I never get to town on the same day my cruise leaves. There is too much risk that something goes wrong, and I don’t want to miss the start of my cruise. Also, I almost always sail from Galveston. Galveston is one of my favorite vacation spots anyway. That begs the question of where to stay. I have previously stayed all over the island. We stayed at the Hampton Inn for our last cruise, and the Notorious P.I.G. stayed in an AirBnB this Summer. My favorite place, however, is the Hotel Galvez. Different parts of our group had a suite and a PURE room. I will tell you about both, and then I will share the public facilities at this amazing hotel.
Hotel Galvez Suite
This Summer, I was in Galveston with my wife and kids before our cruise. Regular rooms at the Hotel Galvez can be a touch on the small side. We elected to have a suite, and that was an excellent choice. The extra space was worth it. I took a video tour if you want to see the entire room.
The principal disadvantage of the suite was, of course, cost. We paid $499 a night, although this was on a weekend during peak season. At that time, regular rooms in ordinary hotel can easily be $300. We budgeted for that in advance, and it let us have an excellent room in our favorite hotel with a great location.
In addition to the space, the room came with coffee service. There was also a lounge area available to suite guests, and that space had a pool table. Our bathroom was large and featured a full tub with a shower. The bedding was extremely comfortable. The furniture was otherwise nice, although it did not scream “premium suite.” Still, the reason you get this room is to have a large space in a lovely hotel. Mission accomplished.
Hotel Galvez PURE room
Galveston Cruise Reviews contributor John Brawley Tophat stayed in this room on the same trip. We are given to believe that Mrs. Tophat selected the room, because…. Well, because when you wear a tophat in 2019 you shouldn’t be allowed to make a lot of choices. This is a regular hotel room, but it has a couple of important differences.
First, the room is designed to be allergy free. Second, the bathroom features a rain shower. There is no bathtub. Otherwise, it is a perfectly standard hotel room. We have a video of it on our Youtube page. Most of the rooms at the Hotel Galvez are fairly small, and this is no exception. You can book the room with a Gulf or Island view. If you are a large group, I recommend against this room. If you are single or a couple, however, it is excellent. The bedding is comfortable, and any room in the hotel gives you access to the excellent hotel facilities.
Hotel Galvez public areas
We have video of the spa, bar, pool and outdoor areas, and the indoor public areas. In addition to an excellent location, these services are why I sometimes pay the premium price this hotel commands. The bar is excellent, and the bartenders are knowledgeable. I enjoyed ordering bar bites from the restaurant while sitting in the bar. Sadly, I only ate in the restaurant itself for breakfast. I enjoyed that, but I preferred eating next door at Miller’s Seawall Grill. Look for that review in the coming weeks.
I booked a spa treatment in the afternoon, and the facilities were excellent. The prices were also lower than on the cruise ship. We spent a lot of time in the pool, and I particularly enjoyed the swim-up bar. The trip was in July, so the poolwas quite crowded.
Hotel Galvez cruise parking
We did not use this service. We are big fans of Galveston Park n’ Cruise. It is incredibly convenient, particularly on the morning you disembark. However, the Hotel Galvez offers excellent cruise parking. Please contact them for details in case things have changed. Presently, however, you valet park the night of your stay for $18. You then pay an additional $18 for the length of your stay. The hotel provides you a shuttle to the pier, and they pick you up when you return. This is a huge cost savings over many other options.
The Hotel Galvez charges a premium price, and many of the rooms are quite small. However, they also provide a premium experience. The rooms are lovely, and the service is excellent. The bar, spa, and pool are all top-notch. I strongly recommend the Hotel Galvez for a pre-cruise stay.
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