Blue Apple Beach — Hotel in Cartagena

In response to the Bestselling Author of Petty Responses, AKA the Owner:

Well, that was fast—did you sprint to your keyboard, or is there an alarm that goes off every time someone bruises your ego? Either way, I’m impressed by the dedication.

Now, let’s get to your gem of a response:

Botox and filler? I’d recommend a filler for the gaping void where accountability and professionalism should be. Unfortunately, they don’t sell self-awareness at the clinic. Jafar and Voldemort? Fitting comparisons, though both were defeated by, well, people simply calling them out on their nonsense. Life imitates art, I suppose. Pointless reviews? I’d argue that taking time out of your clearly packed day to pen this hissy fit in response says more about you than I ever could.

Your feedback gets a solid D+: overly dramatic, wildly defensive, and utterly detached from reality. I’ve decided to downgrade my review from 3 stars to 1. It’s only fair—your customer service certainly deserves the same rating as your sense of humor: subpar.

But by all means, keep the comedy act going—it’s good to know the staff here aren’t the only ones working overtime. I do appreciate the attempt to paint yourself as some misunderstood antihero, but the reality is far simpler: you’re just a host who prefers insults over introspection. It’s pretty sad.. At least when you finally go full Jafar, you’ll have a magic lamp to wish for thicker skin.

Original review: I had many positive things to say about this hotel, but unfortunately, my overall impression was tarnished by something I feel compelled to address. During my stay, I decided to read the online reviews for this property, focusing on the negative ones as some had advised, specifically to see the owner’s responses. What I found was deeply disappointing and disturbing.

The owner’s replies to critical reviews are shockingly rude, unprofessional, and petty. Instead of handling feedback constructively, the responses are littered with aggressive and insulting language. Words like “lunatic,” “cheap,” and “alien” are used to berate customers who dared to leave honest feedback. This level of hostility is absolutely unacceptable in any industry, let alone in hospitality, where professionalism and respect are paramount.

I’m writing this review not just as a guest, but out of concern for the hard-working staff at this property. Their efforts were admirable, and it’s clear they are striving to create a warm and enjoyable experience for visitors. However, the owner’s toxic attitude casts a dark shadow over the entire operation. For me, it robbed the property of the “fun paradise” atmosphere it seems to promise and left a bitter taste in my mouth.

To the owner: I strongly urge you to reflect on your behavior and remove the aggressive responses you’ve posted. They are damaging your reputation far more than any negative review ever could. Had I read your replies before booking, I wouldn’t have chosen this property, and I suspect many others feel the same.

As someone with over a decade of experience in luxury hospitality, I can confidently say negative feedback is inevitable in this industry, no matter how exceptional the service. It’s an opportunity to learn, improve, and show humility—not to lash out at guests with insults and hostility. Such behavior is not only unprofessional but also completely distasteful.

Frankly, this is the kind of behavior I’d expect from someone entirely new to hospitality, not from an experienced operator. Your guests deserve respect, even when they’re voicing dissatisfaction. Until this attitude is corrected, I cannot recommend this property, despite its...

