Dreams Karibana Cartagena Golf & Spa Resort — Hotel in Cartagena

Russell Woodrum|Local Guide·54 reviews·4 photos|2 weeks ago|New|Holiday | Family|The Resort and Rooms are very nice.|The Staff all seem very friendly.|Unfortunately, no hot water in the shower, doesn't even get warm. …More||Dreams Karibana Cartagena Golf & Spa Resort (owner)|a week ago|Dear Guest,|Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent stay with us. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed our resort, comfortable rooms, and the friendliness of our staff. It is especially rewarding to hear your kind words about our Café team – we will be sure to recognize them for their excellent service.||At the same time, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with the hot water in your shower and with the room service process. Your comments regarding the QR code menu and language barriers are very valuable, and we will review these points with our team to identify solutions, including clearer menu options, to better serve our guests.||We truly appreciate your constructive feedback as it helps us improve. We are glad that overall you had a nice experience, and we hope to welcome you back soon for an even more enjoyable stay.||Best,|Luisa Bulla|Social Media Manager|Dreams Karibana Cartagena||Ryan Michael|6 reviews|a week ago|New|Holiday | Couple|Much better than expected! All food and drink included in the perfect way to go because it makes it so easy on your decisions, while all being delicious no matter where you ordered from. The staff was incredible the entire time, whether it …More||Dreams Karibana Cartagena Golf & Spa Resort (owner)|4 days ago|Dear Ryan,|Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to know that your experience exceeded your expectations and that you enjoyed our all-inclusive offerings, from food and drinks to the different areas of service.|It is truly rewarding to hear your kind words about our serving, entertainment, and housekeeping teams. We will be sure to share your special mention with Jesús and Evelyn they will be thrilled to know they made your stay even more enjoyable.|We are also glad you took part in our activities and found them so fun and engaging. Creating relaxing yet entertaining experiences is what we strive for, and it means a lot to know we achieved that during your stay.||Thank you for your recommendation. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another relaxing and fun getaway!||Best,|Luisa Bulla|Social Media Manager|Dreams Karibana Cartagena||V R|Local Guide·304 reviews·371 photos|4 weeks ago|The resort was nice and the staff were very attentive. The language barrier was difficult. The food at the resort was a hit or miss on some days. They didn’t have fish or chicken available everyday at the buffet. An option of vegetables …More|Photo 1 in review by V R|Photo 2 in review by V R|Photo 3 in review by V R|Photo 4 in review by V R+9||Dreams Karibana Cartagena Golf & Spa Resort (owner)|3 weeks ago|Dear Guest,|Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your stay. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed our attentive staff, the café, the cleanliness of the gym, and the beauty of our pools. At the same time, we sincerely apologize for the challenges you experienced, including the language barrier, buffet variety, transportation schedules, towel availability, and slippery pool surfaces. Your comments have been shared with our management team so we can work on improving these areas for future guests. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a more seamless and enjoyable experience|Best,|Luisa Bulla|Social Media Manager|Dreams Karibana Cartagena|Reactions are used across Google services including Maps and Search|Cariann Edwards-Turner|Local Guide·12 reviews·1 photo|a day ago|New|Holiday | Friends|Hotel Dreams Karibana – A Beautiful Stay With Room for Improvement||Hotel Dreams Karibana boasts stunning aesthetics and visually striking architecture that immediately catches the eye. The grounds are well-maintained, the design is modern and luxurious, and the sleeping quarters are exceptionally comfortable, the beds were cozy and provided a restful retreat after long days in the sun.||However, beneath the beauty, the hotel falls short in several key areas that are essential to creating a truly memorable and inclusive vacation experience.||While it's understood and respected that Colombia is a Spanish-speaking country with its own customs, there was a noticeable lack of effort to accommodate or acknowledge the cultural and linguistic diversity of the international guests who visit. As part of a group of 22 Jamaican travelers, it often felt like we were simply "present," rather than welcomed or engaged with.||The food was a major disappointment. It often lacked flavor, variety, or visual appeal. For a resort of this caliber, we expected a culinary experience that reflected both local and international tastes, but instead found most meals forgettable. The mixed drinks, unfortunately, were just as underwhelming. It almost seemed as if they were alcohol-free, with no noticeable kick or balance you’d expect from a proper cocktail at a beachfront resort.||Equally disheartening was the service. Aside from basic check-ins, there was minimal interaction from the staff. Compared to other resorts we've visited, where staff regularly check in, offer help, or simply make you feel welcomed, Dreams Karibana lacked that spirit of hospitality.||However, one shining light stood out among it all: Ingmar, aka "Iggi." He single-handedly elevated our experience and is truly the reason our trip had meaning. Iggi went above and beyond, arranging a private party space for our group, engaging in genuine conversation, and showing true care and connection that never felt forced. He didn’t just do his job, he created memories with us. His energy, effort, and kindness should be the standard for the rest of the staff at this resort.||To Iggi – we salute you.|Thank you for showing us real hospitality and for making our time in Colombia something...

2-9 December 2023 stay. Rooms 640, 638, 643, and 641 with family vacation.

Positives:

Explorer Club for children was amazing. Our 3 year old grand daughter never wanted to leave. Staff took great care of her during her time at the hotel.

Portofino restaurant food was amazing. Lava cake everyone's favorite in a family of 6.

Seaside Grill restaurant food was amazing as well. Each dish available was great. We ordered the entire menu the second visit.

Cafe COCO Gelato and pastries were good, and espresso was great.

Center Bar in Lobby was a great place to meet new people and talk with. Yes, some drinks were watered down because, yes, everyone is getting a lot of drinks in them.

Oceana restaurant service staff was understaffed to handle volume of guess when very busy, and the food was OK. Views of the pool and ocean are nice, especially at sunset.

