Capilla Del Mar Hotel, Cartagena

This had to be one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in for the rice range. It was probably very nice back in the 70's. Hotel staff were very good, but no hot water for 3 days of our stay really made it a poor experience. Food was very poor, with very little selection

I loved the hotel. Service was impeccable, the staff was excellent and very helpful. The view from our balcony was dreamlike perfection -- the beach below and the sea stretching to infinity with an awesome view of the sunset. We were there off season so the beaches were not crowded. There was no wait for elevators. The room was lovely -- we did not opt for the "upgraded" rooms -- but I thought we'd gotten one by mistake. The beds were wonderful, everything was sparkling, pristine and new. There was a safe, a fridge, a flatscreen TV, a bidet (these things confuse me -- but it was an added amenity). Room service was wonderful. Meals in both restaurants were excellent. The included breakfast was amazing -- so much food! They cooked eggs for you however you wanted. My husband chose fried. I chose omlets. Coffee is of course, perfect. Cappucinos are awesome. In the restaurant, the filet mignon melted in your mouth. My husband had the tilapia and salmon -- perfection. This hotel is awesome. When we go to Cartagena we will stay there again. It is wonderful.

Upside: The hotel is right across the street from the beach. The staff were very friendly and the food at the hotel was good (try the grill at the pool). From our bed (in the hotel room) looking out the balcony doors, we could see the beach. Also, the Chiva stops outside the hotel. Downside: The pool area was very small and it lacked shade (there were about five tables with umbrellas). In addition, the elevator seems to stop at every floor. So, by time it gets to the bottom floor, there are about ten or so other people needing to get on the elevator with you.

I like the fact that it was close to everything in Bocagrande, restaurants, banks, internet cafe, and the taxis. The hotel rooms were comfortable. I stayed on the 16th floor, and I was able to hear hammering early in the morning. The people on the streets are trying to sell anything you could imagine, from clocks to hats, food, jewelry, etc. But they did harrass me continuosly. I was afraid of going out.

We stayed in the Cpilla Del Mar Hotel in July 2008. We opted to go for the all-inclusive food/drink package (although they still tried to nickel and dime us). The location of the hotel is very central to most things. The beach is just across the street and most of the rooms have a beach view I believe. The old city is about a 10 minute cab ride from the hotel, and there is a small travel agency next door to help plan trips to the islands (the travel agency doesn't take credit cards though). There is an ATM a block down and around the corner, as well as a drug store and a few restaurants and basic clothing stores within two or three blocks. Our room was newly remodeled on the 18th floor out of 21 I believe. The room was the average size of a US hotel room with two double beds, a bathroom with granite tile. The shower (glass wall on one side) took a while to get warm, but didn't get very hot like I prefer. The sink is just outside of the bathroom. If I stayed again I would ask to stay in a slightly lower floor becuase the music from the rotating bar, rooftop or one of the party rooms was audible in our room although it was a couple of floors below and on the other side of the building. The room included a free safe and a magnifying mirror. The employees were pretty loud, we could hear them through the door until about midnight, and then again in the morning pretty early. :( The restaurant is open to the air, and the food was good. They have people in traditional clothing serving fruit and other dishes sometimes, and the deserts were also good. The water was filtered and is pretty safe (at the hotel), but I still ordered bottled water just to be safe. They also have a BBQ restaurant that is across the street which was good also. They have partnered with a few other hotels that you can eat there also, but we didn't try them. Our package included dinner at a restaurant in the old part of the city, and like a previous reviewer stated it was awesome. The food was great, portions were right, and the courtyard we ate at was beautiful. The rooftop pool was small, but adequate. The music was too loud though during the days, so we didn't stay long. There is a rooftop bar also. The bar that rotates is very dark and the flowered chairs need trashed. It may have been comfortable in the 80s, but is very out-of-date now. Not suprised that nobody was in it. Towels were available for the beach, but when you check in you need to make sure they give you a card to claim them. Most hotels have cabanas that are small and covered with ads, but this hotel has nice chairs and large umbrellas that make it nicer than most others. The sales people on the beach are ruthless, and non-stop. I figured they would come every 10-15 minutes, but in reality is is about every two minutes. The hotel doesn't prevent them from walking through the chairs, but they do have a security guard that keeps only hotel guests on the chairs, and somewhat watches your things if you go to the water. The front row of chairs at the beach cost extra, the back row is included. For the price we paid around $250 per night, I expected all inclusive to be a little more inclusive. Internet was charged at about 10 cents per minute ($6 per hour). Each hotel room did have a cable modem, but I believe access was still billed. The food duirng meal times was all you can eat generally, but if I wanted a juice or snack between meals that was not available. Drinks at the bars included anything produced in Colombia (beers, rum, etc) which I believe was fine, but if you wanted a beer at the beach it will cost you either from the hotel, or from the beach vendors. I really didn't want to have money on the beach with so many people coming by selling things. Check out was at noon, late checkout for no extra charge at 2pm. If you need them to keep your bags on your last day they will do that at no extra cost if you have a late flight like we did.

this was my 1st trip to cartagena and I found the city very enjoyable. i was lucky to be able to rent a room in the capilla del mar...the service was excellent, the location perfect and the hotel was clean and very comfortable. I have no qualms about recommending this hotel to anyone wishing to stay in cartagena. they have a good breakfast buffet that is included in the price and their beach is just seconds away..located directly across the street. it's all good here and i tip my hat to the folks at the capilla del mar!

it is nice and all but it's gust ti's yelow I mean it is to yelow and the service is kinde of good I gess it is not what i was looking for.

I like the location of this hotel. it's facing the beach (across the street) and having breakfast buffet in the open air restaurant facing the water is a pleasant experience each morning. the big hilton is on the end of boulevard and doesn't feel as much a part of the "action" at beachside in this part of town. just one block opposite hotel in other direction is busy avenue with many open air pizzarias and cafes/bars. hotel staff are courteous, especially security staff. pool is small on top floor, but nice little bar there too. be aware that the vendors will hound you from the moment your sandals touch the sand of beach. but the hotel has a "fenced in" area which keeps the business "pests" to a minimum. "no gracias" usually is enough to send them to next group of tourists. this hotel is halfway between old city and the hilton so it's sort of centrally located in best part of Cartagena, Boca Grande area.

Cartagena is the second most romantic city in the world, just after Paris, but you spend 1/3 of the money. The old city at night is both romantic (don't miss a carriage ride) and fun, the fortress of San Felipe in quite interesting and the ppl is the most fun and friendly you can ever met. The hotel is clean, in a great location, plenty of great quality food and also great service. We LOVED every minute of our vacation in Cartagena.... I don't know why is not a popular spot (which is actually good for turists).

Me and my girlfriend stayed at this hotel. We had all inclusive. Lets begin with the negatives... the food gets a bit repetitive if your staying for more than 4 days. It doesn't have a real good bar to hang out for ayounger crowd. the street vendors are the most persistent people I ever met in my life. positives... the hotel personnel and in fact the locals made a huge impact on our stay. They are about the nicest people we've ever met. The hotel service was amazing. They gave us tickets to dine free at a restaurant in the old city. My god it was delicious. The city is breath taking. Specially the old city. Its a different world. we fell in love with this city, and cant wait to ga back. We recommend the hotel. you get your moneys worth!!! i almost forgot....last but not least!! do not forget to do a city tour in a chiva at nite...it was the funnest experience...live music....open bar and great sight-seeing!!