Casa Hotel Vistamarina - Adults Only

We arrived before check-in time and they upgraded us to an ocean-view suite instead of making us wait. The hotel was clean and well looked after, and the staff were wonderful. When the air conditioning stopped working one afternoon, maintenance had it fixed within 30 minutes. VivIana at the front desk deserves a special mention: her English was fluent, and she helped with check-in, checkout, and our taxi service. We stayed at the vistamarina last week and would highly recommend this boutique hotel.

The Sara cafe served excellent breakfast and dinner, easily the best food we had during our time in Cartagena. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the place was kept very clean. Knowing a little Spanish helps, but you can manage without it.

The staff were so attentive, and Janie, who manages Sara's restaurant, made the best gin and tonic I’ve ever had. Breakfast was wonderful too. Juan checked us in around midnight and was patient and sweet, taking time to explain things even though we understood very little Spanish. Angela was also a huge help: she speaks very good English and made several calls for me after my luggage failed to arrive.

The breakfast was nice, but I was really unhappy with how noisy it was. At first our room was beside the bar, where staff were shouting and singing late into the night. We asked to move, and the new room was by the beach, but the garbage truck woke us at 5 a.m. Planes also take off and land overhead because the hotel is near the airport. If you want to rest, look for somewhere on the other side of the city, nearer the historic center and farther from the airport.