Finca Malaga

We paid COP 12,218,000 in advance through independent travel agent Marta Navas for four double rooms for five nights at Málaga near Armenia. Our party was 8 adults and an infant, staying December 30 to January 4 over New Year’s week. When we arrived around 6:00 PM on December 30, the hotel told us it had been double booked. Only three rooms were available, and the fourth didn’t arrive until Friday night, January 2. That left us without one paid room for three of the five nights, including New Year’s Eve. With nearby places fully booked for the holiday, we had nowhere else to go and had to make do with crowded, downgraded rooms. The lodging portion was COP 8,000,000. Missing one of four rooms for three of five nights works out to a minimum refund of COP 1,200,000. No refund has been issued, despite clear records and repeated requests to Marta Navas and the owner. Marta Navas collected the money, and the hotel didn’t provide the accommodation we’d paid for. The owner says no refund is due because we turned down an extra night at the end of the trip and a bottle of wine, but those offers were unusable and don’t change the fact that a room was missing. The on-site manager, Heidi, and her husband did their best to help. The ownership and booking practices still show a serious lack of accountability. This place is sold and priced as a luxury stay, but that wasn’t our experience. We wouldn’t return and strongly warn families, groups, and holiday travelers to avoid booking here, and to avoid using Marta Navas unless they have full protections. We’re still waiting for the COP 1,200,000 refund.

We had to fit several family members, including a baby, into fewer rooms because the area was fully booked for New Year’s. The hotel had overbooked and left us without one of our four prepaid rooms for three nights, including New Year’s Eve. We paid in full through Marta Navas, but management has refused to return the COP 1,200,000 for the missing room despite repeated requests. Those first days were extremely stressful. My own room had problems as well. The pillow and sheets were dirty when we arrived. The bathroom had poor ventilation, a constant mild plumbing smell, and towels that wouldn’t dry. Housekeeping didn’t leave dry towels or a dry floor mat, so we aired our towels outside every day. Drinking water was hard to access, available only when staff were around at lunch and dinner, and the dining area dispenser was never filled. One night the bathroom key got locked inside. The hotel had no spare, so staff had to break the bathroom screen to get it. They were kind to help, but a backup key should have prevented that. The on-site staff were kind overall, but management’s refusal to fix the booking is unacceptable. Until the refund is settled, I can’t recommend staying here or booking through Marta Navas.

The staff are friendly and add a lot to the charm of this relaxed finca hotel. It’s great for family fun, a company getaway, or a treat with your partner, and the views over the coffee-growing region are incredible. Major attractions like National coffee park and Panaca are nearby. A lovely place to get away.

We asked for our money back from the first day, but never received a refund, even though we didn’t get everything we paid for. My family and I were at Finca Málaga from December 30 to January 4. We’d paid through an agency for four rooms for five nights, but only three were available when we arrived. The fourth wasn’t ready until the night of January 2, so we missed one room for three of the five nights. It was peak season and there were no other places available. Traveling with a baby and elderly relatives, we had to accept fewer rooms and crowded conditions. A very bad experience, definitely not recommended.