Quito, Guayaquil, and even Cuenca are often the scene for professional meetings, conferences, and corporate gatherings. But organizations have begun to discover another location that offers one of the most attractive venues in the region: The Galapagos Islands.
Most people think of the Galapagos as a place to fly to for a week, climb aboard a boat, and see some turtles and iguanas before returning to the mainland to resume the business of life.
And though most visitors to Galapagos stay on a boat, more than 30,000 every year prefer to stay on shore in convenient and comfort accommodations. Among those visitors are thousands with a unique profile – the business traveler.
Aside from that once-in-a-life vacation that many people make to the Galapagos Islands, this natural wonder has always been a place for visitors to host and celebrate special occasions – family meetings and milestone events like weddings and anniversaries.
But Hotel Solymar has taken advantage of an ever-growing segment of the tourism market: business and event tourism.
Santa Cruz is a combination of both the exotic and the familiar, which is why many companies think of Galapagos’ main island as a destination for incentive trips. Businesses that wish to reward employees, offering individuals or small groups an opportunity to relax and re-generate, can find few locations more ideally suited for incentive travel.
With Solymar located on Charles Darwin Avenue, the main street in Puerto Ayora, guests are literally footsteps from the sea with access to all activities on and around the islands. Employees can explore and learn about the Galapagos or simply escape for an uninterrupted recess from the world of work.
But if work must continue, Hotel Solymar also is ideal for group collaboration. It is the only hotel in the Galapagos to offer complete services for any type of reunion. From professional meetings and congresses to seminars and conferences, the Solymar complex offers packages for all kinds of business events.
Isla Sol, an extension of Hotel Solymar that opened last year, has 14 large rooms (six with an exterior view and eight with an interior view) and modern installations that are ideal for any event hosted in Puerto Ayora.
The new installations include the Jimmy Perez Salon which accommodates 72 people and has the latest high-tech equipment for presentations and meetings. This room is in addition to the 36-person
Salon Lounge with theater-style seating.
Hotel Solymar has an additional 17 comfortable rooms in their principal tower that faces the ocean. They also count on first class installations, (pool, jacuzzi, restaurant and bar) and service and attention from a wonderful staff.
Solymar and Isla Sol, with spacious settings and warm lighting and decoration throughout the complex, are the result of a combination of fresh ideas from the Perez family who has owned and managed the hotel for many years.
The modern facilities give privacy and comfort and allow visitors to focus on business at hand, while offering spectacular breaks and opportunities to leave the conference room environment for “inspirational” sessions.
One more plus is Solymar’s location in Puerto Ayora, a town that continues to develop and diversify, striving to be sustainable as it provides the best options and services for visitors.
For those who say the exotic location of the Galapagos would be a distraction to any serious meeting, Solymar President Renato Perez indicates otherwise. “The natural attractions of the islands, the excursions and Charles Darwin Station, these are not distractions to a well-planned event, they are additional activities that can be incorporated into a creative, business agenda, or a family reunion.” He says the fresh air of the ocean breeze will bring fresh ideas to any group setting.
Plan Your Meeting Today
If you wish to travel to Puerto Ayora, flights depart from Guayaquil or Quito and arrive at Baltra Island. A bus will bring you to the Itabaca Canal where a ferry takes travelers to Santa Cruz. From there, reaching Puerto Ayora is a beautiful, 42km ride through the Santa Cruz highlands.
Hotel Solymar offers special packages. To arrange your group meetings and special events contact them at www.hotelsolymar.com.ec. /[email protected], [email protected] or call (593 5)252-6281 / 252-7015. Follow them on Twitter @HotelSolymarGPS or join the hotel on Facebook: Hotel Solymar Galapagos.
Ciudad Puerto Ayora