Varanasi Hotel Boutique

Concierge Juan welcomed me when I arrived and was incredible. He was professional, attentive, and truly helpful, giving me 10/10 service and making everything feel easy. Thanks, Juan, for your support and for starting my stay off so well.

I paid USD100 and still had no hot water for a shower. I wasted 1.5 hours running the shower and sink, as instructed, but the water stayed cold. The receptionist tried the ignition switch on the gas tanks several times while I checked them with him, but nothing worked. He then confirmed there would be no hot water that day, and said it happens all the time. There were no sheets under the duvet, toothpaste splatters on the uncleaned mirrors, and yellow stains on the towels. Soundproofing was nonexistent. People came in noisily after midnight, and I could hear plates and cutlery clanking early in the morning. Cartagena is small, and a taxi to Bocagrande takes only 20 minutes. For the same price, you can get proper soundproofing, good hot water, and decent pressure at international chains. Don't make my mistake.

I planned to stay for just a couple of nights, but felt welcome enough to extend for another week. The room was super comfortable, with a king-size bed, cable, a Samsung Smart TV, a safe, a mini fridge, a nice bathroom, cold A/C, and a closet for hanging clothes. It's a two-minute walk from the airport. Most employees speak at least some English, and there's a nice hot breakfast included, plus a restaurant with a very decent menu and a full cocktail bar. There's also a small pool for a dip.

A super clean, very nice little place, and the customer service was good. The bed and pillows were very hard, though, and the WiFi wasn't working. I tried to make it work for me, but it wasn't the right place. The location wasn't good either, and it was too expensive for what it is and where it is.