Galapagos Habitat Hotel

Beautiful hotel, amazing view, lots of sea lions and marine iguanas We stayed in an ocean view suite, and it was amazing - had the best view of all during our two week trip. This... read moreWe stayed in an ocean view suite, and it was amazing - had the best view of all during our two week trip. This is a beautiful, clean hotel with many sea lions and marine iguanas on site. Food at the restaurant was excellent. We did drink the filtered water provided by the hotel - with the Galapagos-wide goal of decreasing use of plastic bottles. However, our stomachs didn't tolerate that water so we switched to buying 6 liter bottles of water for the rest of our trip. You could also probably use something like a steri-pen and be fine. Highly recommend this hotel. Wonder why they changed the name from Red Mangrove to Galapagos habitat - Red Mangrove is much more fitting and easier to remember...maybe has something to do with how it shows up on a Google search?? read less

Wonderful, but some issues This hotel is beautiful. We were lucky to have the Darwin Suite. All Windows, fabulous views. Staff are great,... read moreThis hotel is beautiful. We were lucky to have the Darwin Suite. All Windows, fabulous views. Staff are great, friendly and helpful. Wonderful to see all the animals and birds around the hotel. Great to have place for iguanas and sea lions to rest. Breakfast was a great show. Only a few problems which seem to me East to fix. One, the hotel is not as clean as it should be. Little things like the top of the garbage can in bathroom is dirty. They don't seem to change the little rugs used for wiping feet in the reception area. They were very dirty, never changed the 4 days we were there. Should be changed every day. Second, during the day, the reception desk was always empty unless they expected a. New guest. Always had to look for someone, also the people did not have much information about the town. These are small things that can be easily fixed. I would come back in a flash. read less

Our stay at Galapagos habitat Experience was outstanding for hotel accommodations, location, and wildlife! Sea lions and marine iguana’s ke... read moreExperience was outstanding for hotel accommodations, location, and wildlife! Sea lions and marine iguana’s kept us entertained! The staff was friendly, and made sure all our needs were met. I would highly recommend Galapagos habitat Who are my friends and family. read less

Solo female traveler. Fantastic spot, even better customer service I was traveling solo to the Galapagos as a female from the US. Slightly nervous, I booked my stay initially fo... read moreI was traveling solo to the Galapagos as a female from the US. Slightly nervous, I booked my stay initially for 2 nights and then extended for 3 more.

I stayed longer because of the customer service, location and helpfulness (the sea lions easily made me stay) of the staff.

I had a ton of questions on where to Scuba, which islands to visit etc. Borris and Betzy were awesome w ideas on where to go. Andrea, the manager, was very on top of everything --you can tell she runs an efficient hotel. The restaurant was great, Jimmy (hope that is correct) in the morning at breakfast, and Yommy in the evening, were some of the best service I've had during my travels throughout South America.

The hotel is at the end of the strip, but in a 5 minute walk you're in the heart of downtown--I personally liked being a bit off the mainstreet. Every morning if either walk or borrow a bike (for free) from the hotel and ride to where I needed to meet for Scuba.

I don't often write reviews, but because this team was so wonderful, and made me feel very welcomed,I wanted to. The hotel was very clean, great amenities (q-tips, cottonballs, beach towels). I am actually surprised it was rated 3.5 stars, I'd give it a 4 star hotel. More read less

Amazing hotel!! My daughter and I stayed 5 nights here and it was not enough!!

Room--Our room overlooked a deck where the... read moreMy daughter and I stayed 5 nights here and it was not enough!!

Room--Our room overlooked a deck where the sea lions love to hang out--we could have sat on our gorgeous patio and watched them all day! The waterfront view of the harbor was beautiful too. When we arrived our mini fridge was stocked with complimentary food and drinks (such a nice surprise).

Location--Easy walk to Charles Darwin center and the main street of restaurants/tour operators/shops/etc.

Tours-We booked two tours through the hotel's yacht (Windrose). The guides were so knowledgeable excited to teach us about the islands. On the Plazas/Santa Fe tour we were lucky enough to snorkel with sea lions and get up close to so many iguanas and birds. On the Bartolome tour we hiked to an amazing view and were able to snorkel with penguins and sharks! The yacht is roomy and comfortable even on a full tour (16 people), the crew on the yacht is wonderful and the food was delicious.

Staff-Andrea and Boris were both so helpful!! Anything we needed they were happy to help! They arranged our amazing tours and gave great suggestions for how to spend our non tour days on Santa Cruz.

