Hotel Crossman

We stayed here twice during our visit to the Galapagos, first for 3 nights and then for just one. The first room was good, though its bathroom was very small. The second room was much bigger, with a balcony and a much larger bathroom. There’s a shared outdoor space where you can sit with a coffee, beer, or snack, and water dispensers on two levels provide both hot and cold water. The hotel is only a block from a street full of restaurants. The staff are nice, and I’d stay again.

We got a private room for the two of us for $40/night, with hot water in the private bathroom. The kitchen is clean and really nice, with a refrigerator, and there are pleasant spots to sit and relax. It’s close to town, and the staff were very helpful. They even let us stay late so we could fit in one more snorkel. Great place.

I ended up staying here on three different occasions, five nights altogether, and found the prices very reasonable. You pay per person rather than per room, so as a solo traveler I got a bargain by asking for a double or deluxe room. The owners and staff were warm and easy to talk to, and could arrange rides to more distant places for a negotiated fare. The house sits in the back streets of Santa Cruz, among the last houses on the way to the Tortuga Bay entrance, which made an early walk to catch sunrise at the beach really convenient. The east-facing rooms also get lovely sunrises.

For what I paid, the room was better than I expected. It was spacious, upstairs, and had its own balcony, and both the Wi-Fi and air conditioning worked well. Laguna Beach, my favorite restaurant in Puerto Ayora, is right across the street. I only stayed one night, but I'd happily come back on a future visit.