Hotel Zuriel Boutique

Only a five-minute walk from the airport or the beach. My room had cable TV, internet for Netflix, fluffy towels, and amazingly hot shower water. The bath mirror fogged up after I showered. The hotel was clean, the staff friendly, and the rate was about $57.26 US dollars per night. Breakfast was free, cooked to order, with fruit and juices.

This was the worst hotel of my 15-day vacation in Colombia. The place itself was clean, but the service was terrible and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The main door was locked most of the time, and once I waited five minutes outside because nobody was at reception. Check-in and check-out rules were unreasonably strict. I arrived around 12:30 PM for a 3 PM check-in and was told the rooms weren't free and to come back around 2. When I returned, I still waited 30-40 minutes and only got a room around 2:35 PM, even though no guest was occupying it. The room had a strange damp smell, and the body wash dispenser in the bathroom was empty. Luckily, I had my own body wash. I requested a slightly late checkout, around 1 PM the next day instead of the usual noon, and after asking repeatedly they seemed to agree. But at 12:10 PM someone knocked and told me to leave. I said I needed 20 minutes, but they allowed only 10. Is that how they plan to run a hotel?

We had an emergency while in Cartagena, and the staff truly went above and beyond to help us. We're forever grateful, especially to the women at reception. I can't say enough good things about them. The hotel is modern, clean, and comfortable, and it's very close to the airport. You can walk there unless you have big luggage, when the narrow sidewalks may be a problem. It isn't especially close to Cartagena's tourist attractions, but it's an excellent choice if you need to be near the airport. There are lots of restaurants and bars within 1-2 blocks, and it's easy to hail a cab into the city for about US$5.

A beautiful hotel with super friendly staff and an amazing price. The fresh cooked breakfast is included. The airport is right behind it, literally about a five-minute walk, so don't take a taxi unless you've got a ton of stuff. There are plenty of restaurants and convenience stores outside the hotel. Perfect all around.