World Cafe: Buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lunch and dinner are sometimes not available when the hotel does special events near poolside.

Negatives:

MOLD! MOLD! MOLD! (SEE ATTACHED PICTURES) In all parts of the hotel, to include all rooms from talking to other guests who I spoke with English speaking, cracks in wall solid walls, and in and around structural areas as well.

MOLD and water damage and attempted repairs can be seen if you take the time to look closely at ceilings, walls, and hallway carpets to include restaurants, Cafe, front desk areas, VIP services desk, Concierge Desk area, UVC presentation area and office.

Ball rooms have heavy and extensive MOLD and water damage as well.

We were told as a family a recent storm with heavy rain caused much of the damage. A week before our stay.

If you look at other reviews as recent as 6 months ago. You'll see mold pictures as well. So, a lot of mold remediation and repairs need to be done. I was not shocked that I was able to freely walk around and have access to these areas undergoing repairs.

In the U.S., areas are strictly blocked, sealed, and isolated ventilation, and proper Personal Protective Equipment used which every one I saw working on repairs had no proper mold exposure clothing to prevent direct contact just regular clothing and lots of exposed skin in direct contact with mold hazards.

I've suggested strongly shutting the hotel down. Make repairs to the entire property and reopen at a later date.

For so many U.S. and Canadian visitors on property. I was disappointed with the lack of English and French speaking employees.

Staff departmental areas of communication was non existence. We had to ask for our member benefit amenities, which should come in the room(s) pre arrival.

It was not fun being told that taxi drivers are independent contractors, not employees of resort.

Our driver at one point tride to swerve into other vehicles, cutting off vehicles and driving fast and erratic. We ask via Google translator to just drive slow and don't rush, please. That did not help. We also were following another taxi going to our hotel with another American couple on board, getting hit by a local vehicle and driving away. Hit and run.

It will be wonderful in the future when Hyatt corprate has secret employees stay at property and see the disfunction as a property and mis management over all and come in and take control of the property to better train, and implement, Directives, Policies, and Procedures, to include all departmental areas of training, and better staff training.

I look forward to seeing the property partner up with transportation to and from the airport for all guests, such as with other properties in other locations that use AMSTAR.

I suggest the hotel invest in shuttles owned and operated by hotel for guest use only to be taken to and from old Town, center city, and Marina, where boat tours originate. Driver not drive like the locals who swerve, cut off, and use aggressive driving tactics but safe, slow, and with patience. Traffic around the area of the main city is a nightmare when city wide power goes out. Boy, that was...

I wish I’d noticed how many reviews were written by locals. It would’ve been nice to have an honest review from someone well traveled and who’s stayed at several AMResorts before. Let me give you an honest review. Short story: This is an old hotel that hasn’t been updated, just rebranded. Compare prior pictures of it as the Hilton Conrad. Look at my pictures for what you’ll really find: musty carpets and mold in the hallways, leaky ceilings, falling plaster and gaping holes where the ceiling tiles are missing. All guests were evacuated during my stay because the place became unsafe. Long story: My husband and I booked our anniversary getaway thinking this was a newly renovated all-inclusive. IT IS NOT NEW AT ALL! Pre-Arrival: If you purchase a rate that includes the coupon book, they will not honor it. They’ll tell you they don’t have any physical coupon books and give you the runaround. Make sure you double-check anything the concierge is supposed to handle for you. I emailed them about airport transfer 2 weeks before our arrival and was told they’d reserve it for us. They didn’t. We ended up getting taken advantage of by a taxi driver who charged twice their rate which is already twice the normal rate. We used Uber the rest of the trip - much better! The Resort: Cartagena is very, very rainy in November. The airport can’t handle the storms and neither can this resort. There were leaks EVERYWHERE including inside the restaurants, flooded floors in the lobby, and there’s visible mold along the walls and ceilings of the hallways. The carpets are musty and smell really bad. Food/beverage: As with most all-inclusives, this is hit or miss. Mostly miss, to be honest. You can order the same food or drink and it’s something different every time. Example: a hamburger through room service our first night was a burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and a side of thin fries. The exact same order another day came as a burger with grilled onions and bacon and a side of thick wedges. Very confusing. Note: room service takes about an hour even if they tell you “40 minutes,” so order early. Suites: We stayed in a preferred club ocean view suite. The view was really nice! The room itself was okay overall. The tub and shower are fairly small and the shower will flood the bathroom if you use the rainfall shower head. Use the sprayer and aim it at the wall instead. The TV has all channels in Spanish, so if you’re not bilingual, bring a fire stick or other method of watching. The suite has lots of convenient items including a scale, umbrella, and nice cold mini-fridge. Amenities: The pools looked like they were probably nice during non-rainy seasons. The gym was well equipped for cardio and light weights, but no squat or press machines. The spa was flooded but we still got massages. I enjoyed my hot stone massage (despite the room being extremely cold), but hubby was disappointed with his tension relief massage. Entertainment: What entertainment? You can try to go by the schedule, but it doesn’t get updated. Your option is to watch amateur pop singers or listen to a pianist. Staff: There are only a few that speak English, so use a translator. The concierge staff is not reliable. They’re polite but basically just apologize for everything they can’t do for you. I understand the staff has no control over the weather, but I do feel how you handle situations is extremely important. During the evacuation, we weren’t told about the need to leave until 40 minutes before the next set of shuttles. (I had even called about an early check-out and no one said anything.) Other guests were told long before us and were already gone when we got downstairs. They did not give us a choice of accommodations and communication was slim. I made my own reservation at the Hyatt Regency and it was a million times better than this place. I wouldn’t recommend this resort even if it wasn’t...