Hotel Red Booby
Location: Av Plaza y Charles Binford, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Puerto Ayora, EC
Star Rating: 3 Stars
Property Type: Hotels
About this Property
Outdoor Pool and Terrace
Take a dip in the outdoor pool, or unwind on the terrace while enjoying the scenic views of the garden.
Dining and Services
Indulge in a delicious meal at the hotel's restaurant and start your day with a complimentary buffet breakfast. Benefit from services like concierge assistance, luggage storage, and laundry facilities.
Comfortable Accommodation
Relax in one of the 27 air-conditioned guestrooms with free Wi-Fi and cable TV. Refresh yourself in the private bathroom equipped with showers and complimentary toiletries.
To book your stay at Hotel Red Booby and explore the wonders of Puerto Ayora, reserve now!
Important Information
- Pool access available from 8 AM to 7 PM.
- No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.
- Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.
- Contactless check-in and contactless check-out are available.
Policies
Check-in: 01:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Check-out: 09:00 AM
Instructions: Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property.
Amenities & Facilities
- Free breakfast
- Free WiFi
- 24-hour front desk
- Terrace
- Garden
- Luggage storage
- Concierge service
- Free breakfast
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Smoke-free property
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Airport transportation - pickup (surcharge)
- Pool sun loungers
- Free buffet breakfast
Rooms Available
-
Standard Room
1 Large Twin Bed
861-sq-foot room with city views
Internet - Free WiFi
Entertainment - Cable channels
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Air conditioning
- Private bathroom
- Daily housekeeping
- Free WiFi
-
Executive Double Room
1 Double Bed OR 1 Queen Bed
269-sq-foot room with city views
Layout - Separate sitting area
Internet - Free WiFi
Entertainment - Cable channels
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Air conditioning
- Private bathroom
- Daily housekeeping
- Separate sitting area
- Free WiFi
-
Executive Triple Room
3 Twin Beds
646-sq-foot room with city views
Layout - Separate sitting area
Internet - Free WiFi
Entertainment - Cable channels
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)
- Shower
- TV
- Air conditioning
- Private bathroom
- Daily housekeeping
- Separate sitting area
- Free WiFi
Guest Reviews
- John B (10/5): - Staff was very friendly and very helpful when we had some issues (issues not related to the hotel stay). The staff tried their best to be accommodating!
- N7275IHmariar (8/5): Enjoyed our stay!! - We booked our trip through tour/vacation company, and they selected accommodations for us. And the Red Booby did not disappoint!
It's not 5 star luxury accommodations, but it is nice, clean, comfortable and close to the center of everything so you could easily walk everywhere in Puerto Ayora.
We stayed 6 nights. Our rooms were cleaned every day. Beds and pillows were comfortable. Breakfast was a variety of delicious eats, cooked and kept fresh. And everyone that worked there was so nice!
The only thing that was less than ideal was that wifi network was pretty weak until you were in the common areas. This only proved challenging when we were trying to get in touch with the other part of our traveling group as cell service was not optimal either. But it probably did us all some good to put the phone down for awhile!
- Kenji (4/5): - Just two key things to note. The hotel charges per person so if you bring children, please note an additional cost per night per person not written anywhere on your booking itinerary or confirmation. Second, the internet was terrible. If you're lucky, you may catch the hotel router when it appears as an available wifi even on the first floor, but if you hit the jackpot and see the router and connect, it is excruciatingly slow. I thought that maybe it was my phone, but tried it at different times of the day and night with all phones in the family to no avail. Posting anything on the internet was nearly impossible, let alone making a phone call. They claimed this is how it is on the islands but we did not have this issue at other hotels, even on more remote islands. As a result, we had no choice but to pay the per night charge for our children as we were unable to cancel without cost, and we were unable to get a reliable connection to have a meaningful call with Expedia throughout our entire stay. As long as you are aware of this and okay with it, the room we booked had three beds, was spacious, and clean.
- mentzelia (6/5): A few blocks from the waterfront - The Red Booby is a multilevel facility located just a few blocks from Charles Darwin Ave. and the public park near the waterfront. For those needing a pool, it’s on the top level. I spent three nights here during a 6-day trip to Galapagos. Neither the rooms nor breakfast are fancy, yet easily serve the needs of guests spending most of their time exploring Santa Cruz. A noteworthy security feature is the fob on one’s room key ring that allows after hours entrance to the hotel courtyard when the entrance gate is locked.
