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This Hotel Scoop article on where to stay in Cartagena was updated in August of 2022, with new openings among the best hotels and resorts of this city in Colombia.
Cartagena is Colombia’s most popular destination for tourists and for two good reasons: it’s a beautiful colonial city with a fortress wall, plus it’s right on the water. There are beaches stretching out in both directions from the UNESCO World Heritage historic center.
If you’ve never been to the area though, this presents a challenge in finding the best Cartagena hotel for you. Do you want to walk out your door and stroll the narrow streets of the old walled city? Or do you want to lounge by a big resort pool and take a stroll on a pretty beach at sunset? Or are you willing to stay further out if it means you can play golf and lounge at a private beach club?
Hotel Delirio, Cartagena Old City
History and Character in the Old City of Cartagena
There are three main hotel zones in the city. In the walled city of Cartegena that is the oldest section, you’ll find dozens of boutique hotels and one famous large property in this UNESCO World Heritage city. You can find the best luxury hotels in Cartagena reviewed in detail at Luxury Latin America, including hotspots like Casa San Agustin and Ananda.
There are dozens of small Cartagena B&Bs though in the historic area. Some require a bit more digging, however, like the impressive Hotel Agua I visited while I was there, with the public spaces outnumbering the five guest rooms. The photo at the right is the view from its pool deck at night.
A few new upscale boutique properties have opened up in recent years, including Casa Pestagua, an 11-room Relais & Chateaux property housed in a renovated 17th-century building. For now, this is the only property in Colombia belonging to that food-focused hotel alliance and here’s a key selling point: a 15-minute food massage or (if you book direct) a full body massage included in your rate.
The best-known hotel has a long history: Sofitel Santa Clara Cartagena, which was originally a convent built in the 17th century, has 122 rooms, a gorgeous pool area, and more staffers that can speak English than most other old city properties if you need that.
There’s also one other relatively large hotel in the historic center: Charleston Santa Teresa. That will change in a few years though: a developer has teamed up with Four Seasons to take over a whole block of historic buildings (including four theaters!) to turn it all into a 111-room hotel with meeting space. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to cash in Marriott points, your best bet is the new Tribute Collection property Ermita Cartagena.
Just be advised that Cartagena suffered like everyone else during the tourism slump and it’ll be a while before we know who survived and who didn’t. We’ve already seen the former designer-owned Tchessari properties combined to become the 49-room Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton.
Eastern Cartagena Beach Hotels
If you’re a beach lover or are attending a convention, the Cartagena resort hotels strung along the beach to the east of the city (an area known as Los Morros) are the best bet. You’ll have to take a taxi from here every time you want to visit the historic district, but the hotels here have plenty of room for nice pool complexes and the wide beach here is attractive. It’s a short hop to the larger convention center if you’re here for a trade show.
Pool at the Sonesta Cartagena, beachfront
I once stayed in the Sonesta Cartagena, which has three great pools, free Wi-Fi, and easy beach access. There’s a bit of an odd set-up here though that’s duplicated in many hotels in this area: the hotel sits near the road, while the rooms with the best locations and views are actually condominiums owned by Colombians. If the view is not your prime consideration though, you can find great hotel deals here, at the Holiday Inn Cartagena Morros, and at the Radisson Hotel Cartagena Ocean Pavilion.
The best beach resort near Cartagena though is the resort right across from the convention center, Las Americas. The older section is good for families with its waterslide and poolside rooms with a hammock on the terrace or balcony. (Why doesn’t every beach resort have a hammock on the balcony?) A newer wing is more contemporary. With beach chairs under palapas and wait service shuttling drinks, it’s a prime place to relax.
Would you like to get in a few rounds of golf while you’re in Colombia? Then check out one of the newest large resorts in the area: Dreams Karibana Cartagena Beach and Golf Resort. It opened as Conrad Cartagena originally, then was independent, and now is an all-inclusive resort that’s part of a chain recently purchased by Hyatt. So it’s your best choice for earning/using points with that company. It has a beach club, four restaurants, four pools, a spa, and a kids club.
Just be advised it’s a long ride from the center, but it’s the only resort with a full 18-hole golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus. If you don’t mind being a long haul from the city, this is probably the best Cartagena beach resort of them all, one of the best in Colombia overall since the country doesn’t have many full-service beach resorts.
If you’re looking for an all-inclusive Cartagena option, the Spanish vacation resort company Melia opened a property out in this area, where they could take advantage of all the space. Book Melia Karmairi here.
Western Beach Hotels of Cartagena
On the other side of the old city are more resort hotels in the Bocagrande area, where the Hilton was the main attraction for many years. Others are under construction for openings in the next couple of years.
Pool with a view at Intercontinental Cartagena
Getting competition but still a top choice is the Hilton Cartagena. Situated on a promontory with panoramic ocean views, it has a terrific pool complex with a bar and a great restaurant designed to look like a traditional Cartagena home. It boasts polished Hilton service and plenty of bilingual staffers.
The newer Intercontinental has good meeting facilities, including a ballroom that seats 500 for banquets. It’s right by the beach, but the hotel is just one part of a big destination complex with a casino and a shopping mall.
Major international chain brands are popping up every few months it seems. A Hyatt Regency is now open and someday the long-delayed Sheraton may actually open its doors. Radisson has opened several new properties under its boutique brand Radisson Individuals, such as the Hotel Casa La Factoria by Faranda Boutique between the walled historic area of Cartagena and Bocagrande. See information and rates here.
Plug Cartagena into HotelsCombined to see the options from dozens of different booking sites. Rates vary quite a bit between seasons; you can often find a relatively good deal here on a nice hotel. The international chain ones are often less than $150 per night.
See more on the area at the official Cartagena de Indias tourism site.
Post and photos by travel destinations expert Tim Leffel. He was hosted by Sonesta Cartagena as part of his attendance at TravelMart Latin America and was once hosted at Ananda on a media trip.
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