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

Great location for visitors and sea lion spotting! A comfortable hotel on the waterfront but quieter than those on or near to the main drag of the town centre, w... read moreA comfortable hotel on the waterfront but quieter than those on or near to the main drag of the town centre, which is a 5 minute walk away. Helpful and friendly staff and a good bar and restaurant.

Bikes can be borrowed for free.

Sea lions and marine iguanas laze on the decking.

Definitely one of the best options in town read less

Nicest Hotel on Santa Cruz island This is for sure the nicest hotel on Santa Cruz island. Food for breakfast and dinner was great. The accommoda... read moreThis is for sure the nicest hotel on Santa Cruz island. Food for breakfast and dinner was great. The accommodations are beautiful with comfortable beds. The location is great--easy walking distance to anywhere in town and also to the Charles Darwin Breeding Center. read less

Popped in for a home made lemonade and was surrounded by sealions! Fantastic As we sat by the water, half a dozen sealions were sunbathing in benches behind us. We had pelicans flying by ... read moreAs we sat by the water, half a dozen sealions were sunbathing in benches behind us. We had pelicans flying by and bright red crabs scuttling all over the rocks and iguanas by our feet. Perfect location for an ice cold drink watching wildlife. Others were eating and the food looked good too. 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

Galápagos vacation We loved our stay at your wonderful hotel, the staff was extremely accommodating and helpful. They even kept o... read moreWe loved our stay at your wonderful hotel, the staff was extremely accommodating and helpful. They even kept our luggage for a few days while we visited Isabella, which was very helpful. The views and the Sea Lions were a huge bonus, all our meals were delightful. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality! More read less

Eden on Santa Cruz Surrounded by marine iguanas, sea lions and the famous finches a fresh brewed morning coffee is a special trea... read moreSurrounded by marine iguanas, sea lions and the famous finches a fresh brewed morning coffee is a special treat.
We stayed in the Tortuga Suite and enjoyed the privacy of kids balcony as well as the easy access to the common areas.
The receptionist was very, very helpful. We were travelling in a larger group and our children, many of them tween, had access to bikes, easy walking distance to all attractions in town and the Charles Darwin Research Center.
Food was very good. The bar is well stocked, the breakfast buffet offers a good selection.
And the company ...- is of great zoological interest. read less

Very special place in Galapagos islands The hotel was very welcoming and what made it even more special was to see a sea lion at the reception there r... read moreThe hotel was very welcoming and what made it even more special was to see a sea lion at the reception there receiving guests, that was totally unexpected! The hotel has a special niche for small details, amenities, service, the most delicious chocolates made right here in Galapagos! And the mini bars in the rooms are filled with super delicious treats with no additional cost. One of the most beautiful and relaxing experiences I've ever had was to sit down for breakfast at the hotel's deck, looking towards the sea and the animals around that come up to the patio straight from the water or the mangroves. They approach so fearlessly! There were pelicans, sea lions, marine iguanas, and the cutest little finches kept perching on the chair next to me. The hotel also offers tours on the Windrose yacht, I didn't have any plans for day tours but I changed my mind and it was totally worth a day cruise onboard that yacht, they have different options throughout the week depending on the day. Do it! You won't regret it! This beautiful hotel is very well located, it is walking distance from Charles Darwin Station and other local attractions. More read less

Great Stay The Red Mangrove is an exceptional hotel. Service was fantastic and the staff was attending to every need. ... read moreThe Red Mangrove is an exceptional hotel. Service was fantastic and the staff was attending to every need. We had the Darwin Suite and the room was large, comfortable with a very large and refreshing shower. Great views across the bay with Sea Lions and Pelicans always around. Restaurant was fantastic. Only negative is that the TV service did not have CNN International or any other english channels. Which is unusual as we did have it in Isabella which is more remote than Santa Cruz. Other than that a fantastic stay read less