Candilejo Hotel Boutique

It's a small boutique hotel, so you can hear some street noise, but it never stopped us from sleeping. The shower water only reached room temperature, though, and never got hot. I like hot showers, but I managed fine. The rooms were pretty and very clean, and the whole hotel was spotless. It's right in central Cartagena, so we didn't need taxis. There's AC in every room, though it takes a few minutes to cool things down. They lend out bikes for getting around, and provide what you need, including a mini fridge stocked with things to buy and items you may have forgotten. Breakfast is free, with a variety of things prepared when you arrive. There's also a tour agency at the bottom of the stairs that can book tours and explain them, which is easier than arranging them on the street. I'd recommend the hotel for its location, cleanliness, and good price.

The room was the problem. It was on the first floor, facing reception and the tour desk, and smelled strongly of damp and mold. I asked the receptionist if that was normal, and she said all the rooms smelled that way because of the humidity. I wore my N95 mask and earplugs the first night, then left the window open a little the next. The smell really bothered me, though my husband only noticed it slightly. An upper-floor room might be better since you can open the windows wider. The staff were great otherwise, the location is amazing, and the hotel was pretty clean and good value. I just wish we'd had a room on a higher floor.

We were ready to move to another hotel as soon as we arrived. We only stayed because we were leaving after 1.5 nights anyway, and tried to spend as little time in the hotel as possible. The online photos were nowhere near what we found, and this place didn't feel like the boutique hotel it calls itself. It wasn't clean or bright, the rooms had no real windows, and our bathroom was covered in mold. We know damp air is common in this climate and mold can happen, but this was deep black and untreated in our photos, which seemed like a serious health concern. The sheets and covers were dirty, with several unidentified stains. Breakfast was okay, nothing special. The staff seemed bored, uninterested, and unwelcoming. They didn't greet us or smile, and acted annoyed when we asked questions. The cleaning lady was the only positive person, and at least smiled. They seemed most concerned with whether we'd used anything from the minibar. They made us check its contents as soon as we arrived, which felt strange and left us worried we'd be scammed at checkout. Before ordering a taxi for us to leave, they checked the minibar again. That was the one time they were helpful. The location initially seems great, right in the old city center, but at night the nearby square and streets are very loud with music and shouting. Earplugs couldn't make sleeping possible. One night it was loud inside the hotel, too, and the staff didn't seem interested in quieting the other guests. It didn't seem like many people stayed more than one night while we were there. We wouldn't stay again or recommend it. The price was not worth the quality, and in Columbia we found much better places for less. I can't tell where the five-star reviews come from, because they don't match our experience. If I could, I'd give it zero stars.

The employees were very friendly, but this was still a messy, very bad hotel, and I'd suggest staying somewhere else in Cartagena. We had only cold water in the shower, very limited breakfast choices, and no windows in our room. There was also construction inside the hotel, by the "pool," and no one told us about it. A floor tile was missing in the room, the toilet wouldn't flush properly, the sockets were coming away from the wall, and the bathroom had very little space. 😭