Review: Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador

Enjoy views from the floor-to-ceiling windows

Mashpi Lodge

First impressions

If the producers of the next Bond film are looking for a lair to hide their baddie, then Mashpi Lodge ticks all the boxes. For a start, it’s in Ecuador, which is bloodying noses abroad by offering refuge to alleged renegade spies and enemies of the state. Perfect. It's also extremely remote and tucked away under a vertiginous canopy of forest. Bond would never find it. Then there’s the building itself; an uber contemporary construction that looks like an architectural collaboration between Goldfinger and Hilton Hotels. You half expect to see Oddjob walking around the corridors. But rather than jarring with its surroundings, the angular architecture of the lodge, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, contrasts beautifully with the cloud forest.

The lodge sits at the heart of a 3,212-acre protected rainforest
Mashpi Lodge

But what I like most about Mashpi is the way it demolishes the perception of an eco-lodge and reconstructs it into something unashamedly luxurious. And that indulgence starts the minute I step through the door, when I am greeted by smiling staff and a glass of fruit juice.

Ideal for...

Nature lovers, couples and environmentally conscious guests with an appreciation for luxury.

The room

I love getting close to nature, but I’m also pretty fond of luxury; I like sleeping in beds the size of Texas, taking power showers and catching up with the news when I wake up. Breakfast in bed would be nice too. And in my room at Mashpi that is entirely possible. Yet for all its five-star amenities, the acclaimed architect, Alfredo Ribadeneira, has make sure guests feel connected to the forest; the floor-to-ceiling windows offer an incredible panorama of the jungle outside, which is one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet.

Contemporary features compliment the natural surrounds
Mashpi Lodge

And as I drift off to sleep at night – with one of the windows open – I swear I hear every species calling out to one and other. It’s an incredible cacophony. I could talk about the contemporary minimalism of the room, the designer furniture and sumptuous bathrooms but to do so seems prosaic when I could describe life on the other side of my window. It’s like a wildlife documentary out there; Bill Oddie would have kittens.

Unfortunately, I’m not a bird expert like Bill, but with the help of an ornithology book I am able to identify various species of toucan, siskin and tanager – all from the comfort of my bed. That’s my kind of birdwatching. 

Explore the many species of flora and fauna at the reserve
Mashpi Lodge

Best room

There are no bad rooms in Mashpi, but the most coveted are the Yaku suites. There are three in total, and while they are not wildly different from the 19 Wayra rooms, they do have bathtubs looking out onto the forest.

Sleep in a luxurious Yaku suite facing the Andean cloud forest
Mashpi Lodge

Eating and drinking

I spent an afternoon with a couple from Britain who were keen birdwatchers. They’d been all over the world twitching and as we sat on decking in the middle of the forest, they excitedly grabbed binoculars and whispered names of exotic birds.

Yet the most excited I saw this couple was at dinner time – and I can’t say I can blame them because the food at Mashpi is divine. Using local, largely organic produce, the chefs conjures up ever-changing menus which brings an international flavour to Ecuadorian cuisine.

Enjoy Ecuadorian cuisine with herbs picked from the forest
Mashpi Lodge / Daniel Allen

There are vegetarian options, of course, but carnivores can also pick their way through meaty dishes of chicken, pork and beef. However, for me the star ingredients are the wild herbs – lemongrass, garlic, citronella, basil and many more – which are picked fresh from the forest and inject incredible flavours into the dishes. This can be washed down with Mashpi’s corking wine selection, which is dominated by Argentinian and Chilean vintages.

Breakfast is a casual affair with fresh fruit, homemade bread, jungle fruit jams and local coffee to enjoy. Dinner is slightly more formal. It hardly warrants a tux, but diners tend to ditch the outdoor clobber and throw on a shirt or dress. The lights are dimmed too and that brings a romantic ambiance to the two-story dining room, which is an achievement in such a cavernous environment.

Extras

After a day getting sweaty in the forest, there’s nothing better than relaxing in the Wellness Space. The Jacuzzi is framed by carved wooden panels bringing in the breezes and sounds of the forest. Specialised massages and treatments are also offered using only natural local ingredients such as herbs and leaves from the reserve.

Relax in the Wellness Space while admiring the views
Mashpi Lodge

Room for improvement

By its own admission, Mashpi is striving to be better environmentally by supplying bio-degradable soaps, shampoos and conditioners for its guests. It currently sources its power from a generator, but this will soon be made redundant thanks to hydro-electricity.

Out and about

There are resident biologists living at Mashpi, and their research has played a key role in persuading the government to declare the 1,300 hectares (3,212 acres) surrounding the lodge a protected area. However, as well as pushing for greater protection of the cloud forest, the lodge also runs regular excursions where staff share their encyclopaedic knowledge of the local flora and fauna.

See the forest sights from above or below
Mashpi Lodge / Daniel Allen

For a bird’s eye view, guests can jump on one of the sky bikes suspended on a cable stretched over 200m (655 ft) across the reserve. I took a bike out in the pouring rain one morning, cycled through huge drops of water and crossed a gorge and flowing river, while peering cautiously at the forest canopy below.

Details:

Mashpi Lodge, Bolivar Oe6-41 y Cuenca, Quito, Ecuador.
Tel: (593) 2400 4100.
Website: www.mashpilodge.com
Two-night, three-day packages (including food and transportation) cost $1,296 (£843) per person in a Wayra room and $1,552 (£1,010) in a Yaku suite. Proceeds are used to purchase and protect more of the cloud forest and to provide support to local communities.