- KimberlyCrawford (8/5): Hotel Red Booby was a blessing for me - I was so extremly happy with my stay here. I cannot say enough good things. I was along, had booked a place that was too far from the port and that had been misrepresented to me. I asked a taxi driver to help me find a good clean place with air conditioning. He brought me to the Hotel Red Booby. It was beautiful! I was three flights of stairs up and had a nice view. The room and bathroom were clean and very comfortable The breakfasts were great too!
I need to say something about the people complaining about the Red Booby in their reviews. If you were on a yacht and thought you would have the same experience on land in a hotel and are complaining about it then you might want to re-evaluate your situation. This facility was a blessing for me but I wasn't expecting yacht treatment in a mid range hotel. I cannot believe anyone expected to have an elevator anywhere in the galapagos much less complain on a public forum about not having one. Talk about out of touch with where you are. Just sayin.
- brooketerry083 (8/5): Great location! - I stayed here as part of the tour. Everything was great about this hotel and its location-except the lack of elevator! But the staff is very helpful and the rooms are quite nice. A nice place to stay on Santa Cruz.
- john f (10/5): A wonderful surprise - The Red Booby was excellent for the price. Extremely clean, great location and a staff that can’t be beat.
- Verified traveler (4/5): - The property was fairly nice, rooms were plain, tv was very small and old. The worst part was the management. I had reserved a room for 4 but for some reason Expedia only told them 2 adults but did not list the kids. Even though the correct number of beds were listed, the management said we had to pay over $500 more. We had already paid Expedia $621. We checked out after 3 nights because because the $ we paid Expedia should have covered that. They said we still owed them over $300 for those nights. Even their own website showed that it would be much cheaper than that and we should not owe them anything!! We argued and wasted several hours of our vacation. They refused to listen and finally said if we didn’t pay the extra money they would call the police. We ended up paying almost $950 for 3 nights. We are very angry and will never stay there again.
- TomoDiez (2/5): Don‘t go here! - We had to stay here because the boat we had a cruise with broke down. The ship (Yate Darwin) and the hotel belong to the same owner! The price for the room is to high for what you get. Breakfast was poor.
Never book anything with vigaltravel!
- domiwied (2/5): Never book with this company! - this hotel belongs to vigaltravel and we stayed there because our ship, yate darwin, had an accident and the yate also belongs to vigaltravel.
i would strongly recommend to never book something over vigaltravel and especially not the darwin yacht! for those who just want to get the short information without reading the whole text: we got lied to, my boyfriend got hit by the guide with the dingi, crew hit on the single passangers and after the darwin had an accident they commited fraud and torn out a page of the captains logbook.
but lets start: we had a nice cruise until the first of march 2019. some passangers were not happy, but we were! then at 21.45 the boat hit something. many of the passangers felt the same. the next morning we woke up at the same spot again. (between baltra and santa cruz)
we were told that the boat caught a rope from a fisherman, even tough it sounded pretty different. that was the point when they should have moved us to another boat. (it is stated like that in the Policies of the company) they did not.
their suggestion was to drive around with the dingue for 3 hours without walking or snorkeling. no way! we insisted. so they drove us to puerto ayuro and we did a day trip from there. the guide promised us to do everything we missed on the next day.
in the evening we were on the darwin again and they promised us, that the boat will go to san cristobal this evening. they tried to fix the boat with two fishermen and a compressor with a motor (that is not only inefficient, is is also dangerous for the „divers“). the guide told us it would not be possible to do the things we missed because of the regulations. after 16 years of being a guide he should have known that before he made the promises. but we think he just lied.
we woke up the morning again at the same spot between baltra and santa cruz. now we were angry because they lied to us twice! we checked the captains logbook to see what really happended the night of the accident. a page was torn out the night of the accident!!! that is illegal! and defenitely not a coincidence..
we think they hit something and instead of calling the police (they have to do that) they wanted to cover it up.
they promised us that we can talk to the owner about a refund but then he was suddenly not on the island anymore and they were not allowed to give us his number.
also my boyfriend was hit by the dingi while snorkeling because the guide was talking to someone! that was sooo dangerous and he didnt even say sorry!
another thing that bothers me was that a single female passanger has been hit on by the crew which i find very unprofessional.
so thats our story..i would never book that company again. they are criminals! we told another guide on another island and he said that that was not the first time he heard bad things about the yacht darwin and advised us where to go with this story:) ministerio de turismo, observatiorio de turismo, the armada and the capitanía del puerto ayuro.
btw: the red booby was ok. breakfast was not good, rooms were clean. but definitely to expensive.
