Galapagos Islands hotel is a new small charming hotel with 15 air-conditioned rooms designed to provide with comfort and leisure for the adventure traveler, including facilities such as pool, bar, breakfast area and different recreational areas. The hotel is located in the residential area of Puerto Ayora, 8-10 minutes away walking distance from the fisherman's pier and the town's main promenade where most of the boutiques, restaurants and art galleries are located.
Petrel y Floreana Barrio el Eden, Puerto Ayora none Ecuador
Galapagos Islands Hotel
113 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We stayed here only one night because our other hotel, Galapagos dreams, overbooked. So we got a great deal ($20 pp) and a room on the top floor, king sized bed, ac. We didn't eat breakfast as we had an early boat. The only thing I would change is the white curtains, while lively and tropical, don't provide much protection from the sun rising at 5:45 am (but we had to be in town at 7 so it was okay).
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Date of stay: December 2013Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were given a triple room for a double once we checked in. The room and bathroom were very clean. The bed was big and we even got a little balcony. The location is a bit far from the city center but it is a nice walk. There is also plenty of taxis at 1 dollar each way.
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Date of stay: March 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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The room we booked was basic but clean. I woke twice during the night to find an insect trying to crawl in my hair (two different ones), which were easily transferred outside. The island is full of animals.
Simple cooked breakfast was included.
Wifi was included. Slow, but so is everywhere else.
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Date of stay: May 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This seemed to be a "Motel 6" quality hotel. The room was lit with bare bulbs, had indoor-outdoor carpeting and very cheap linens. Only one nightstand for a queen bed. It was clean but very very basic. We expected more.
The desk staff did not seem very interested in helping the guests. One evening, I let them know (in Spanish) that the drinking water on our floor was empty. The next day, it was still empty.
The breakfast was pretty good and the staff in the breakfast room were very nice.
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Date of stay: October 2012Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had booked the Casa Natura based on the reviews and also their website which depicts the hotel as a charming boutique hotel. Sadly there was nothing charming about this hotel.
When we arrived to the hotel and I checked out the "pool" area it looked nothing more then a mosquito bathing pool to me and that the property had not been repainted or used in a few years. Our room faced the back, which again was the sad sight of the "pool area" but also just a dismal looking sight of construction around.
The bathroom was ok and we did have hot water but my bedding was stained and also they did not provide mattress pads on the beds which grossed me out, besides the stained bedding. I don't know why they would put down stained sheets to paying customers as they were pretty visible stains.
The hotel does try to scam you on the taxi service so anyone coming in DO NOT Book it with this hotel. They told me it would cost $40 PER PERSON...so $80 for 2 people to take you to town meanwhile the taxi service that is provided by town has a flat fee of $18. This corporation in Quito just is trying to take advantage of people who would book a taxi with them for convenience sake but don't do it. They had no answer to why they would charge per person when i asked considering the driver would be going to the same location. What a scam.
Also same message regarding their tours. I was hesitant to book with them and glad I didn't as they DOUBLED the pricing on what other people paid on tours that our friends at the hotel went on. Not like a 20 dollar surcharge but DOUBLE. A rip off.
I also had problems the evening after I checked in as my company that I used like Expedia did not update the reservation to 2 people as I had asked. The guy working the front desk called at 9pm to say I would have to pay another 100 to stay in the hotel, meanwhile it should have only been $45 according to the travel company. Again, trying to scam the customer out of more money then actually they advertise.
That morning I checked out.
Between the unhygienic bedding, not charming hotel atmosphere and false advertising of pool and breakfast being nothing more then a vat of eggs (not so good) I was happy to leave and switch to a WONDERFUL hotel worth every penny on the Island (Angermeyer)
The only positive experience I had was with Amy, the hotel manager, who was patient and understanding when explaining my disappointment with the hotel.
