Sometimes you want a home away from home. Hotels are nice, but they do involve a certain adherence to a schedule. It can get tiring eating in restaurants all the time, and having to go out if you want more than a mini bar snack or room service. Perhaps you want more privacy. Sometimes you need a little more space, ideally with a terrace and a view. Particularly when you’re travelling with children.
These are the times you want an apartment, not a hotel suite. Torre Mar Luxury Vacation Rentals is an excellent choice on the main island of Santa Cruz in Galapagos, particularly after the rigorous schedule of a cruise and you just want to relax at the end of your vacation.
Owners Donna and John have several apartments and even a town house available, depending on how much space you need. I stayed in a lovely two bedroom flat in their main building, a few blocks from Puerto Ayora’s main street and on the same floor as the huge Terraza Social with a hammock, barbeque and views of the sea. You’re a short walk to restaurants, bars, food shops, day-trip providers and the port with its sleeping sea lions.
The flats are well-furnished and well-supplied. When you see the giant lobsters for sale at the fish market, you will crave the opportunity to cook up a feast. At Torre Mar you can! There’s even a blender so you can mix up some creative cocktails to enjoy on the terrace.
Flats all have a private balcony, come fully furnished, with full kitchen including microwave, plus LCD TV with DVD, and a local cell phone (you just need to buy minutes; SIM cards are difficult for non-Ecuadorians to buy).
US$ 125 – 550 / night or US$ 750 – 2500 / week
– Full kitchen with gas stove to create your own Galapagos gastronomic feasts
– Rent multiple apartments if you’ve been travelling with a group (can sleep up to 16)
– Room to stretch out and feel like you’re at home
– Would be lovely to have a few basics stocked in the kitchen beyond salt and pepper
– Beds aren’t too photogenic, but are very comfortable!
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor
A serene five-star hotel in the Galápagos, Royal Palm is indeed royal, with Prince Charles staying here in 2009. Royal Palm is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, and has the location, facilities and service that you would expect of such a designation — all excellent.
Up in the highlands of Santa Cruz island, on a 190 hectare (480 acre) private estate, the hotel is an ideal place to cool down and relax after a day’s Galápagos explorations. On site are a health and fitness centre (with exercise equipment, table tennis, jacuzzi, sauna and massage room), tennis courts, swimming pool, business centre, and a delicious restaurant, complete with grand piano and fireplace.
There are eight rooms (casitas) and 13 stand-alone spacious villas. Each has a jacuzzi built for two and the villas have wood-burning fireplaces. My villa had a view of the sea, birds flitting past, and four very large rooms (six, if you count the separate rooms for the shower and toilet).
Ensure you save time to explore the on-site lava tunnel. Much more interesting than the main Santa Cruz lava tunnel, you’ll be fascinated by the geological history of the island, stories of the original owner’s lava tunnel parties and wine cellar, and learn to identify a lava bomb. There are even a few plants thriving deep underground, despite receiving only two hours of artificial light per day. Aspiring naturalists will be just as fascinated by the tunnel as they are with Galápagos’ endemic animal population.
The Royal Palm is a hotel which takes the environment seriously. They are replanting forests with the rare native miconia plant, collect and filter rainwater (vastly reducing the reliance on water tankers necessary to deliver fresh water to most parts of the islands), and have an organic kitchen garden.
Services and facilities are exceptional, befitting a Leading Hotel of the World. Royal Palm is your perfect choice for a luxe stay in Galápagos.
3-night packages including meals begin at $3546 per couple.
– A most relaxing evening in a bubble-filled jacuzzi watching the flames dance in the fireplace
– The coolest hotel feature ever: a walk-through lava tunnel!
– Exceptional service and facilities in Galápagos’ only five star hotel
– The beautiful pool is not yet heated (the hotel is working on an environmental approach)
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor
The old saying of arrive a guest, leave a friend is true of Ayasoluk Hotel. The friendly and chatty Kurdish management staff and the smiling young girls who cater to your every need do their best to make you feel part of the family. They go out of their way to help everyone who crosses their path. I was even offered free reign in the kitchen, should I desire a midnight snack or some such.