- Verified traveler (6/5): - The service was good after we got things figured out at check I which too two hours. The amenities are bare minimum but it is clean and I felt safe. The breakfast is the same everyday so you may want to venture out.
- tedkirby (10/5): Nice hotel on Santa Cruz island - Our tour group stayed here for one night. This hotel was nicer than the other ones we stayed at in the Galapagos. Rooms were a decent size, well air conditioned, and had TVs. Things all worked well. At night the hotel entrance doors lock, but guests are given keys. There is a pool on the fourth floor that I heard good things about. Across the street there is a nice karaoke bar, and there are plenty of places to eat nearby. It is not far from the dock.
- Verified traveler (4/5): - Plumbing on sink leAked, water throughout the room; and air conditioner was blowing out dust or dirt, and clanging, moved us to a lesser room that smelled like an outhouse and said it was the humidity, finally moved us to another room that sufficed. I recognize these things happen, but to try and gaslight the smell was not acceptable.
- C2191EOrichardb (8/5): Great location in Isla Santa Cruz Galapagos - Excellent location just off main street in Santa Cruz. Basic but clean and reasonable while visiting Galapagos. Easy and short walking distance to harbor with plenty of tours and tour boats to choose from. Many good restaurants to choose from and even a nearby street with fresh local seafood right off the boat. In addition plenty of good shopping for local crafts, etc. Don't miss the Charles Darwin Research Center and Museum.
- Mary Beth (6/5): Good location but needs improvement - When we arrived at Hotel Red Booby, the room we had reserved (1 double bed and 2 twins) was not available. (even with written confirmation and I had pre-paid a month prior). We were put into a room with 3 twins half an hour later with no compensation. (none was given after contacting the hotel administration either).
The breakfast staff person was rude and unfriendly.
The décor is sorely out of date and in desperate need of an update.
Wifi was a joke.
Positives: location, rooftop pool, front desk staff was great.
- Canada (2/5): The Boobies are Running This Place - Although not warned by Expedia when I booked this hotel - they do not take credit cards - cash or pay pal only! Noisy, no head boards on bed so your ONE pillow will fall through behind bed. TV has interference and is maybe a 16 inch screen, no shades on the lights, etc etc,,,,,,, Only positive is; AC works and location but would not recommend to anyone, breakfast is also terrible.
- GWN1960 (2/5): The Booby’s must run this place - Booked through Expedia and went to check in they said they don’t take credit cards. Couldn’t get Expedia to help. Rebooked on the spot for a cheaper rate. No wifi - did not work at all over 3 days. No headboards on beds so pillows fall between wall and bed. Only one blanket between 3 beds. Breakfast was awful. Windows are a joke as you will hear everything - so very noisy. One step above a tenement because ac worked and did not have to share bathroom or shower.
- Verified traveler (8/5): Nice , affordable and close to everything. - We found the Hotel Red Booby clean and comfortable. It was close to everything In town.
Staff was helpful and available when needed.
A good thing to know - they do not take credit.
A good choice for this price point.
- Ron (8/5): - Very close to the main street, lots of bars and restaurants nearby, Inkos was a very good one. Went snorkeling twice in January on the equator, water was not warm, so we used wetsuits. The hotel was a place to sleep, as they should be when on vacation
- DoesNotGetOutMuch (8/5): Central, excellent outdoor space and pool, filtered water - This was out base for a week on Galapagos Islands.
The hotel is a good 2.5 stars with filtered water and very friendly staff.
The rooms are set across three levels with stairs between each.
Each room has a small air conditioner.
There is hot water. TV is basic Ecuadorian.
Breakfast is provided and is basic by Euro or US standards but includes boiled eggs, breads and tomato. The coffee is relatively weak but you get a cup from several local places.
There is a laundry service - wash and dry.
There is some road noise until around 9.30pm.
There are multiple restaurants within 5 mins walk, the marina and Darwin museum are 7 to 15 mins away walking.
This is good place to undertake an adventure on Galapagos - it is basic with all that you need. You can stock up on drinks and snack type things at a shop across the street and there is also a Pharmacia on the same street.
Sitting on the balcony or around the pool with a drink in evening is very pleasant after a long day adventuring.