It is difficult to imagine how this hotel could be better. The staff are incredibly friendly, helpful, resourceful and knowledgeable. Service was impeccable. The room was spacious, so comfortable with such a variety of ways to relax that it was tempting to spend a lot of time in it. The bed was great, the small pool on the front terrace was great, the hammocks, the deck chairs, all pretty much perfect. The outdoor bath, shower area was lovely and everything worked seamlessly. Even the shampoo was great. ||The food in the restaurant for breakfast and lunch was very nicely varied, all fresh and extremely tasty. One of us is a vegetarian and she was wowed by the options available to her and the quality and creativity of what there was. The set menu dinners were superb and interesting and it was very fun that one night dinner was on the beach with a fire nearby and the next night on the raised portion in the middle of the swimming pool. The selection of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic was extensive and perfectly prepared.||The public areas and the pool area were peaceful and comfortable, the beach cabanas incredibly tranquil and relaxing and with a flag system that worked to provide privacy when we wanted it. The available recreational activities were varied and interesting and fun.||It all comes at a price, of course, which isn't cheap but there is so much and it is all so perfect that it feels like good value for what it does cost. I've been trying to think of something negative to say so that my review sounds more realistic and considered, but it is almost impossible to come up with anything.||I guess the one thing I would like to have seen is a clearer policy regarding tipping. For the most part Colombia is not a tipping culture, yet the website does mention that part of the pay for the employees includes their tips. And it isn't all that clear when or how to go about tipping the employees. A lot of the time I left my wallet in the room so I didn't have cash with me. For the most part signing for extras wasn't done with each charge so there wasn't an opportunity to add a tip immediately following service. There is a service charge added to the bills. It was a bit confusing. In the end, I simply added extra to my bill at the end of the stay and was assured that it would be divided among the staff.||Speaking of the staff, I do like to mention people by name. To be fair, every single staff person I met was great and I would love to mention them all but I can't recall everyone's name and didn't write them all down. The names that I do recall and want to mention are: Paulina and Laura at reception in the shop. Juan the dive guide who took us SCUBA diving. Delmer, Jao and Alejandra in the restaurant and bar. Everyone else was also great and I don't mean to consider them as less than that because I can't remember their names.||One last thing we were also impressed by was the work that the hotel does to make contributions to the local island community and environment. Tourism, especially in a developing country in a traditional and rural area can be a very tricky business. It brings much needed income to the area, but if not done carefully can also cause some harm. We had the impression that the hotel is doing its best to be a responsible member of its community.||It all added up to a great, relaxing, fun trip and we both hope to go back...

Overview: 5 star experience and cannot wait to come back! We did the day pass on a Saturday and loved it so much we came back the following day; next time we are in Cartagena we will definitely stay overnight on the property because it was an incredible experience!

Transportation: The boat left the pier very promptly and was a thrilling ride. Yes, the boat will be skipping over the water quite aggressively but it was super fun though and we really enjoyed our 2 round trips! We felt completely safe and thought of the boat ride as an adrenaline rush :)

Reserving cabanas/loungers: The first day, we booked a cabana for 2. I had accidentally booked 2 cabanas and management took care of it easily. The cabana comes with towel service and faces the beach; it was beautiful. One thing to note is that vendors may come to chat throughout the day over the gate, since the cabanas are practically on the beach. The second day, we booked 2 poolside loungers and really enjoyed it; the loungers did not come with towel service, but the chairs had a towel-like material on them. We brought our own towels anyway so it was fine! You can also ask for umbrellas.

Weekend vibes: We had a great time. We were worried that it would be really loud/rowdy on Saturday, but it was so nice! There were no more than 40 or 50 people on Saturday, and definitely less than 20 on Sunday. We had the same DJ both days, she arrived in the late afternoon so you do have some lovely quiet beach and pool time before then. Even so, the music was fantastic and set the vibe for a fun and relaxing weekend.

Food/drinks: Unfortunately, they were out of coconut so we could not order pina coladas or limonada de coco, but other than that, everything was fantastic! We ordered plenty of delicious drinks. For lunch, you can order food straight to where you are and they will bring a little lap table for you, or you can go to the dining area. We did both and really enjoyed the lap table! The food was AMAZING and at least half of the reason why we came back two days in a row! They have perfected seafood in curry sauces, it was divine!!! Literally drooling about their food as I write this review.

Pool and beach: The pool is lovely! It is shallow enough to stand around sipping your drinks but deep enough to stay cool. Lots of room for sitting and hanging out in the water. The beach was beautiful, even though it is a little small. It is very private. Remember, there are vendors around but a smile and a "no gracias" goes a long way. The water was the perfect temperature and crystal clear when we went, and there were minimal waves.

Service: The service here is amazing. We had Galo and Damen while we were there and they were...