Cartagena Hotels

Our Members Say

socheid
Reviews: 279

3 out of 5 stars User Rating

Hostel Artur (prev called Hostel Akel): Not too bad

I originally ended up here as overspill from Hostal Nueva Luna. I was originally concerned when after making a reservation in a Hostal, I was being taken to a place clearly labelled a hostel. Having stayed there, I am unsure why it is labelled as a hostel and not as a hostal.

There are 6 room in total, 3 on the 1st and 3 on the 2nd floor. There are no dorms, only doubles / twins etc. There is wifi on the 1st floor that works well. However the signal doesn't appear up to the 2nd floor (certainly not for room 5). There is also a web connected PC in reception for guests to use.

Breakfast is not included and I suspect this is why this place is branded a hostel and not a hostal. There is a cooker and a fridge.

The woman who works on reception is the manager and very helpful.

Noise from the reception / kitchen area on the 1st floor carries into the rooms from early in this morning. Street noise also carries through. Also the guy who works on the night shift has the tv on all night. I suggest you ask him to turn it down (he is a nice guy) and / or bring ear plugs. From the early morning sleep deprivation and the afternoon heat, I found myself tired in the afternoons. I was though able to sleep with earplugs in.

There's no hot water but in the heat of Caratagena this isn't the end of the world. Air con works well.

Location is great, 5 min walk to the clock tower at the old city wall.

After staying the 1st night I asked for a night extra and was told that since expedia etc weren't involved, I would be billed the reduced rate of 80 000 pesos for a single.

Unique Quality: Despite the drawbacks re noise and after a less than favourable 1st impression (see separate review re Hostal Nueva Luna), I grew into liking this place. The wifi works OK the 1st floor and the woman working there was sound. I was able to sleep in the afternoon with ear plugs so overall I was OK with this place at 80 000 pesos for a single.

Opinion of Price: about average
Written January 28, 2013

socheid
Reviews: 279

3 out of 5 stars User Rating

Getsemani area: Seemed ok to me

When I was researching the trip to Cartagena I read some concerns some people had re safety in this area. This is my observations from having just stayed there for 4 nights.

1stly it is backpacker ground zero. There's a lot of hostels in this area, a lot of backpackers in this area and a lot of bars etc geared to catering for backpackers. If this is what you are looking for then you are in business. If this is what you are looking to avoid then defo don't stay in this area.

There is some hustle and bustle in the street from Colombians going about their business. This wasn't in a bad sense and to me gave the place a little bit of vibrancy.

When I checked into the place I stayed in, the manager said to me the area was OK but I should be careful at 2 am. I rolled in more than once after 2 am. I didn't feel threatened nor intimidated once (and I am hardly the aggressive type nor built like a hulking brute).

I also read some concerns re prostitutes being in this area. I have a pretty low tolerance threshold for people giving me unwanted attention. There was a few of them on the street that went from Getsemani to the clock tower at the old city walls. They weren't persistent though and didn't cause me any sort of aggravation and to me this wasn't an unbearable nuisance. The proximity to the old city is good, a 5 min stroll.

Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
Written January 28, 2013

socheid
Reviews: 279

1 out of 5 stars User Rating

Hostal Nueva Luna: What I was promised by the manager wasn't provided

I made a reservation for this place via expedia. When I arrived I was told that there must be an issue at the expedia side of things as they didn't have my reservation. Obviously I can't comment on where the issue in the end to reservation process (ie whether with expedia or with the hotel). This is the 1st time though I've been told that there's such an issue when making a booking with Expedia so at the mo I wonder if the issue was with the hotel?

Nueva Luna seems to be quite an enterprise that they have though. Right next door to Nueva Luna Hostal is Nueva Luna Hostel.

I was told that the hotel was full. The guy who appeared to the manager owner told me that he had another place immediately round the corner and that I could stay there instead. While I was waiting for them to come up with an answer in Nueva Luna, I had a quick look in the bedroom nearest the reception desk. I was surprised to see that for a hostal, the 1st thing inside was a bunk bed. There was a constant coming and going of backpackers. I couldn't help wonder if this place would have been better labelled as a hostel and not a hostal.

At the place I was taken to round the corner had no dorms and from what I can gather no bunk beds. I was taken to a room on the 2nd floor. I specifically asked if the wifi worked in this bedroom and was told 'yes'. After the manager guy disappeared and I got settled in, I tried the wifi and it most certainly didn't work. The signal strength from the router at reception wasn't strong enough due to the distance. I asked another person involved in the running of the place when I was there if the wifi worked on the 2nd floor. I was told 'no'. Thus the comment from the guy before about the wifi working in this room seems to have been nonsense. Hence why I am rating this place with the score I am awarding it.

