José Luis Alvarez and the First Ecuadorian Hotel Chain "Another Idea Born of Joy"

Sharing a few hours with José Luis Alvarez was both a pleasure and a life lesson.

He recently turned 77, but still works at his office, handles the computer with ease, and keeps coming up with ideas “born of joy” as he puts it.

Where did this slogan come from?  “It´s an interesting anecdote,” he says.  One of Mr. Alvarez projects, and certainly one of his favorite, was the creation of “El Castillo de Amagüaña”, a Club that now belongs to its 5.000 members, which had Quito´s first ice-skating ring, and holds several sports facilities and cabins for barbeques.  Mr. Alvarez saw the need for a club in Quito that could serve a bigger group of people that are not members of the traditional and exclusive social clubs of the city.  When working for “Castillo de Amaguaña”, he met the manager of “El Castillo” Club in Costa Rica.  This club´s slogan was “An Idea Born of Joy”. Mr. Alvarez loved the phrase and asked if he could use it, but rather modified it so that whenever a project of his becomes a reality, the slogan is “Another Idea Born of Joy”.

José Luis Alvarez has founded 29 companies, ranging from a vinyl compound factory, to an English as a second language Academy.  But his real passion is tourism.  He remembers his first project was somewhat related to the area:  a countryside restaurant called “La Granja Azul” (The Blue Farm), which he opened with a good friend of his as soon as they finished high school.  The restaurant served BBQ chicken and opened only on weekends, and it was a huge success!  It was located at a farm in El Inca Street- now in the heart of the city.   Unfortunately, after two years of success and a chicken farm to supply the restaurant, the farm was flooded, the owners forced to sell 4.000 drowned chickens and finally close the business.

Later, after several jobs and important positions both in Ecuador and the region, Mr. Alvarez decided to make his incursion into the construction business. When his dad wanted to dump his house, he decided to find investors and build the first building of offices with horizontal property in the city: Edificio Alvarez- Burbano.  Later on, his father in law wanted to dump his house, and Mr. Alvarez considered that the area was ideal for a hotel.  He found investors and convinced the neighbors of becoming part of the hotel: Hotel Alameda Real.   Inaugurated in 1978, Mr. Alvarez managed Hotel Alameda Real for several years.  Moreover, he got together with friends that had hotels in Cuenca and surroundings, invested in another hotel in the Cotopaxi area, and started the hotel chain APARTEC.

In the year 2001, Hotel Alameda Real was sold to the hotel chain Accor Hotels to become Mercure Hotel Alameda Quito.  However, Mr. Alvarez wanted to continue in the hotel business… so he decided to start with the first Colonial Hotel Chain in Ecuador, specialized in boutique hotels with service quality and comfort.  According to Mr. Alvarez, CIALCOTEL strives to recover the historical values of each city, but “the most outstanding characteristic of our hotels is their warmth and hospitality. ”

Currently, his hotel chain, CIALCOTEL includes the following:

Hotel Patio Andaluz: the first boutique hotel in the heart of historical Quito

Rumipamba de las Rosas: an old ranch that was transformed into a unique hotel with particular elements, close to indigenous markets, the Cotopaxi volcano and the cities of Ambato and Baños.

Hotel Boutique Carvallo: a late nineteenth century manor of French influence located in the heart of the charming city of Cuenca.

La Piedra Hotel: a beachfront hotel with private beach, pool and the delicious gastronomy of the Manabi province.  Located in Bahía de Caráquez, a calm city surrounded by wonderful nature.

Roka Plaza Hotel: strategically located in the center of the city of Ambato in a historical house of rock structure.

Macagua Adventure Boutique Hotel: located in the coastal town of Montañita, a favorite spot for surfers and young adventure tourists, this hotel stands out for its quality service and social and environmental responsibility.

And there is more to come… Mr. Alvarez gave THIS IS ECUADOR the first news of a project of a historical hotel in one of the most traditional buildings in the heart of Guayaquil city.   He projects Cialcotel with a wider offer in Ecuador and perhaps abroad, especially in historic cities such as Cuzco and Cartagena.   Mr. Alvarez keeps dreaming and looking ahead.  There are still many “ideas born of joy” to come for this visionary and entrepreneur.

For more information about CIALCOTEL visit www.cialcotel.com