Hamadryade Lodge

Beautiful accommodation with stunning Amazon views. I had primed myself for insects (this is the Amazon after all!) but the rooms were fine, even at night. Impressive. The staff, especially Pablo and also Natalie were extremely kind and helpful, answering numerous whatsapps before and during the trip! 10/10 hospitality from both! The only area for improvement would be the fact that the manager’s guard dog (we didn’t meet the manager) literally chased my husband, growling and barking, on our way to lunch. We like dogs as household pets but this dog displayed very aggressive, reactive behaviour that was frankly frightening. Whilst it is understandable to keep guard dogs to ward off predators/protect the property, we feel it is inappropriate for this type of dog to be roaming areas where guests inhabit with inadequate recall, including the food preparation area. I believe 4 guard dogs roam around at will. We were also concerned about the on-site semi domesticated monkey that also chased us (we were keen not to be bitten). I notice that the manager has responded defensively to feedback of this nature in the past but I would urge him or her to reflect on the comments rather than dismiss guest experiences. There is no need to get rid of the dogs but they do need to be under control or out of the guest areas.

We are traveling all of Ecuador and this stay has been a highlight. It’s a lovely place, very well kept. The rooms are really your very own casita with one wall made of sliding glass doors to look out over the jungle. You can sit out on the balcony of your own room and listen to the wonderful sounds of the jungle. The meals were divine and quite well displayed while maintaining wonderful flavors. This provided an exotic experience while still honoring the nature of the Amazon. This is a delicate balance for any place and they have done an outstanding job. They even have a charger for the electric car. Well done!

When my husband and I first arrived we knew we had to adjust to our surroundings. We really wanted to immerse ourselves in Amazonia. This lodge is in the jungle so you should set your expectations accordingly. 1) I found the property to be beautiful and well kept. Every day people were cleaning and working around the lodge. Our room was tidied up every day. 2) They provide breakfast, which you order the night before. It arrived at the time we requested each day. We also had dinner each night. We ordered in advance and it arrived at the time we requested each evening. 3) The manager booked our activities each day. The only one we booked on our own was white water rafting. We booked the following tours through the lodge: Waterfall las Latas, Tubing, Machacu Walk, Ceibo walk, Paikawe Lagoon, and Cacoa Tour. Favorite tours: Waterfall las Latas, Tubing, and Paikawe Lagoon. We would do these all again. A very good experience. Least favorite tours: Machacu Walk and Cacoa Tour. Special note: Carlos our guide was very very nice and spent most of our second day with us. We even had lunch in town with him which was very special. His son Javier was our guide on our first day and took to the falls and tubing. He was very sweet and did a great job. We had a very good experience at Hamadryade. There are 3 dogs living on the property. The dogs were friendly as well as Frida the monkey that hangs around the lodge. There were a couple areas that seemed a little tired, but I would expect that given that it’s in the jungle. The large couch located in the lower section was pretty beaten up by the environment so we didn’t sit there. It would be difficult to keep that looking fresh given the surroundings. Not a problem for us. The only thing that would have been nice is if they had large screens in your room so you can keep the sliding door open at night to get a little breeze but keep the bugs out.

Run down and in need of many repairs. Service was super friendly, but the actual execution was consistently pathetic. The mistakes became almost laughable. Just 1 example, they arrange meal times in advance, but were 30-90 minutes late every time. The food was mostly delicious, but certainly not as artful or interesting as portrayed in their marketing photos. Their has definitely been a change in chefs. The ecosystem felt quite dead - the only wildlife we saw or heard were some insects. Far less birds than our hotel in the city of Tena! Aggressive dogs live on site - mostly out of view, but probably contributes to scaring away the natural wildlife.

The rooms are nicely done with views of the jungle but the restaurant service was literally the worst we’ve ever experienced. Even though you are asked to pre-order your meals every meal was 30-90 minutes late. The management is extremely defensive (as you’ll see from their responses from other negative reviews) and there is zero flexibility in their cancellation policy so beware.

Hamadryade is set in a gorgeous location with an incredibly friendly staff. My wife and I were consistently impressed by both the quality of the food and the ability of the team to make us feel at home. Upon departure, we discovered several personal belongings had been left behind by accident; the team offered to arrange for a taxi to drive to Quito overnight to ensure we had our belongings before our departure the next day. TRULY above and beyond.

From the service to the room I loved the experience. The staff created a comfortable environment for our group to soak up the forrest. Waking up to the feel of being in the middle of no where was magical. The food was authentic, the grounds sang with life, and the energy was pure. Love this place.

The lodge was fantastic! Angel (I hope I spelled that correctly) was very responsive and helpful from our first What’s App message. We did two days of activities, and our guide Carlos was the best. He was knowledgeable and easy going. The rooms were comfortable and clean. The food and service was outstanding! We were traveling with a group of 7 including 3 children.