Playa Cartagena

It's someone's lousy one-bedroom apartment, not a hotel, despite being advertised as a hotel suite on Amex's travel website. The ocean view is great, but that's the only enjoyable part. There's an absurd no-visitors rule and a $50 "resort" fee that gets you nothing. The towels are dollar-store quality and there's no maid service. I'm shocked Amex lists it. Book a real hotel and stay away.

The air conditioning worked, the balcony view was beautiful, and the beach was a short walk away. Pretty much everything else was disappointing. The room looked lovely online but was old and dirty inside, with cockroaches still present despite being told beforehand the problem had been fixed. There were no listed amenities like shampoo, conditioner, or laundry detergent. The hair dryer and lock safe didn't work, and the bathroom sometimes smelled like old, stagnant urine. The stovetop had no self-igniter, just matches, and the beach towels were so cheap they wouldn't absorb water or dry me. They charged $15 for room cleaning, then added more fees at arrival for the hotel manager and cleaning again. The property manager responded but didn't do the job of inspecting rooms. I shouldn't have faced all these problems on day one. I paid a lot and regretted it. The owner denied my refund when I wanted to check out early instead of staying the full duration. I'd choose Hilton or Hyatt, which cost the same but offer better service and probably no cockroaches.

The view and pool are beautiful, and everything is really close by. Super convenient 🙌🏻

We were just steps from Boca Grande beach, and the old town, El Centro, was about a 20-25 minute walk away. The apartment was lovely and clean, in a great spot in an amazing city. Reception was helpful, and Jeffery, the young man who checked us in, was especially good. He sent recommendations over WhatsApp.