride. If staff/vehicle is available, an offer to drop you off is not uncommon. We did not take advantage of dinner at the hotel but it is nice that it is available if you don’t want to go to town and the menu offerings looked tasty.
I was also impressed by this hotel’s environmental commitment-for example, energy efficient lighting, recycling and on-site waste-water treatment (not required and uncommon in this part of the world).

Osmaraa2017, (US) – Tripadvisor review

David, Marlon and the team at Las Terrazas de Dana couldn’t have been more welcoming and accommodating during our two night stay in Mindo. David arranged our transportation from and to Quito, Marlon picked us up exactly at the time we told them we would be ready, Our cabin was fantastic, it was very private and the views of the cloud forest are phenomenal! The next day our breakfast was served in our balcony exactly at the time we asked them to bring our breakfast, the food was was amazing (try el Tigrillo). We ate dinner one night in and it was one of the best dinners I had in Ecuador during my entire stay. I must say It’s the little things David and his staff do for their guests that makes this place so special; after a long day of hiking I came back to the lodge and mentioned that I had a headache right away they offered to make me a ginger/cinnamon tea and took it up to my room (at no charge), if we left the lodge for a walk they made sure to give us water bottles, they arranged taxis to take us to various places around town but only if their car was not available otherwise they would take us. David takes the time to get to know his guests and takes pride in the service he provides. I would definitely recommend staying at “Las Terrazas de Dana” everything was truly excellent.

Steven Diprose, (GB) – Booking.com review

David, Marlon and the team at Las Terrazas de Dana made our the night stay in Mindo incredible and we can’t thank them enough for everything during our stay. The breakfasts were excellent and we recommend the Tigrillo, a local dish of fried plantain, cheese and onion, topped with a fried egg. The fresh juices are delicious and the code strong and tasty without being bitter. The evening meals were also excellent with soups and salads to start, and various meat dishes with the menu changing every day. Their sangria is excellent, as are their hone made caiprinhas ‘de Mindo’. The bungalows, of which there are only 4, are elegantly appointed with incredible views out over the cloud forest. There is netting over the windows that open, and leaving then open lets you wake up to the sound of the birds and the nearby river – literally nothing else. The guys will serve breakfast on your balcony if you request; eating with hummingbirds feeding in the adjacent bushes is an incredible privilege. There is a TV in the room, but we didn’t even turn it on. There is a Jacuzzi in the bathroom which was excellent to relax in after a long morning of birding (which they will arrange for you) and afternoon of walking around the nearby waterfalls. David or Marlon will drive you to the various attractions if their 4×4 is not already in use, or call you a taxi otherwise. We’ve literally nothing bad to say about this place, we loved every minute of our stay, and of Mindo in general. Thanks so much.

Margmarg (HK) – Tripadvisor review

Can’t say enough about the service provided by david, marlon, and the rest of the staff – it was five star while the feeling was like being a guest in someones home. Property itself is fantastic – villas a small walk up from the reception through a lush garden, paths lit by eco friendly solar powered automatic lighting, and a beautiful balcony looking out into the hills that are covered in clouds every morning, with hummingbirds buzzing about the garden. any/all meals could be be brought to balcony, and was delicious. tv had satellite, and while wifi was spotty at times, this was likely due to remote mindo location itself and moreover, david (owner/manager) provides his whatsapp so a quick message down (if you have a phone with working data) and he will reset the router or help with anything else needed. it was small things like this that impressed me the most. other examples were prompt email responses ahead of the trip – i wanted to book mindo tours through them and thought direct booking would need to book the entire package – but still wanted to collect nights on hotels.com, and david happily told me to go ahead and book the hotel separately and took out the hotel cost from the package. activities he helped set up were great and he and marlon our driver were very accommodative and flexibile – if it was raining we would adjust an outdoor activity for a chocolate making tour, or if enroute from airport or quito, marlon would point out the center of the world tour site and we asked to stop and go for quick look and that was fine. we also got wet during the waterfall hike so on way back to hotel we asked to do tubing while we were still wet and marlon sorted everything out (tubing and ziplining are must try) laundry was also provided any time and was a great help for us after 10 days in the galapagos. in fact, i would suggest staying here for a few days after a lengthy galapagos trip (we did diving liveaboard and land tours) is the perfect way to unwind before heading home or onwards to another destination in south america. food was also good with fresh juice and local craft beers included in meals and reasonably priced wine bottles. if there was one half-complaint it would be that small flies get into the villa and were sometimes a nuisance at night, though they were not mosquitos. nets were provided on request and eventually noticed they were mostly fireflies , so it provided a nice show to sleep to.

Peggy (US) – Tripadvisor review

We spent 3 nights at Las Terrazas de Dana Lodge in Mindo. This picturesque retreat is nestled in the sub-tropical jungle outside Mindo. David, the owner, was very welcoming, as was the staff there. This is a 4 cabin property and each cabin is very private with a lovely porch perfect for watching the hummingbirds and relaxing. We spent a lot of time bird watching (guide Alex was fantastic), taking the cable car to the waterfalls, hiking and enjoying the quiet town of Mindo. Many thanks to David for building such a gorgeous retreat.

Humbie (BE) – Tripadvisor review

I stayed with a buddy for 2 nights in early October. At arrival during heavy rainfall we experienced right away the extra mile that David and his staff does for his guests, as he ran out the door to greet us with umbrellas and carried our, quite heavy, luggage up a long flight of stairs up to our lodges. The lodges are amazing and have a stunning view from the balcony on the exotic gardens, where a lot of birds can be seen, and of course on the cloud forest. To finish it off, both breakfast and dinner were very tasty which we enjoyed a lot. Conclusion: when in Mindo, go to Dana, which is actually named after one of the dogs and who is the mascotte of the place!!