Its sad that I had already prepaid $600 and nothing could be done for a refund, nor were my complaints to corporate office dealt with as they said "they will get back to me". I wasted so much money and had such a stressful arrival to my trip at the Galapagos.
Don't waste your money here as they will do everything to scam and get yours.
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Date of stay: August 2011
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from esvede, Director of Sales at Galapagos Islands Hotel
Responded Sep 19, 2011
Dear Sir/Madam The reservation was made by International Vacation for a single room, not through us. You came to the Hotel with another passenger and therefore had to charge the extra for the additional person but our company did not charge anything extra for the passenger. About the price ($18,00 ) for transportation services, is when the services are public, not private. We apologize for inconveniences, but as I said we did not charge anything for the extra passenger, even we provide all necessary assistance. All services are cheaper, tours, transportation, etc., when they are public and not private services. And we think some photos you upload are not of the Hotel and does not represent our product.
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I booked this hotel for 5 nights in May through EasytoBook and received confirmation email and booking number via email. The booking was paid for in full. After a very long trip from Quito we arrived at Casa Natura and were told that there was NO BOOKING and no room for us at the inn, even though I showed them the confirmation email and amount already paid. They assured us that the amount would not be taken as there was no booking. Of course, we were a bit concerned, but quiickly walked out and down to the town itself and managed to get a room in the very satisfactory Solimar, right on the water. It has now been 5 weeks since that incident, and I must say that EasytoBook have been very professional in following this up with Casa Natura. I have just been advised that they have finally managed to contact the hotel and get an agreement to refund the almost $1000 amount deducted from our travelmoney card. However, we have not yet received the refund. We have travelled the world in the last 2 years booking everything on the internet and have never had a problem like this anywhere else. Anyway, still waiting for the refund and it would seem that the Casa Natura management are less than FAIR DINKUM - an Australian term for being honest and true. Also watch the tour operators on the island, you must make comparisons or you could easily be ripped off.
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Date of stay: May 2012
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Responded Jul 2, 2012
Dear Sir Good Morning Regarding your review we must tell you that this reservation was nerver reported in our system. That is a problem with expidia . We have not collected the money so please contact expidia for a refund. We regret that this has happen and we are not liable for this inconvenience that has happen.. Pilar Velasquez SALES MANAGER CASA NATURA
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While in Santa Cruz we stayed at the Casa Natura, which is changing its name to Galapagos Island Hotel. This is a very well kept hotel. The room we stayed in was spacious and clean. The staff is friendly. They have a nice pool and pool-side bar. I would recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Puerto Ayora.
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Date of stay: January 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed there one night at the end of my cruise. The place is a bit far from the main strip in Puerto Ayora. Rooms are extremely spacious, new and with huge comfortable beds (in a single room I had two king size beds). Bathroom was also huge with a shower and bathtub. The hotel has a pleasant outside patio and a small swimming pool which, however was dirty when I stayed there so did not invite plunging in. Breakfast was a basic american breakfast, nothing to remember in your dreams nor nightmares. Overall the place is nice and after staying on a boat for a few days it is great to be able to sleep in such large and comfortable beds and have so much space in the room. Anywhere else in Ecuador you would pay half the price but unfortunately or fortunately you are in the Galapagos!
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Date of stay: June 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were booked for 5 nights at Casa Natura and we were immediately disappointed when we first entered our room – the room size was small, the bedding was cheap and dated and our bed backed directly onto a window that wouldn’t close. The topper however, was the bathroom, which appeared to be modeled after something you’d see in a subway station. This included multiple dirt stains in the toilet, on the shower curtain, tub floor and sides, and a thick layer of soap scum on the faucets that stayed on your hands when you turned them on. The showers also lacked hot water. See our pictures.
Beyond the problems with the room, the hotel is not near the main strip. It is in a residential area about 5-10 minute walk from the main area.
Needless to say we were out of there on the first night. Despite our complaints (we even provided pictures of the dirt stains in the bathroom to the hotel), management refused to refund any our money, which we had entirely prepaid for. Our loss, but do yourself a favour, and don’t make it yours.