- 888witolds (8/5): Good location, swimming pool - Hotel with open-air patio and roof swimming pool located close to the main stree and the port. You get your own outside door key, so no problem with returning at night. Good service, but rather poor breakfasts (like most Equador hotels).
- elizabethcR3077XI (10/5): Friendly staff, roof top swimming - We stayed a week at the Red Footed Boobie on Santa Cruz island in the Galápagos Islands. The hotel staff were extremely engaging and we felt that we had made new friends. The hotel was lovely with several beautiful common sitting areas. We especially enjoyed the roof top pool. We were walking distance of several sights and walking distance to shops and restaurants. The room was clean, quiet and air conditioned. Breakfast was included and was excellent. I would stay here again!!
- Kerry (8/5): Convienient and has nice pool - This was a comfortable hotel in a good location. The staff were excellent and friendly. The pool was great. The room itself was sparse and the shower was uncomfortable - no place to put soap or shampoo. My room was surrounded by windows and looked out onto other room's windows. I found the price to be high for the quality of the accommodation; however, I was meeting a tour group at the hotel the day after I arrived, so it was convenient. I would consider a less expensive property if I returned, not because of the hotel, but because of the value for money.
- gbrportland (8/5): Nice place for several nights in Puerto Ayora - A large group (32+ people) stayed here for several nights as part of a tour. My husband and I had a twin room just off the main reception area on the first floor (behind the hammocks) - it was clean, but quite spare. No shade on the overhead bulb and no light at all back in the dark corner with shelving for luggage/belongings. I loved the firm platform beds - very comfortable with clean sheets daily. We kept the A/C running pretty much all the time, partly for fresh air (our window opened into the reception area, which was often noisy, so we kept it closed) and partly for white noise. The bathroom was good-sized with a nice shower (always hot water when we wanted it). The toilet did break down (bad flushing mechanism) during our stay, but the staff worked quickly to put together a temporary repair and then a better fix first thing in the morning. The bathroom window also opened into the main reception area - one must be careful with the noises one makes (and we closed the bathroom door at night to minimize noise levels from the outside).
The staff spoke English well enough and were always responsive and attentive. We had a number of breakfasts there (scrambled eggs, pancakes, "sausage", breakfast rolls, cheese, sliced meats, fruit) - hot food not very hot, but all pretty good anyway.
Probably our biggest issue was the difficult-to-access and very slow internet connection - we had to sit right outside the office to get a signal and competed with everyone else for bandwidth to post an occasional photo to FB. They could definitely work on that.
The Red Booby is located just a few blocks from the major shopping district along the bay, so easy to walk everywhere. (It's also easy to get lost, though, because streets aren't on a straightforward grid and it's almost impossible to find street names at intersections, so be prepared to do some wandering around in Puerto Ayora).
All in all, I would recommend the Red Booby as a nice place to call home while visiting Santa Cruz - is is comfortable and convenient with a staff who is striving to be of service.
- SLCJAH (10/5): Great Place! - We stayed several nights here. 2nd floor, room 10. Expect street noise until 10-11:00 p.m. Overall loved this place. Little English spoken. But, breakfast included, location is central (big factor) - you can walk the main town, pool on the rooftop, laundry facilities, filtered water available to refill your bottles, clean rooms, nice staff. Hammocks, covered tables, etc... on the property. Though I paid via PayPal in advance for the room - I was asked to pay THEIR PayPal fee upon arrival. They don't tell you this in advance that I could find - so beware. I paid it. There may be less expensive places to stay ($110 per night), but I think on this island you get what you pay for ad far as se vice and location.
- donna g (10/5): Great value - Great size room with a great view of the city!
- sakura_wingz (8/5): Lovely place - Staff have no English (but who cares) but very nice. Rooms are comfortable with tv, wardrobe and bathroom is simple but generously sized and clean.
Amenities!!!!! Shampoo, conditioner and soap in their own adorable packaging.
Nothing in turn I'd far from one another but it's centrally located. Only bad thing was the terrible breakfast although the fresh juice was nice. Eggs were really salty.
Otherwise recommend!
- 308evelynp (8/5): Nice and clean hotel - We stayed in a room with 3 beds and had plenty of room for our stuff. Room was clean, beds comfortable and always had hot water and air conditioning. Short walk to main port area with shopping and restaurants. Nothing fancy about the rooms but would stay here again.
