Golden Bay Galapagos Hotel

San Cristobal’s most chic hotel...

Five stars from 19 votes

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Review

Apart from the risk of losing your sunlounger to a sea lion, the Golden Bay Galapagos hotel is the ideal place to stay and enjoy the charms of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The property overlooks Playa de Oro (Golden Beach); and it is hard to find a more enjoyable experience in town than sitting in the open-air bar watching the sun set into the Pacific, whilst sea lions and iguanas laze on in the sandy bay before you. The hotel also has excellent eco-credentials and their superb Muyu restaurant supports local trades by using only fresh produce from the islands and not importing from the mainland. We feel their mission of Luxury without ostentation is justified!

Location

The Golden Bay Galapagos Hotel is located in San Cristobal’s main town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, approximately a 5 minute cab ride from the airport (that has daily flights from Quito and Guayaquil). The hotel is only a few minutes stroll into town; which we found to be ideal as it provides enough distance as avoid the noise of the waterfront. Indeed, the nearest building is a small museum on the military history of the islands.

Layout

The front of the hotel is the outdoor terrace and bar, overlooking the bay. To the side is the main entrance that leads to a spacious lobby and access to restaurant Muyu. The swimming pool is also located on the ground floor, which – disappointingly – has no views other than corridors and stairs but is at least open to the elements. The first and second floors are dedicated to accommodation. On the rooftop is a new (2019) terrace with stunning views of Golden Beach bay. The roof terrace also features a bar that services freshly made pizza straight out of the clay oven.

Rooms

The Golden Bay Galapagos Hotel has a total of 21 rooms, split as 18 rooms plus 3 suites. We would advise against the Deluxe garden-view rooms, as you may end up in one of the two ground floor rooms which only offer windows to the internal of the building. The six balcony rooms are similar but at least offer a partial view of the sea; one of which caters for families – with twin beds plus a sofabed. The four Waterfront rooms are fantastic rooms, two with twin beds and two as king beds. Finally there are the superlative suites with breath-taking views: Suite Balcony, Suite Front Ocean-view and Suite Panoramic Ocean-view (all of which also include a sofabed). All rooms are air-conditioned and have safety deposit boxes.

Features

Golden Bay Galapagos Hotel has two bars – one on the ground floor and one on the roof (the latter with a pizza oven). The seafood-specialising Muyu restaurant is a fantastic option for dining on-site. The hotel also offers laundry service and airport transfers, at supplemental costs. There is an outdoor pool and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Facilities