Samari Spa Resort is a welcoming countryside property inspired by the design of a Spanish colonial hacienda with an authentic Ecuadorian ambiance and décor. Inside the low whitewashed buildings with their heavily tiled roofs, you’ll find a warm atmosphere with open log fires, dark wooden beams, antique furniture, terracotta floor tiles and exposed brick walls. It’s a family friendly place with snug and homely en suite bedrooms featuring cosy beds smothered by goose-feather duvets for chilly nights.

You’ll dine in the tavern-style restaurant which offers traditional and contemporary Ecuadorian food or seek out one of the bars dotted about the property. The on-site spa is a highlight, offering an array of relaxing treatments; there’s a sauna and a particularly lovely swimming pool. Away from the property are plenty of outdoory things to see and do: you can explore the vicinity on foot, bike or horseback and then relax in the  pretty garden.