- Grizinator (8/5): Nice little hotel close to all that Puerto Ayora has to offer - Stayed here with a group of 40 travelers last May and I have nothing but good things to say about this hotel. Comfortable beds in clean rooms, with adequate air conditioning. Breakfast was superb, buffet style. The roof top pool was small but perfect and the courtyard with hammocks was an added bonus. If you are looking for the Hyatt, this isn't it. If you are looking for a great establishment that will offer a pleasant stay, then this is your spot.
- Chezcosy (8/5): Great little spot - stay here - If you want Dorchester/DoubleTree/Savoy then head off and spend the money. If however you want clean, affordable and really friendly right in the middle of everything you need then this place might be for you. The staff don't speak English much (why should they?) but are as warm, welcoming and helpful as you can imagine. Our room was small but very clean. Air-con was most welcome and bathroom/shower were good. Rooftop pool is a nice touch and the breakfast was pretty good too. Well placed for tour operators, restaurants and has a pharmacy and supermarket right across the street. I'd definitely stay here again.
- aneefaa (8/5): Great breakfast - I stayed here with a group of teachers and students. The kids really enjoyed the pool and the roof terrace. There was a lot of outdoor space to relax in...the hammocks were particularly enjoyable. Breakfast was excellent with fresh juices every morning. The rooms were large and comfortable with an abundant supply of hot water.
- maria (8/5): - En general bueno el servicio, muy limpio.Personal muy amable.
La ubicacion es muy buena pues esta equidistante del muelle , de los kioscos y otros restaurantes.
- Nancy (10/5): Couldn't have asked for a better stay - Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Room was sparse but clean. Very nice breakfast included. Staff actually concerned when we didn't show up for breakfast one morning due to an early tour. I've never had that happen and was nice to know they were looking out for us. Hotel gave good recommendations on tour operators to use. Would definately stay here again!
- Verified traveler (6/5): Good location a bit pricey. - Me and my wife stayed at this hotel in Santa Cruz.
The location of the hotel is good, very short walking distance to the main street and with good restaurants around.
The rooms are spacious though basic. The first night we stayed in a room on the ground floor facing the street, and the second night we stayed in a bit smaller room on the second floor inside the hotel. The A/C in the first room wasn't working very good, it worked for about 5 minutes and then stopped for about 10-15 minutes before it started working again. On the second room the A/C worked perfect, even though we decided not to use at at night as it was a bit colder. But the room had an odd smell.
Breakfast was good if a wide variety of options including fruits, pancakes, scramble eggs, fresh bread and etc'.
The service in general was good and staff was nice, BUT most of the time there was no one at the front desk so if you need something you need to wait for someone to pass by. Few times we tried to ring the bell to call to someone but it seems no one noticed it. At first they told us to leave the room key at the reception when going out of the hotel, but when we saw that there is no one at the reception few times and a room key lying on the front desk for few hours we've been told we can take the key with us.
Overall it is a nice place to stay at, should have staff more available at the front desk. But we think it is a bit expensive for what you actually get.
- Amy_Stillar (8/5): Clean and comfortable in paradise - A group of 40 of us stayed here in May for 4 nights and it was wonderful. Check-in for the huge group of us was a breeze, the staff doesn't speak much english, but were very sweet and friendly. The rooms are not fancy, but are clean and much more comfortable than we expected knowing that this is not a land of 5 star Hiltons. The hotel has a nice little pool on the roof, sitting areas and hammocks all over and a fantastic breakfast with fresh juices every morning. We also had plenty of hot water for showers. It was definitely a great place to call home for 4 nights. Great location as well, only a few minutes walk to the harbour.
- rodniobe (6/5): It's okay - The hotel it'self is okay, the breakfast is good and everything is clean. The staff was a bit clueless. I had my door open 3 times for cleaning w/o them knocking! I was sick so I stayed in and they would just come in even after I asked them to not clean. Overall, it's expensive in terms of what you get.
- Barbara and Dave (8/5): Friendly people, good location - This hotel is very conveniently located a block from the waterfront in Puerto Ayora. The staff was very friendly and helpful, especially [...] at the front desk. There were a few little snags that we expected in a developing country - the cable was out for 3 of the 4 days, and water leaked under the balcony door and into the room when it rained especially hard. But the breakfasts were excellent, the room very clean and quiet, the air conditioning worked great, and there was always hot water. Plus the staff was great!P.S. The hotel seemed quite expensive when I booked it, but everything is expensive in the Galapagos Islands.
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