Hotel Indigo Galapagos by IHG

The service was the highlight. I celebrated my 40th birthday with a wonderful dinner at Darwin’s Secret, and Jonathan T was so kind. The bartender and lunch server were great too, Stwart? Try the pina colada! The hotel and rooms were all extremely clean and nice. We were put in a third-floor corner room, but the AC wasn't working, so we had to move to the second floor. That was a bit of a bummer, though they sorted it out quickly. All in all, amazing. Thank you!

Don't book Hotel Indigo unless you're certain you'll arrive on San Cristobal. We landed at the main Galapagos airport on Baltra/Santa Cruz after 3 PM and then found out that getting to the hotel would take a grueling four hours by bus, taxi, and public ferry. The ferry stops running at 3 PM, so we had no way to cross and couldn't reach the hotel. We contacted them right away to explain we were stranded on another island, but they refused to cancel or refund the booking. It felt like a calculated "tourist trap": they know how confusing the geography and transfer can be, and seemed happy to profit from an honest mistake when we physically couldn't show up. A luxury brand like IHG/Indigo should show empathy and flexibility instead of profiting from a travel mishap. Stay away if customer service matters to you.

We enjoyed the hotel, but came away disappointed that the pool stayed closed. We wouldn't have booked six nights in January if we'd known it would be unavailable. On day 2 it was emptied after a guest reportedly broke a glass, with a promise it would be refilled the next day. On day 3 we were told 5pm, and on day 4, maybe day 5 but definitely day 6. It was still closed on day 7. The communication was poor, and with these prices, having no pool at a tropical resort is unacceptable. The hot tub was empty on our first day. It worked by day 2, but the water looked quite discolored by day 6. The shower pressure was low, and twice we had no hot water, even though the hotel wasn't full. That also seems unacceptable for this price. There was plenty we liked: the hotel is beautiful, with a style and atmosphere that fit the Galapagos wonderfully. Staff were fantastic, friendly, and helpful. The drinks were wonderful, the food at Darwin's and by the pool was very good, and the breakfast buffet was above average. The property was very clean, with daily maid service. There's no turndown service, but that's not something I'd expect at a four-star hotel. It has great potential, but our experience fell short of what we expected for the property and its price.

San Cristobal is magical, and we wished we could've stayed longer. My wife and I had a wonderful honeymoon stay at Hotel Indigo. The location was great, and we loved the pool. Bruce at the front desk and the rest of the staff were especially helpful and accommodating.