Ayasoluk is a fresh face on the Selcuk hotel scene, opening mid-2014. It’s a lovely family run boutique, designed and built by the Turkish and American owners. The hotel sits on Ayasoluk hill, amidst quiet village backstreets, an area steeped in history. Within a minutes walking of the centre of Selcuk, Ayasoluk provides a pleasant oasis from the world, allowing you to relax in the lovely courtyard and take in the views.
From the deep blue swimming pool, and from most of the rooms, you can see all the sights the area has to offer – the Virgin Mary’s Chruch, Artemis Temple, St John’s Cathedral and the old Castle, Isa Bei Mosque and the Seven Sleepers hill are all within view, and most within walking distance. The ruins of Ephesus are hidden only by the hill.
The rooms are cosy and well designed. The 17 rooms each have their own unique features, some with fireplaces, French balconies overlooking the village or comfortable window seats, perfect for whiling away a few hours reading. Light switches are within easy reach of the comfortable bed and there’s a superfast USB charging point to save you from all those adapters. There’s air conditioning and heating but I also like the touch of a ceiling fan.
The décor is colourfully Turkish inspired, with handmade Turkish carpets covering the hard floors. If you see something you like – ask to take it home. Carpet selling has been in the family for generations and they own a carpet shop in town (though there’s no pressure to buy).
The breakfast spread is varied and tasty and in the summer time the restaurant provides lunch and dinner service which is also popular with outside customers. I joined the staff for family lunches and can attest to the good work of the chef.
From US$75 per night
– The window seat, with fantastic views, perfect for reading or relaxing
– Friendliness and hospitality of the staff, they really want to do things for you
– Freshest breakfast pastries I’ve had in Turkey
– The shower stall is semi-enclosed, I managed to soak the entire room with the second showerhead though this could be avoided with a little more attention.
– Lack of bathroom amenities – there are slippers and fluffy towels but only soap provided. If you prefer your own shampoo anyway this won’t bother you.
Simone
Review Team
Cella Hotel & Spa is the newest member to the Selcuk hotel scene (the hotel opened late 2014) and is set to be the area’s premier luxury hotel. The Turkish and French owners, along with their management staff, are passionate about making Cella the first choice for guests demanding service, attention and luxury.
The newly built hotel is inspired by nearby Ephesus and Greco-Roman statues grace the niches between the windows. Inside, antique meets modern – the interior décor is inspired by French, Italian and Mediterranean styles. Marble statues sit alongside quirky 1950’s barber tools.
The rooms are opulent, many with gold plated bathroom fittings. The 17 rooms are uniquely decorated but share common features such an enormous king size bed (much bigger than my arm span – I don’t think I touched the same place twice during the night), flat screen TV, great Wi-Fi, minibar, tea/coffee facilities, safe and delicious smelling Bulgari toiletries. My dry skin was grateful for the creamy body lotion. VIP room come with either a private sauna, Turkish hamam or bedside Jacuzzi.
For those of us not favored with a VIP choice, you can pamper yourselves in the downstairs spa area where the sauna and hamam are open for all guests. A better option is to employ the services of Tulay – her calm presence will soothe you before she even begins to work out the muscles in your shoulders.
The organic breakfast is cooked fresh and served all day (perfect for late sleepers) and I recommend the fried eggs with cheese and pastrami. Naturally, with so much good choice (there are variations every morning), I over indulged and had more than enough energy to take one of the free bikes for a pedal in the nearby hills.
The hotel is popular in the summer time, particularly with couples and friends travelling. I recommend travelling here in a pair – this is an experience you’ll want to share. I was treated incredibly well during my stay, you will be too.
From US$110 per night
– The pillow menu – your choice between hard (silicone), medium hard (fiber), medium soft (bead fiber), soft (goose quill)
– The location – within walking distance but on the edge of farmland, with views to the mountains
– Ali and his team can’t do enough for you
– The feminine flavour in the décor might not be to everyone’s taste
Simone
Review Team