Dann Carlton Medellin Hotel

Some of the staff really made a difference during our 10-day trip. The outdoor attendant with the last name Arboleda became like family, and the taxi drivers waiting outside were a great help. We made Carlitos our driver and felt safe with him. He gave us excellent service and was extremely trustworthy. Luisa at the salon also did a great job blow-drying my hair. The room and hotel had a lot of problems. The beds were so uncomfortable that they sank in when we slept in the middle. The shower heater was unstable, switching between cold and extremely hot water that burned our faces and bottoms. The toilet seats were wobbly, uneven, and smaller than the toilets, and I jammed my finger on one. The room bulbs needed replacing after we called, and hallway bulbs were out. The flowers in the women’s bathroom at bar 43 were dead. Bring your own towels, the ones there are yellow. Breakfast was disappointing: the croissants and mini pan de yuca were the only good things, the eggs were runny and didn’t taste good, and we had to eat at other hotels. This felt like a 3-star hotel, and we were thankful to be hosted but disappointed. It didn’t feel like Medellin, where the other hotels are nice to stay in.

The beds and pillows are very comfortable, the rooms are clean, and there are lots of places to eat nearby, easy to find on Google Maps. The gym is nice, and the pool is warm and clean. The area feels safe, though I wouldn’t walk deep into the forest next door. The bellhops and cleaners were very helpful, and the rest of the staff were all right. Food at the hotel is okay but overpriced, and breakfast was just okay too. I also saw what looked like mold or old paint in the images. If you book through Expedia, expect a strange email saying there was a charge. Still shocked there wasn’t even one complimentary bottle of water. You have to pay for all the water here, while the Hilton and Hyatt offer it free.

The location was the only good part. This is a 1-star hotel with zero-star service. Everyone at reception was disrespectful. I asked to switch to a room with a showerhead hose, and they said none had one, then laughed and told me to go to another hotel with no refund. They gave the same response when I asked for a balcony room. The breakfast buffet was very limited, with no cream cheese or beacon, and long waits for bread and other items. What a disappointment.

We spent four nights here and could easily have stayed longer. The staff were friendly, attentive, and helpful, and the location was great, with easy access to the metro and lots of good restaurants close by. The room was modern, clean, and had a super comfortable bed. All three restaurants were good, with tasty food at reasonable prices. Our favorite was 43 Street on the ground floor. The rooftop revolving restaurant was especially cool at night, and its staff were lovely. One day housekeeping forgot to leave towels, and there were no hand towels in the rooms. Reception sorted it quickly when we called. Management might want to give cleaners a simple checklist. Still, we’d recommend the hotel and stay again. The photo below shows the fantastic green building across the street from our room.