Hotel Dorado Plaza Centro Histórico

The Hotel Dorado Plaza looks ugly and poorly maintained, nothing like its online photos. At check-in I walked out and found another hotel. My Booking reservation gave a set price in US dollars, but the front desk woman insisted I pay in Colombian pesos, using whatever exchange rate they chose. She also scrutinized me and asked for my passport to check my immigration status. I said they weren't Immigration and showed my Cedula. She threatened to charge me if I lost the wristband or keys. The room key was attached to a large piece of wood to discourage guests from taking it along, so I would have had to leave it at reception. The service was below one star.

The room was clean and pleasant, the bed was comfortable, and the location was good. Street noise was noticeable, and the AC was tricky to set, swinging between very cold and hot. More hangers or hooks in the bathroom would have been useful. Still, I had a nice stay.

We had to ask for a comfortable blanket. They only provide a thin sheet, and it took three days to get a comforter, so we set the AC to 27 to avoid freezing. Breakfast was nice, with a different menu each day. The hotel is close to restaurants and the plaza, in a lively area, though there are lots of beggars and rubbish around Catagena. Food and other things were very cheap.

The breakfast was good, and the rooms are a decent size. Ours looked over the park, which was nice, but the street below felt a little sketchy and was quite loud. Some of our group didn't get towels because the city had limited water. The lobby water fountain wasn't working, either, though we found one on the second floor. Unfortunately, the staff weren't very helpful. It was good value for the price, but the wristband was annoying and nobody explained that losing it or taking it off would mean a charge.