Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton — Hotel in Parroquia Santa Rosa

The resort overall was very good. The staff was friendly, helpful and accommodating. We felt very safe. My issue is more with being sold something that wasn’t delivered. We were on our honeymoon and could not afford the honeymoon package but were told we could still do some aspects of it such as the romantic honeymoon lava tunnel dinner (which was supposed to be just for the couple) couples massage, etc.

well when we arrived I don’t even think the staff knew it was our honeymoon. We still chose to celebrate this monumentos trip here but nothing was done to celebrate, even something small like flowers or chocolates in the room, a bottle of champagne or even a free drink at the bar. When I booked the couple massage we got back from our excursion and were told there was only one person available so we would have to go one after the other and couldn’t do a couples massage. This was super disappointing so we ended up cancelling the service altogether. For the “romantic” lava tunnel dinner we were supposed to be alone but they put us in a group of ten with two families with young children (who were lovely families but this is not what a honeymoon dinner is) there was a child as young as 3. We had to wait in the long grass for a long time for the families and I ended up getting bitten by ants and having to go back to the room for an allergic reaction and missed all of the tour and photos. Obviously it’s not the hotel’s fault I got bitten by ants but if we had the dinner I thought we were getting I wouldn’t have been waiting for small children and probably wouldn’t have gotten bitten.

I am going to assume this was something lost in translation or communication (though I speak Spanish and asked for the honeymoon romantic dinner in both languages and was under the impression that this is what I paid for). It was still very disappointing but I feel like if the staff knew they would have done something special because they were very accommodating. I don’t think the sales did a good job conveying this was a honeymoon.

Overall the hotel location is good- centrally located so 25 minute drive to both boat excursions to other islands and to puerto ayora. If you stay in the port it’s about 45 minutes to excursions so this is a central location which is nice. The rooms were good (most that can be expected with the resources of the area) staff was friendly and they set us up with wonderful tour guides and drivers. Bayron and Paco were our tour guides (amazing) request Bayron if you stay here and want a bilingual guide. Lenny was our driver and took us to and from downtown many times and was a wonderful man and safe driver. We toured on the Sea Finch to go to two islands. The crew was wonderful and boat was updated and clean with delicious meals but one tour was definitely oversold. The second tour was the perfect number of people but we definitely got rolled up by a lot of money for adding it on later.

Gustavo guided us from the airport and was speedy and efficient getting us to the hotel quickly and knowing how to avoid lines. The food at the main restaurant was delicious but the lava tunnel dinner fell flat. Overall for an adventure trip I’d give 5 stars, especially because the hotel checks in with the guides to make sure you are safe and enjoying yourself every hour. The lower stars is because I was promised I could at least have parts of a honeymoon and that definitely didn’t happen. We spent a ton of money and I am super disappointed and sad because this wasn’t a honeymoon at all but if you are looking for an adventure trip or coming with your kids I would highly...

Lush Grounds, Friendly Staff, but Rooms are a Bit Dated

Location: The Royal Palm Hotel is located on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos, although online maps will incorrectly show the hotel as being on Baltra Island. Most flights arrive at the Baltra Airport, which is about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the hotel. We took a tour company-provided bus (although there are vans and taxis available) to the Itabaca Channel, which separates Baltra and Santa Cruz Islands. Then, board a water taxi to cross the narrow channel in about 10-15 minutes. The Royal Palm offers van return transfers (for USD $35 per person each way) between the water taxi and the hotel. In total, the trip from the airport to the hotel takes about an hour.

Hotel Design and Grounds. The well-maintained hotel grounds are quite lush with greenery and flowers. The main rooms (registration desk, bar, and dining room) are comfortable, but a bit dated in style.

Room. Guests can reserve rooms in buildings with 4-5 guest rooms (the “casitas”) or in individual units (the “villas”), with the latter being a bit more expensive and with ocean views. We stayed in one of the casitas, and the room was quite large, with simple, but functional furniture. My only complaint was that the shower was in a 1970-ish jacuzzi-type tub that was difficult to get in and out of, particularly since there was no curtain or door and, consequently, the floors became slippery wet and a bit hazardous while we were trying to dry off and get out of the deep tub and onto the now-slick steps.

Food and beverages. The bar was fine, but there often was not enough seats for the guests who came for a pre-dinner beverage. The service was excellent, and the drinks were well-prepared. The décor had a 1960s “recreation room” vibe.

The dining room was large and airy, with large tables for groups of 6-8 people. Nearly all the meals were served from a buffet line, and the food was decent, but not overly flavorful. The serving staff were very friendly and helpful.

Overall. The Royal Palm is perfectly adequate, but not stellar. Given that we were visiting the Galápagos for seeing the wildlife and the landscape, however, the Royal Palm was an excellent base for our exploration of several of the islands in the...

What an absolute treat! From arrival to departure we felt so welcomed and cared for. The staff there are superb, from the Front Desk to the Maintenance guys, not forgetting the Restaurant. On arrival we were given a room upgrade to the Presidential Suite, which was a lovely separate villa with all sort of amenities. What better way of celebrating my birthday! Once checked in, the hotel manager (Diego?) kindly showed us to out villa and explained the facilities of the hotel. The hotel has a pool, gym, restaurant, and even a lava cave (biggest in the islands I believe) where they do a special set menu dinner. The grounds of the hotel are immense and you can find several giant turtles around Breakfast was also superb with a good selection and an even better service! The staff there remember the day of my birthday and the chefs prepared a lovely Bday cake which I was so surprised by. Dinner at the main restaurant was algo very good, and again the service was the best part of it. Lisset was our waiter and she was just amazing :) On the last night we could definitely not pass on the lava cave dinner experience, and we are so glad we did go! It is definitely something to experience. The hotel is situated pretty much in the middle of the island. If you come to Santa Cruz by plane, you will most probably land in Seymour, from the terminal there is just a short bus ride to the port and then a super-quick taxi boat sail to Santa Cruz. Once in Santa Cruz there will be plenty of taxi waiting for passengers to get off the ferry. The ride to the Royal Palm is $25 and 30 min max. From the hotel to Puerto Ayora (south of the island and main hub) is $15 and a 20min ride. The hotel can arrange for a taxi pick up. Our driver shared his number and we just had to text him 10min before we needed him again to get back to the hotel. Definitely one of the best hotel experiences I have...