La Candelita

The view from the room was nice, but I wouldn’t stay again, especially at over $100.00 a night. The whole place felt poorly maintained, like it may once have been nice but has become run down. The shower corners were moldy, and the ceiling fan wobbled and made so much noise that we had to switch it off at night. There was no shower head, just a pipe sticking out of the wall. When we asked about it, staff said most people preferred it that way, which felt like a lame excuse.

The standard room smelled strongly of damp and mold, which made the stay uncomfortable. The facilities themselves were nice and clean, and the private beach was a great feature, but poor service and no accountability left us disappointed. We had booked an ocean-view room, then were put in a standard one when we arrived because staff said the air conditioning was broken. We happened to see other guests checking out of that same room. When we asked for a refund of the price difference between room types, the hotel first put it off and later refused with vague excuses.

It’s centrally located by the water, with comfortable areas across the resort. There’s a restaurant, cafe, ice cream place, and a few bars, all at very good prices. Some prices are a little high, but compared with other places nearby, this one feels more worth it. My only issue is that some staff aren’t very friendly or reasonable. That’s a shame, since most are helpful, professional, kind, and friendly.

The restaurant is the one place where both the food and service are great. Everywhere else, service was average, nothing special. The location in Coveñas is good. It was my first time there, and I took the bus from Cartagena for $45-50k pesos one way. I know management probably doesn’t care about these posts, but the rooms aren’t as good as they should be. For example, someone came in to fix the toilet while I was resting in bed, without asking first. Not good.