Hotel Irotama Lago

We had a lovely time at the Lago resort with our two kids. Our family room was clean and well appointed, with a king sized bed and two twin beds, just right for us. There’s lots to do, with two pools including one with a waterslide, beach access, and planned activities. We appreciated the generous breakfast buffet and free airport shuttle. The rest of the staff were amazing. Two grocery stores are a short walk away for snacks or essentials. There are tasty empanadas at a little comedor just across the pedestrian bridge. It’s a 20 minute taxi ride to the center of Santa Marta and a 5 minute drive to the airport. The front desk staff were kind, but it was hard to get basic information from them, like how to log onto the wifi, where breakfast was served, how to set up a credit card on file, or how the shuttle worked. They didn’t offer those details, so we had to ask a lot of questions before getting what we needed. Would highly recommend.

The resort’s posted rules say beach chairs and kiosks can’t be reserved, and unattended belongings will be removed after 30 minutes. I followed that rule by not claiming a front-row kiosk before breakfast, since I knew I’d be away too long. When I came back, several front kiosks were marked with only flip-flops or towels, with nobody there. We waited well over 30 minutes, eventually more than an hour, and asked staff to apply the rule. They said someone would be contacted. We asked again and got the same vague answer, with no timing or action. No one addressed the unattended items. After more than an hour and a half, we moved to an unused kiosk and shifted the flip-flops to another open spot so they wouldn’t be left without seating. Nearly 40 minutes later, the guests returned and immediately confronted us. Staff were still absent as things escalated. When a supervisor finally came, he agreed that reserving chairs broke hotel policy and that we were right. But another staff member then told us to move and sided with the guests who had ignored the rule. That led to an unnecessary confrontation, raised voices, and other guests recording us without consent. The hotel’s failure to enforce its own written policy turned what should have been a peaceful morning into a stressful, uncomfortable one. For a resort stay costing roughly $200 per night, that’s unacceptable. My stay at IROTAMA Resort was defined by the refusal to enforce posted rules and the failure to manage a preventable guest conflict, not by relaxation. Policies that aren’t applied consistently create confusion, reward inconsiderate behavior, and penalize guests who follow them. If the hotel publishes rules, it should enforce them and support guests who abide by them, or they’re meaningless. I can’t recommend this resort to travelers expecting professionalism, fairness, or a relaxing environment.

The resort is beautiful and spacious, with lots of room to swim, walk, and relax. Breakfast on the 3rd floor had excellent staff and service. Other parts of the stay were frustrating. The ground floor outdoor breakfast was overcrowded, with hardly any tables and, at one point, no plates at all. We left without eating and went upstairs. That’s simply unacceptable to me. Some reception staff didn’t speak English, which is unacceptable for a resort. The restaurants disappointed us on food quality. At the Italian restaurant, we were unhappy with both the quality and portions. The beach restaurant cost about the same, had more variety, and was very tasty, but restaurant management was terrible. Everything took forever, some dishes were forgotten, and bills often had too many or too few items. Most upsetting for my kids, the waterslide was suddenly closed for 5 days of renovation without warning, even though it was one reason we picked the hotel. They ground and painted it while swimming continued, making lots of dust and strong fumes, and debris got into the water. The kids’ pool is right next to it. That’s a health hazard. The stylish baby cot was far too low for slightly older children. Our son, who is 1.5 years old, fell out headfirst. Luckily, nothing happened. The air conditioning also seemed to run either at full blast or not at all.

Every employee was friendly and had a smile on their face. Customer service is excellent. Keep up the good work.