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Date of stay: December 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from esvede, Manager at Galapagos Islands Hotel
Responded Feb 24, 2012
In regards to this opinion of our Hotel we must inform you that our bathrooms are new and we kept clean always. The hot water system work , and in the other hand regardin the curtain and the beding we inform you that it has been changed already. Some other opinions regarding the location we considered not true. The hotel is well located and 5 minutes from the main area in car. Regards, THE MANAGER
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Like other travelers, we arrived early and spent 5 days on the islands before starting our Galapagos cruise. Good decision. WRONG HOTEL.
I think they may be running a money scam.
Ist - They forced us to pay twice!! Using the on-line booking service, I booked and used my credit card to pay for the room. They sent me a confirmation. All looked good. When I arrived, the hotel staff said I had not paid only reserved the room, and darn if I could find "charged to credit card" or "paid" anywhere on the confirmation. I was sure my credit card was charged (checked our bank balance before we left), but could not prove this with no internet and no international phone service. Result? I had to pay again. They REALLY wanted CASH, but I refused, and as my punishment, had to wait 45 minutes while they charged my card. Once home, I found a "confirmation of room charge" email dated, yes, the day I checked into the hotel. Obviously could not have had that when I checked in! When I contacted both the manager and owner about the double charge they stated they are "looking into it and will get back to me". Sure. Still waiting. Meanwhile, I'm disputing the double charge with my credit card company. Glad I didn't pay cash!
2nd - On their website, they offer you a 20% discount on room. Don't ever expect to get this. I tried. I emailed them but never got a reply. Finally booked through their on-line service. When I finally got an email reply, I questioned the owner about the 20% off. He replied I had to book through them. I thought I did! No, I used their booking service. No 20% even though I waited 3 days for the hotel to reply to my "can I book a room" email.
All this for a hotel that was not worth it! -- Location? too far, poor area. You are truly in middle of residential zone. Building and construction all around. Views? What a joke. -- Rooms? not as we booked, had to wait while they set up new room with queen bed. Clean but shabby. Very basic 2-3* hotel. Not worth the money. -- Pool? nothing like photos on website. Has it been cleaned in months? Had a vacant, abandoned feel. -- Breakfast? OK if you like processed lunch meat and cheese. At least I could get a cup of tea. -- Service? The new manager was very pleasant but completely ineffective.
I'd give ZERO stars if I could. There are other much nicer places in better areas to stay.
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Date of stay: July 2010
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from esvede, Manager at Galapagos Islands Hotel
Responded Dec 16, 2010
Dear Sheryl: Regarding your comment, I would like to tell you that your reservation was made not through our web site , it was made from International Vacations, an online reservation company, similar to Expedia. This company sent us the reservation but told us to charge you directly because they were not able to charge your credit card. When inquired, Felicia from Reservations at International Vacations mentioned their company “ was sorry for any inconvenience caused “. This has never happened at Casa Natura before. However, we understand the double billing caused you inconveniences and we are waiting for your bank account details to credit back your money. We hope that together with a service compensation, the refund will help remedy in part what happened. Regarding the intermittent discounts we offer to our guests for new bookings, these apply only to reservations made directly with the hotel via info@casanaturahotel.com THE MANAGENT
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Los Angeles, California186 contributions24 helpful votes
I received the answer from the other resort 'Casa Natura' and will post here in case anyone else gets confused in the future. Galapagos Islands Hotel USED to be called Casa Natura (hence the Casa Natura signage on some of the photos on this page). However, it changed its name to Galapagos Islands Hotel as there is another (separate, unrelated, and better reviewed) hostel named Casa Natura on the island but it's more in the island highlands.
There are more places to choose from in the Puerto Ayora area.
LOCATION
EcuadorGalapagos IslandsSanta CruzPuerto Ayora
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
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