The short version: our apartment in San Juan is about 1.2 km from Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín (HCAM), close enough to walk, about 1.7 km from Hospital Eugenio Espejo, and roughly a 12-minute, $3 to $4 taxi ride from Hospital Metropolitano. It sleeps up to 3 people, has a full kitchen for home-cooked meals, and rents for $500 a month with everything included. We rent long-term only, from $90 nights up, and cancellation is free until $5 days before you move in, in case the hospital moves your date.
We wrote this guide because guests kept finding us for exactly this reason: a family member scheduled for surgery in Quito, and no idea where to stay that is close, comfortable and affordable for a week or more. This page answers the practical questions we get asked on WhatsApp.
How far is the apartment from each hospital?
These are approximate straight-line distances from our door in San Juan. Real driving routes in Quito are a bit longer, and the hill means you will sometimes prefer a taxi even for short trips. Taxis in this part of the city typically cost a couple of dollars.
| Hospital | Type | Distance | How to get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín (HCAM) | Public (IESS), Ecuador’s largest hospital | ~1.2 km | Walkable, or a short taxi |
| Hospital Eugenio Espejo | Public reference hospital | ~1.7 km | Short taxi |
| Hospital Militar (FFAA) | Military | ~2.2 km | Taxi |
| Hospital de Clínicas Pichincha | Private | ~2.3 km | Taxi |
| Nova Clínica Santa Cecilia | Private | ~2.3 km | Taxi |
| Hospital Pediátrico Baca Ortiz | Public children’s hospital | ~3.2 km | Taxi |
| Hospital Metropolitano | Private, JCI-accredited | ~3.3 km | ~12 min taxi, $3 to $4 |
| Hospital de la Policía N.º 1 | Police | ~3.5 km | Taxi |
If your appointment is at HCAM, you are in luck: it sits just below our neighborhood, so on a good day you can simply walk down. For everything else, taxis are safe, everywhere and cheap, and the bus stops right in front of the building.
Why families staying for a hospital visit pick San Juan
Hospital stays are exhausting in a way holidays are not. What helps is not a minibar; it is a real kitchen, a washing machine and a proper bedroom to sleep in. The apartment is a newly built two-bedroom with two full bathrooms, which means a recovering patient or an early riser gets their own space, and up to three people stay comfortably without anyone sleeping on a sofa.
- Cook what the patient can actually eat. The fully equipped kitchen makes special diets, early breakfasts before appointments and simple home food possible.
- Wash clothes without hunting for a laundry. Washer and dryer are in the apartment.
- Sleep properly. San Juan is a residential hillside above the Old Town, not a party district.
- Stay connected. Fast fiber Wi-Fi and a real desk, useful when one of you keeps working remotely while the family is at the hospital.
What a longer stay costs
The price is simple: $500 a month for the entire apartment, everything included, no cleaning fee. We rent long-term only, so the minimum is $90 nights, which is $3 months. When treatment runs across a semester that works out far below a hotel room for the same people, and the second bedroom means the patient sleeps undisturbed. For a two-week visit we are not the right fit; write to us anyway and we will point you toward something that is.
Hospital schedules move. That is why the flexible part matters: cancellation is free up to 5 days before arrival, and you book directly with us, so if a date shifts you deal with the two people who own the apartment, not a call center. We live nearby and answer on WhatsApp in Spanish, English or German.
Getting to appointments
- On foot: HCAM is about 1.2 km away, downhill on the way there. Give yourself extra time on the way back up, or take a taxi for a couple of dollars.
- By taxi: safe, plentiful and cheap in this part of Quito. Metropolitano is roughly 12 minutes and $3 to $4.
- By bus: the stop is directly in front of the building.
- By car: there is no parking at the building, and we cannot arrange arrival by car. Taxis in this part of Quito are safe, plentiful and cost a couple of dollars.
- From the airport: we offer an optional door-to-door pickup from Mariscal Sucre airport for $35, useful when you arrive tired with a patient.
One thing to know: Quito’s altitude
Quito sits at about 2,850 m. Most visitors feel at most a light headache or tiredness in the first day or two. If the patient or an older family member is coming up from the coast or the lowlands, plan an easy first day and read our altitude guide for what is normal and what is not. We are hosts, not doctors, so for anything medical, ask the treating physician what the altitude means for your specific situation.
If your dates are set, you can check availability and book directly on the booking page. If anything about your situation is unusual, message us first; we will tell you if our place is not the right fit.
Frequently asked questions
Which hospital is closest to the apartment?
Hospital Carlos Andrade Marín (HCAM), the large IESS hospital, is about 1.2 km away in a straight line, close enough to walk. Hospital Eugenio Espejo is roughly 1.7 km. Both are a short, cheap taxi ride when you would rather not walk.
How far is Hospital Metropolitano from the apartment?
Hospital Metropolitano is about 3.3 km away, which works out to roughly a 12-minute taxi ride costing around $3 to $4. It is a private clinic and the usual choice for international patients in Quito.
Can we cook our own meals during a hospital stay?
Yes. The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, so you can prepare exactly what the patient or your family needs instead of eating out every day. There is also a washer and dryer, which matters more than you expect on a stay of a week or longer.
Can we stay for several weeks?
The booking calendar accepts stays from 2 up to 28 nights, and there is no cleaning fee, so longer stays cost exactly the nightly rate. For anything special, write to us on WhatsApp; we live nearby and answer in Spanish, English or German.
What if the surgery or appointment date moves?
Cancellation is free up to 5 days before arrival, so a shifted hospital date does not have to cost you anything. Rebook the new dates directly on the site, or message us and we will help.
Is the apartment a good place to recover?
San Juan is a residential neighborhood, not a nightlife area. The apartment has a proper separate bedroom for the patient, two full bathrooms, and a kitchen for home cooking, and a taxi reaches the hospital in minutes. One thing to know: the walk back up the hill is steep, so take a taxi when you are tired.