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Santa Cruz

South America

Ecuador

Nestled in the lush highlands of Santa Cruz, Ecuador, the Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton is a premier lodging destination for travelers seeking a tranquil escape in the heart of the Galápagos Islands. This exquisite hotel offers a unique blend of luxury and nature, making it an ideal choice for those looking to explore the stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife of the region. With its proximity to Puerto Ayora, guests can enjoy both the serenity of the hotel and the vibrant local culture.

The Royal Palm Galapagos features luxurious accommodations that cater to a variety of preferences. Guests can choose from well-appointed rooms and casitas, each designed to provide comfort and elegance amidst the natural beauty of the Galápagos. Key features include:

Private casitas with stunning views of the landscape.

Access to a pool, gym, and tennis courts.

Unique dining experiences, including a Lava Tunnel dinner.

The hotel's restaurant is renowned for its exceptional cuisine, offering a delightful range of dishes that highlight local ingredients. Guests can indulge in:

Fresh seafood and traditional Ecuadorian dishes.

A variety of international cuisines to suit all tastes.

Conveniently located just 20 minutes from Puerto Ayora, the Royal Palm Galapagos offers easy access to the vibrant town and its attractions. Guests can explore:

Various wildlife tours and excursions to nearby islands.

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Beautiful surroundings but far from town. Tours pick up at the hotel, but if you want to go anywhere on your own, you have to take a taxi. It's $15-$20 each way into Puerto Ayora.

The staff is exceptional. My daughter left her phone in a taxi, and Jesus went above and beyond tracking down the driver to get it back.

The food in the restaurant is very good.

I would recommend this hotel if you want quiet, lush surroundings, and great service.

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The hotel is on a beautiful property in the highlands of Santa Cruz. Very pretty environment with great amenities - pool, gym, tennis courts, etc. If you’re a fan of beautiful and expansive flora, you’ll love the landscape.

We stayed in one of the Casita rooms which was modern and luxurious. The room was large and had all the features you would expect.

The service during our stay was excellent. The staff is very friendly, available and go the extra mile. We really enjoyed getting to know the staff at meals every day and in the reception.

One of the strongest features of the hotel is the food. The restaurant is excellent and they also do a Lava Tunnel dining experience which is very unique. It’s a fine dining experience underground in a lava tunnel; the ambiance is fantastic and the food was very good. We really enjoyed that and would recommend it.

The only downside is that the hotel is about 20 mins outside of the town, so if you intend to go into town a lot, you’ll need to pay for taxis. They are readily available but it just makes your day a little more costly. If you want to stay on the property for most of your trip, it’s not a problem.

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Royal Palms is an exceptional property that offers a unique experience immersed in nature. Guests can enjoy the tranquility and seclusion the location provides. The pool and jacuzzis are excellent, and the pleasant weather even at night makes the jacuzzis particularly enjoyable. It was a delightful experience to soak in the hot water during a drizzle, adding to the charm of the hotel, which is situated in the heart of the island.

While the hotel is relatively close to all major attractions, transportation is necessary, and it is advisable to book a taxi in advance, as they are typically around 15 minutes away. The staff at Royal Palms are extraordinarily friendly and went above and beyond to enhance our stay. Their exceptional service made our visit even more memorable.

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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 had in a while.

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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 recommend it.

Luxury Royal Palm Galapagos Hotel in Puerto Ayora, Ecuador

Pool

Tennis Courts

A tranquil oasis nestled among the vibrant landscapes of Santa Cruz, the Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton, beckons travelers seeking an immersive experience in the heart of the exquisite Galápagos archipelago. This remarkable hotel offers a seamless blend of luxury and the untamed beauty that defines the Galápagos Islands, with breathtaking views and exceptional service.

Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton

Experience luxury at Royal Palm Galapagos in Puerto Ayora. Unwind amidst stunning landscapes and unique wildlife. Book your adventure today!

Luxury Royal Palm Galapagos Hotel in Puerto Ayora, Ecuador

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