In many ways Guayaquil is the perfect base for a Galapagos cruise - although it doesn't have the charm of Quito, the 'last port on the Caribbean' has a tropical buzz all its own, and in any case if you are just flying in and out on your way to and from the Galapagos Islands then you aren't likely to have a great deal of time for sightseeing. This is when Guayaquil's location right on the Pacific coast, and with correspondingly short flight times to the Galapagos, comes into its own.
One thing which has held Guayaquil back in this respect, however, has been a shortage of top-quality hotel accommodation. This looks set to change, however, with the announcement by the Swissotel group that they plan to construct a brand-new, 35-floor hotel in Guayaquil. With a couple of other hotel groups also looking at Guayaquil, the city looks set for a real hotel renaissance.