Éteka Beach - Hotel Cartagena — Hotel in Cartagena

This place has the potential to be an amazing experience but unfortunately there were SOOO many hiccups during my birthday experience and I honestly can not recommend this place to anyone for a special celebration I feel like it is very hit or MISS. . |Prior to even touching down in Columbia, myself and two friends booked Eteka's day pass. I also booked a nook to be decorated for my birthday and myself and a friend booked massages. The day that I was set to head over to Eteka from the city, there was ALOT of rain in the morning. Luckily the rain stopped and we decided that we would head over on the last boat. I was in communication via Whatsapp that entire morning with a staff member for Eteka. in case we had to switch plans due to weather. I was told, the waters were safe and that we could head out on the last boat and I would still be able to get my massage etc. We arrived to the beach at 11:33 and the boat was already gone. They left at exactly 11:30. I understand that they have a schedule to adhere to but after being in communication all morning and sharing that it was my birthday I was hoping we would be given a little grace. Many of the streets of Cartegena were completely flooded and the drive over took twice the amount of time that it normally would. Another boat arrived around 12:05 pm -ish and we did not pull out until about 12:25; which is interesting because I thought they were so punctual. ||The entire time that my friends and I were waiting the staff member that checks you in prior to getting on the boat said that she couldn't find my freinds reservation. My friend had to pull up her receipt and show proof of payment; I don't know why they didnt have record of it. |We finally get to the island and my friend was told that she couldn't get a massage because they initially didn't have record of her booking. I ended up getting a refund for my massage because the new time given just wouldn't work. Finally, once my nook was ready, I realized that the flower bouquet that I was told would be included was not there. When I inquired about it and showed a picture of what the nook was supposed to look like (picture was sent to me during my exchange with staff prior to booking) I wos told to wait and that it would be corrected. When I came back for the second reveal, flower petals were placed all over the floor and seats and table which was pretty and a nice touch but no bouquet. Lastly, the lunch was absolutely delicious but I asked THREE times if everything on the menu was included in the day-pass price and was told yes by our server. At the end, we had a bill of course and was told that the meal that we chose came with an additional cost. The flies were absolutely too much. I know that flies and insects are a part of nature but I have NEVER had an experience like this with flies. We could not relax and enjoy our meal; it was impossible. We wanted to take the lunch to go but they did not have to go containers. Sigh|The beach was much quieter than Boca Grande and provided some peace of mind but there were merchants there as well. A woman came over and started massaging my friends legs and demanded that she continue with the massage. My friend felt very uncomfortable and obliged and was then charged 100,000 pesos. |All in all; beautiful place, short ride from the city; less beach commotion but very unorganized and not worth it. Just take the boat or a car to Baru island which is what I did a...

Absolutely AMAZING experience at Eteka Beach Club in Cartagena!!! I ended up going on a Sunday for a solo day of relaxation and so glad I chose this beach club over my first choice. Booking a reservation online was really easy, we departed promptly at 10:00am and it was a quick 7-minute boat ride to Isla de Tierra Bomba, where the club is located. We were greeted with both Spanish and English speaking hosts upon arrival, who gave us a quick rundown of the club's schedules and amenities. Towels were included, there were plenty of lounge chairs with shaded grass awnings and view of the ocean & the Bocagrande skyline was incredible! They also had welcome drinks for us and a complimentary, all-you-can-eat snack cart (unfortunately, I forgot about this so I didn't get to try the food there). The ambience at the club is very relaxed and tranquil, but still had really good, upbeat music to vibe out to.

I ordered the white fish ceviche as a small snack before lunch was served and a bottle of champagne for the day. The reservation did include a full 3 course lunch and the food really blew me away. I was expecting it to be mediocre, with small portions since it was all-inclusive... but it was not. I had the salmon ceviche this time for my appetizer, the whole fried snapper as my main course and the passionfruit mousse for dessert. All three were AMAZING and very nice sized portions! I also decided to book a coconut oil massage during my stay and it was so relaxing. They have showers in your little cabana room to use before and after your massage. My trip to Eteka was truly the perfect way to spend my Sunday and in my opinion was reasonably priced. In total I spent about $220 for the entry fee (which again, includes the 3 course lunch), the 40-minute massage, an entire bottle of champagne and the separate ceviche.

My only cons about Eteka: 1) The departure meeting location was not automatically provided to me after booking my reservation, I had to contact them on WhatsApp. This is something that really should either be posted already on the website, or emailed in the reservation confirmation. However the customer service rep was very hospitable when I did reach out and they provided me a photo of the exact meeting spot, so I knew what to look for. Finally 2) the beach has occasional trash that floats up on the shoreline. It's unfortunate and there's not much they can do about people who litter in the ocean. However they did have maintenance workers raking up the trash throughout the day. I suspect this is a common problem for all the beach clubs on Isla de Tierra Bomba. Other than that though, everything was perfect! The staff was very warm & accommodating and I really enjoyed my entire experience. I will definitely try to make it back to Eteka Beach Club before I...

My friend and I booked here as part of a winter getaway and we both really did not want to leave! Yury and Luis made our stay absolutely perfect!: Yury managed to get us their top room for our first night, due to some issues and we were so grateful! You arrive by a strong clean motorboat from the main pier in Cartagena where is a covered waiting area. We were 3 persons on the 4pm to the island and it took about 20 minutes: you arrive and know immediately this is going to be a special experience! They is a pretty stone arrival gate and pathway and you see all the magnificent palms trees are swaying. You are greeted with a delicious fruit cocktail as you check in. There is perfect calm here and only electric bikes along a little pathway outside the resort so there is NO noise of cars, you hear the lovely birds and the wind in the trees and the surf. The entire grounds are covered in sand so you can walk everywhere with bare feet. The details are orginal so well curated. The bar has swings! they show movies each night outdoors, in comfortable bean bag chairs. There are hammocks and various type beds dotted throughout the property and a tall "viewing platform" with tables and chairs which allow for views of the entire harbor and city. Lovely moroccan style textile covered seating pillows, live edge wood tables: everything is made with natural materials and chosen with care. Our Deluxe room had a shower in a bamboo walled palm filled patio type area and was just lovely: there was a view of it in a big picture window from the inside. Plumbing was excellent: fyi, no hot water because well, you don't really need it! The soaps and shampoos were a nice quality. The sinks are made of natural stone. Mattresses were top quality as were the linens. Breakfast was our favorite meal: fresh fruit, juices, delicious bread basket, perfect eggs. The kitchen is open all day. There are 2 separate private beaches with many super comfy lounges chairs and bar service. There is a lovely organic shaped pool of a dark blue green color that is big enough to do laps in, surrounded by lounge chairs. I believe this was a salt water pool as there was no smell of chlorine. The beaches were quiet and calm, the water perfect! Once we hit the beach we did not want to move and spent most of the day there. I did a " bamboo massage" in the spa and loved it. The international guests were friendly from young to older: because there are not so many rooms, the resort is very calm with a good ratio of helpers to guests. In short, Eteka is beautiful place where we were pampered and we are already planning our return! Again a shout out to...