Hostal Seven Nights Cartagena - Hostel

I had the men's dormitory room to myself, though it can hold up to 18 people. Even with more guests, the capsule-like beds should still give everyone privacy, with a light and power outlet in each cave. The bathroom was fine, breakfast on the rooftop terrace was free, and the Wi-Fi worked very well. Getsemani is a great base for tourists in Cartagena, and the value for money is very good. I didn’t like having no room key, though. The receptionist had to open the electric lock for me every time.

The shared rooms are a bit run down, but the dorm beds give you wonderful privacy. There’s breakfast included, plus a charming rooftop with a pool. What made the experience for me was the staff. I had to switch hostels at the last minute, late at night, and Santi was so sweet and kind. I felt very welcome.

The room doors were open to anyone, and the lockers couldn’t be secured. After my AirPods disappeared from my bag on the first day, I told the staff right away, but they brushed it off. Two other travelers also reported cash missing from their bags around the same time. The staff only appeared to take the thefts seriously after we called the police, and one employee then told the police we had made it up because we knew each other. We’d only met the day before, and I had proof that the AirPods’ live location was in a random barrio in Cartagena. Given that location and how the items went missing, we had reason to suspect a staff member. The way staff handled the situation, including their behavior when police arrived, did nothing to ease those suspicions. They blamed us, offered no concern or apology, and the hostel had no proper way to secure our belongings. The place is in a good area and has decent facilities, including air conditioning and capsule beds. But this was a textbook example of how not to handle a theft. Avoid it.

They’d already charged my reservation, but when I arrived with all my luggage on December 31, I found out my room had been double booked and there was nowhere else for me to stay. At first they wouldn’t even refund the credit card fees. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was the least they could do after leaving me without accommodation.