Unique Quality: Can't rely on what the manager says to be true.

Opinion of Price: about average
Address: Calle Media Luna
Written January 28, 2013

DAO
Reviews: 3383

HOTEL CARTAGENA DE INDIAS: ROOFTOP POOL IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL

I came across this hotel by chance in the Historical District when I noticed cannon inside a hotel lobby. The cannon was from the 17th or 18th century and had been discovered when the Vélez Danies Building was being converted into this great looking hotel. The biggest selling point of the hotel is the rooftop pool overlooking the old city. Having said that, it’s also a source of complaints when they host loud parties up here. You may want to check, especially at these prices, that there are no parties scheduled for your stay.

The rooms are all unique and are beautiful. Some do not have a bathtub, others a deep Jacuzzi. There is an absence of practical furniture, like drawers, but they are all nicely decorated.

The roof is the real beauty. You have to go through the tasteful lobby and water wall to go up. On the top you have a dramatic pool, Jacuzzi and the Sky Bar. Go for at least a drink and maybe a swim, even if you are not staying here.

All rooms share:
* Designs by local artist Mauricio Pinto
* 32-inch LCD televisions
* Ceiling fans and climate control
* Mini bars
* Rainfall showers
* Spa toiletries
* Bose Radio and iPod speaker system
* Safe

Unique Quality:
• Sky Bar and rooftop pool
• Tropical garden
• Complimentary breakfast
• Spa treatments
• Fantastic location
• Free parking

Opinion of Price: most expensive
Address: Calle Velez Danies 33 No. 4 – 39 Centro historico
Phone: 1-57- 5-6600133
Website: https://booking.ihotelier.com/istay/istay.jsp?HotelID=17719
Related to: Romantic Travel and Honeymoons, Spa and Resort, Luxury Travel
Written May 27, 2012

ROOFTOP POOL

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JessieLang
Reviews: 636

5 out of 5 stars User Rating

2.5 out of 5 stars Helpfulness

Hotel Don Pedro de Heredia: History and comfort

The Hotel Don Pedro de Heredia is in an old colonial house. It has been modernized without losing its character. The rooms have heavy wood beams on the ceiling, lots of old brick, carved wood furniture, and lots of drawer space. There are tile mosaics on the wall in the lobby and the upstairs hall. The hotel does have an elevator, and good AC. There is a small, but nice, pool in the central courtyard.

It is a short walk to Parque Bolivar, museums, and major churches.

Unique Quality: My favorite hotels are the ones with history and local flavor, and this one has it.

Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
Address: Calle Primera de Badillo, #35-7
Phone: +575 6647270
Related to: Historical Travel
Written March 31, 2012

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richiecdisc
Reviews: 5866

4 out of 5 stars Helpfulness

Casa Villa Colonial: the more expensive sister hotel

Unique Quality: Though we did not stay at Casa Villa Colonial, it did play an important role in our finding its sister (and more affordable!) hotel, Hotel Villa Colonia. The Casa is one of the more upscale options that have popped up on Calle de la Media Luna. It is a gorgeous place with very nice common areas and the rooms were quite well-appointed but at 100000 ($50), it was a bit out of our price range. I also felt the rooms were a bit small for the price and not all that much nicer than their budget facility around the corner which was considerably less money.

Opinion of Price: about average
Address: Calle de la Media Luna No. 10-89
Related to: Luxury Travel, Photography, Romantic Travel and Honeymoons
Written November 7, 2010

one of the up & coming Getsemani hotels

richiecdisc
Reviews: 5866

5 out of 5 stars User Rating

4.5 out of 5 stars Helpfulness

Hotel Villa Colonial: a romantic place for a fraction more

Nothing like a crappy room to get you motivated and out early to find something either better or at least cheaper. That was my second morning in Cartagena in a nutshell but I couldn't quite decide which it was I was looking for. It was a romantic town and a nice room would probably be more appropriate but it was also one of Colombia's more expensive towns and to keep costs down after nice rooms in a few Colonial towns en route, it might make more sense to go for a cheapie, figuring we'd not really spend a lot of time in the room. I sure found some cheap places despite it being the hottest destination in Colombia. There were double rooms for as little as 20000 COP ($10) but I wasn't sure if they came with women or not and getting by the gauntlet of hookers to get to some of them might not be the most pleasant nightly ritual either. This was taking the romantic room notion a bit too far in one direction or the other and it got me to realize that this was NOT the place to go for a cheap place to stay. So, I went in the other direction and most of the places, though quite nice, were just too expensive when you're on a two month trip. Eventually, I found a sister hotel to one listed in our guidebook as a nice pricey option. This one, right around the corner, was nearly as nice and much more reasonable.

