Hotel Marie Real Cartagena

The staff were so pleasant and friendly, and the breakfast is a must. The place felt cozy and I was very satisfied with my stay. It’s right in the heart of the city, making it easy to get to the main tourist spots. The one thing they should add is warm water in the bathroom.

The location and service were good, and breakfast was excellent with good service. The rooms, though, were poor and old. I rented three, and two of them felt like they had bedbugs. My mattress was worn out and uncomfortable, and with no bathroom window, mosquitoes came in and bit me at night. This place used to be an apartment building, and all those empty kitchens make the hotel noisy and echoey. Some nice artwork in the rooms would help. Visitors also cost 90,000 pesos each, even for a one-minute visit, and guests are only allowed in the lobby or on the terrace above the hotel. Overall, I was disappointed.

The room had everything I needed, and the price was very affordable. The location was perfect too.

The free breakfast on the roof was the best part, with several tasty food and drink options. The employees don’t speak English, but they’re patient if your Spanish is limited and you need a translator. I stayed in two rooms. One had a balcony with two seats and a table overlooking the street, plus a kitchen, though only the fridge worked. It had two bedrooms, but we could use just one. We worried someone might be in the other bedroom, but that wasn’t the case. The TV in that room wouldn’t connect to the internet. The other room had a TV that connected, but no balcony or windows. The elevator wasn’t working, so going up and down all those stairs was a challenge, though not the end of the world. For the price, it’s a very good hotel.