Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel

Michael P6 months ago

I have planned countless trips to interesting locations around the world, but planning this trip to the Galápagos Islands was by far the most challenging. It started eight months in advance with so many email exchanges back and forth with Metropolitan Touring, the company that manages Finch Bay, Mashpi Lodge, and Casa Gangotena. Sometimes communication was prompt and satisfying, other times it lagged and lacked information. And when the one person with whom I had communicated the most was replaced by someone new just a couple of weeks before our arrival, I had to provide a lot of the same information again. Also inconvenient was the need to pre-pay for almost everything (accommodations, transfers, tours, and even the special New Year’s Eve dinner). And all of those items were very expensive.||But after arriving in the Galápagos, and checking into Finch Bay Galápagos Hotel, all that effort and expense melted away. It is an extraordinary place.||I was so glad we paid for the private transfers, as that meant someone was on-hand to greet us at the airport, escort us to and pay for the shuttle bus to the ferry, escort us to and pay for the ferry, ensure our luggage accompanied us, and then drive us to Puerto Ayora, where we met up with the Finch Bay water taxi. It was a lot of steps, and at times it felt a little chaotic, so we were grateful for that highly attentive individualized service.||We were also relieved that when the Finch Bay water taxi arrived at the dock, someone was on hand to take our luggage and cart it along the boardwalk to the hotel, without any effort from us. It was a hot 5-minute walk, so we were grateful to be unencumbered of suitcases.||Once we arrived at the serene and strikingly beautiful hotel, we were escorted to an air-conditioned room to complete the check-in process and sign some forms. We appreciated the cold towels and refreshing drinks that were offered us as we were told about the property, the New Year’s Eve festivities, and the tours we had booked.||Even though our arrival was a few hours before the official check-in time, our room was ready. We had stayed in spacious suites elsewhere in Ecuador, so I was prepared for the need to lower my expectations for the small Deluxe King I had reserved here. (It was the only room category available eight months prior, so if you want a suite, book early!) I was pleasantly surprised, however, that we had been assigned room 19. It is on the second floor, at the end of the building, so it has an extra picture window that overlooks the hotel’s gorgeous grounds and the ocean in the distance. The only drawback with this room is that the guests staying in the other three rooms in this section have to walk by 19 to get to their rooms, so it’s not very private; however, we did not find this to be an inconvenience or nuisance whatsoever.||Inside, the room looked as expected/as pictured on the website, but there was much more storage space than I had anticipated. We were easily able to store all of our clothes in the generous wardrobe cupboard, and there was room beside it to tuck away our suitcases. There was also a desk with a hard shell chair, nightstands flanking the very comfortable king-sized bed, and generous lighting. There is no television or clock in the room, but we found we didn’t even miss them!||The bathroom was also reasonably spacious, and we were able to store all of our toiletries on the shelf below the sink. One area for improvement here is the amenities—what’s provided is a generic eco-friendly brand of moisturizer, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner; instead, it really should be a luxury brand like L’Occitane, Molton Brown, Bvlgari, etc. The quality of the towels could also be improved, but the bathrobes were comfortable and well-sized. No slippers or flip-flops were provided, but we had brought the ones from Guayaquil’s Hotel del Parque with us. Finch Bay should consider providing them as well.||The hotel left a welcome message for us on the bed with lots of information about the Ecuadorian New Year’s Eve customs we could expect to experience that night, accompanied by a miniature papier-mâché mask, emblematic of the effigies that would be burned at midnight. As the hotel prides itself on its ecological policies and practices, there were two glass carafes of water provided, along with two complimentary hotel-branded metal water bottles that could be refilled anytime at the filtered water station behind the bar. ||After settling into the room, we spent some time exploring the property, and then we took the water taxi back to Puerto Ayora to do a little shopping. (There is no gift shop at the hotel besides a few hats for sale near the front desk.)||The New Year’s Eve gala that night was impressively organized. Tables were set up around the pool, beautifully decorated with candles, miniature lights, and local decorations. The meal was an extravagant buffet, and everything was delicious and presented with care and style. Disappointingly, only one glass of wine was included with the dinner—not even a glass of champagne at midnight. This was not what we’ve experienced at other hotels’ NYE galas we’ve enjoyed elsewhere over the years. There was live music, an impressive performance by Cesar on the maracas, and a bonfire by the spa for the countdown, where we were served 10 grapes to eat at midnight, and were encouraged to create and burn a list of things from 2023 that we would like to forget or improve. ||There was dancing afterwards, but we were too exhausted from a long day of travel, so we returned to the room, where we were pleased to see that they had performed turndown service. Our carafes were refilled, used towels replaced, blinds drawn, and the bed was turned down; little chocolates were placed delicately on garden leaves on the nightstand. Such a thoughtful and much-appreciated touch!||We had to get up excruciatingly early the next morning for our first of two trips on the hotel’s Sea Lion yacht. The hotel’s generous breakfast buffet is the best we’ve experienced anywhere in Ecuador: several freshly made juices, local fruit, cold meats and cheeses, hot local dishes, eggs, sausages, packages, waffles, French toast, and delectable breads and pastries. The coffee and espresso-based beverages were also excellent, and the service was prompt and cheerful. We looked forward to breakfast every morning!||The food offered at other meals was even more impressive than the breakfast. Absolutely everything we ordered for lunch or dinner was prepared with the utmost care, plated artistically, and incredibly delicious. And the craft cocktails made by the expert bartenders are the best we had in Ecuador. Again, their presentation is as wonderful as their taste.||Even the food served on the Sea Lion was very good: a small buffet of salad items, a couple of side dishes, and a choice of two entrees, usually chicken and fish. They also provided snacks (empanadas or cookies, served with lemonade) after each stop. Coffee and tea were available at all times, and soft drinks, beer, or wine could be ordered at an additional charge and signed to the room. Although very expensive, and a little repetitive with respect to the wildlife we saw, we enjoyed both yacht trips (Seymour Island and South Plaza).||On the one day we had without any tours booked, we enjoyed relaxing around the hotel’s pool—as did a constant parade of local birds and ducks! The lounge chairs are comfortable, and we appreciated their choice of “chill” or “spa” music they had playing.||The beach in front of the hotel was a bit of a surprise though. During the afternoon, it gets absolutely packed with day-trippers (see my photos). And there is nowhere to sit except directly on the sand. I was surprised the hotel didn’t have some chairs and umbrellas set up just inside the short stone wall that separates the beach from the resort property. In the early mornings, however, the beach was deserted. We felt privileged to be sharing the ocean at that time with only the fish, birds, sea lions, and white tipped sharks. The water was clear and warm, and we were so impressed to see how free the sand always was from any trash. ||I wanted to make use of the relatively new and well equipped gym and spa, but we just didn’t have time in our busy schedule. There is so much to see and do in the area, that most guests seemed to depart on excursions early in the morning and not return until late afternoon. That’s one of the reasons why the small, cruise-ship-like guest rooms work well here.||I have to admit, I might have had a tear in my eye when we checked out of Finch Bay. Our five-day stay felt…idyllic, like a wonderful dream. The facilities, food, and service are world-class. And the staff—across the board—are the kindest, friendliest, most-professional people we’ve encountered anywhere. Everyone seemed so happy to be doing their job, and their happiness was infectious. We wouldn’t have wanted to experience the Galápagos for the first time from anywhere else.|||||