Would love to visit here again!! More read less

Wonderful hotel in Puerto Ayora We loved our stay at the Galapagos Habitat. We named our suite the treehouse because we were perchec above the... read moreWe loved our stay at the Galapagos Habitat. We named our suite the treehouse because we were perchec above the trees with 180 degree views. The room was very nice and clean and a highlight was the bathtub and shower with a view of the ocean while still being private. The food in the restaurant was excellent. There were some guests that hogged the lounge chairs but since they were bunches of napping sea lions we did not complain! The hotel is in a good location with a short walk to the main town and pier and very close to the Charles Darwin center. We also booked 2 excellent boat tours on a small yacht for day trips. Those are highly recommended as well. read less

Darwin Suite = Impressive Formerly known (?) as Red Mangrove, this wonderful little hotel sits at the end of town over the water in a ma... read moreFormerly known (?) as Red Mangrove, this wonderful little hotel sits at the end of town over the water in a mangrove swamp. The Darwin Suite, was enormous and had really incredible views from two private balconies. Water pressure was good and the bathroom was large and modern. The staff at the hotel was very helpful, and bike rentals were free. The breakfast, also included, was very good.

This hotel is well managed, clean, and everything you would want in a tropical waterfront locale. read less

amazing and special place to stay My family was here for a week and half in mid/late August. Amazing and wonderful place to stay. There are so m... read moreMy family was here for a week and half in mid/late August. Amazing and wonderful place to stay. There are so many great things to point out:

Location: Can't beat the location. 5-10 minutes walk from the main town, shops, and restaurants. Close enough to enjoy Puerto Ayora, far enough to get away from the crowds and noise. The hotel is also ~10 minutes walking to the Charles Darwin Research Center, Galapagos National Park Visitor Center, and two small beaches.

Hotel Grounds: Most unique hotel in Puerto Ayora. It's very tranquil, as it is nestled inside a mangrove forest, and it is right next to the ocean. Sea lions and marine iguanas love to lounge on the deck area of the hotel and you can get a much more up close experience with sea lions here than even on some of the tours. Our family loved saying hi to the pack of sea lions and watch them play every morning as we started our day.

Rooms: Very comfortable and spacious rooms. We had a room with a patio/deck overlooking the ocean and it was delightful to wake up to pelicans flying by the patio and watching sea lions lounge and swim on the decks and below. Beds were comfortable and showers/bathrooms were clean and functional. Only two small critiques of the room 1) floors tend to get dusty (which was expected, as this is the Galapagos) but slippers were provided so not a big deal, 2) wish there was more shelf/dresser space for organizing and storing away clothes so I didn't have to live out of my suitcase as much.

Staff: This is where I felt the hotel really shined. The staff and front desk folks were incredibly helpful and hospitable. House keeping ensured a clean and organized room waited for us after a long day of treks and adventures. I believe they actually come in twice a day to tend to the room. Once during the day time for the main cleaning, and then once in the evening (if you're not in the room) to turn down the bedding and drapes to get the room ready for the night. The Almar/dining staff was very attentive to our dining and breakfast needs. The young man (wish I can recall his name!) in charge of the breakfast wait staff remembered our breakfast preferences (three scrambled eggs, two with veggies, one coffee with sugar and milk, one hot coco, one orange juice, one pineapple tea, and a side of ketchup) by the third day and had everything ready for us to eat within a few minutes of sitting down at the table. And the front desk staff helped with beach towels, calling taxis, and even prepped sandwiches for us to take for lunch on days we decided to go to Garrapatero Beach.

Almar Restaurant: Our package included complimentary dinner for half our stay so we were able to eat at a few other options around town and enjoy the food from the Almar. Almar's food is definitely one of the more delicious and higher-end dining options. Can't go wrong with any of the seafood dishes. The fresh fruit juices and fruit smoothies are absolutely delicious and refreshing.

Tours: We also booked our tour services thru Haguan that owns Red Mangrove and they absolutely delivered a great experience without any issues. Jefferson (our tour host) was incredibly helpful in setting expectations on what we'll encounter, what clothing we should wear on what day, travel logistics, etc... and even offered plenty of suggestion for different activities for days when we were not on organized tours. He would meet us every morning before we set off to ensure everything was in place and ready for the day.

All in all, this was an incredible place to stay as a "home base" during our time on the islands. It is one of the more pricier options in Puerto Ayora, but I would definitely stay here again when it comes time for our next Galapagos adventure. read less

Ocean front, tree-house honeymoon suite We loved it.

We had just finished an active sailing adventure trip so we spent a lot of time enjoying our... read moreWe loved it.

We had just finished an active sailing adventure trip so we spent a lot of time enjoying our room and found the hotel to be wonderful. Our room was an ocean front suite (Darwin); large, light filled, lots of natural wood, a sky light and with a balcony and a patio. The room was beautiful and the view was amazing. We had open views south, west and east. There was a 3rd night free deal, be sure to look for that.

The resort was very pretty, the people were polite and the food was great. Breakfast was easy and included plenty of variety. No one minded when we spent two hours with coffee, a book and the sea lions. It’s a popular spot for dinner so a reservation won’t hurt. Almar's reputation was earned on their dinner which has a varied menu of fine dining.

It’s a short walk to town including Avenida Kiosko or to water taxis for your own adventures (go to las Grietas). The Darwin Research Center is next door and the nicest beach in Puerto Arroyo is a short walk.

You’ll find sea lions, iguanas, pelicans and herons right at the resort or in the water nearby.

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