Unique Quality: They were, however, not too into bargaining and their initial price offer of 65000 COP ($32.50) was as low as they would go. This was actually a good price compared to the 60000 we had paid at La Casona but undaunted, I had to ask for a discount again when we were checking in. In my most polite Spanish, I asked if it was possible to get a discount and the manager just as politely and even more cutely said it was not possible. Actually, this place was on an entirely different planet than La Casona. It was THAT much nicer. Big, airy, with a small mock balcony overlooking a quiet inner courtyard. It was very nicely furnished and bright. The private bath was modern and the whole place was clean. The common areas including a very nice rooftop terrace were well kept and a pleasure to hang out in or just walk through en route to your room. They even had free Internet in the lobby!

As it turned out, we wound up spending a lot of time in the room. We found Cartagena far too hot in the middle of the day so we generally went out early in the morning to take photos and have breakfast and would come back often before lunch or at the latest right after it. We didn't go back out till late afternoon when the light was getting good again and the heat started to subside.

Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
Address: Calle de las Maravillas (street of the beautiful ones!) No. 30-60
Related to: Photography, Romantic Travel and Honeymoons, Budget Travel
Written November 7, 2010

nice big room, nice big bed

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richiecdisc
Reviews: 5866

2 out of 5 stars User Rating

4 out of 5 stars Helpfulness

La Casona: not quite what we envisioned

Even with an early departure from Mompos, we arrived in Cartagena in the afternoon and did not want to spend too much time looking for a room. The bus terminal was on the outside of town and we took a cab so it was imperative to give him an address of where we were staying rather than deal with him maybe pawning us on to a friend's place. We decided La Casona sounded decent enough and it had a great location to explore from. On arriving the place looked nice enough from the outside but the rooms were very cramped and worse for wear and tear. It was looking like a temporary fix to say the least.

Unique Quality: Though not exactly the room we had envisioned in romantic Cartagena, it was cheap enough and adequate for one night. The furniture was quite dated and the lighting was typical cheapo fluorescent. It had a real damp feeling too even with the air on. The bathroom was old as well. I knew I'd be out in the morning looking for something either cheaper or better, hopefully both.

We paid 60,000 COP ($30) for one night and were happy to move on the next day.

Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
Address: Calle Tripita & Media No. 31-32
Related to: Romantic Travel and Honeymoons, Backpacking, Budget Travel
Written November 7, 2010

the best part La Casona, the courtyard

hanspeter_W.
Reviews: 1165

5 out of 5 stars User Rating

tropical inn: nice beach hotel on tierrabomba

just 15 minutes by boattransfer from cartagena you find very nice beach hotel at tierra bomba island, beautiful rooms, nice garden with swimming pool, beautiful beach infront with view to cartagena
delicious food, nice drinks
friendly helpful reception
good massages can be done infront of the hotel

Unique Quality: delicious food, nice drinks
good massages can be done infront of the hotel
from the side rooms can get sometimes some loud music from the neighbouring club, but usally nice colombian music

Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
Address: at tierra bomba opposite cartagena main beach
Phone: (57)56734046
Website: http://www.hotelestropical-inn.com/cartagena.html
Written October 31, 2010

garden of tropical inn

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hanspeter_W.
Reviews: 1165

5 out of 5 stars User Rating

casa india catalina: one of the best homes one can imagine

We came as hotel (=luxurious hostel) guests to our 4 days stay at Hostal Casa India Catalina
in the center of historic Cartagena and left like a housemember with best memories of a pülace where everybody remind your name and your likes and dislikes (breakfast,internet etc)
Do not mix up the hotel with two other hotels with very simular names

Unique Quality: very friendly unusal helpful and informative service from everyone from recepcionist (never will forget Jhuliana and Cindy) over the guy whjo made breakfast and the housemaid.
very beautiful decorations in the house, lovely colours, very safe
we had room 203 with balcony..excellent room..but guess all are nice
one of the best places i ever stayed

Opinion of Price: about average
Address: Centro, Calle del Coliseo No. 5-67
Phone: 6644361-6645791
Website: http://www.hotelcasaindiacatalina.com/home.htm
Written October 31, 2010

inside of casaindia catalina

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Our Members Say

Hostel Artur (prev called Hostel Akel): Not too bad

Getsemani area: Seemed ok to me

Hostal Nueva Luna: What I was promised by the manager wasn't provided

HOTEL CARTAGENA DE INDIAS: ROOFTOP POOL IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL

Hotel Don Pedro de Heredia: History and comfort

Casa Villa Colonial: the more expensive sister hotel

Hotel Villa Colonial: a romantic place for a fraction more

La Casona: not quite what we envisioned

tropical inn: nice beach hotel on tierrabomba

casa india catalina: one of the best homes one can imagine

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