La Gran Vía Hotel — Hotel in Cartagena

We made our reservation through Expedia under the "all-inclusive" plan. |We traveled as a couple for nine days.||Here are our observations:|Nothing looks like the pictures; the building is deteriorated and in poor condition. The number on our room door was already faded.||The door handle was broken, making it very difficult to open or close as it wobbled in all directions.|There were two greasy stovetop burners, but no kitchen utensils to use them. The cabinet doors were falling off.|The air conditioning did not cool the room properly.|The room layout was not ideal, as the sink was next to the bed, and the water pressure caused splashing.|The small fridge in the room was rusted and yellow.|The TV did not turn on; we had to call for assistance. However, its wiring and position posed a risk of a short circuit or serious accident.|The pillows were hard, and the bed covers were stained with visible yellow marks.|There were no blankets; you had to request them separately. Otherwise, you only had the bed covers.|The safe did not work at all. We called for support, and when the guy arrived, he tested all the keys, but none worked. He told us they would replace it, but no one ever came back or followed up.|There was no bath mat outside the shower, so I slipped and fell twice.(Im bruised now)|There was not a single hairdryer.|The shower was never cleaned; housekeeping only made the beds and replenished toilet paper.|The "All-Inclusive" Plan Does Not Work as Expected|It has "restrictions" that make no sense.||We were charged for two shots of "aguardiente" that were supposed to be included. At the reception, they simply said it was a "different brand" and therefore not covered, even though I asked for the ones included in my plan.|The only "unlimited" drink options were mojitos, Cuba Libre, piña colada, or beer—no other options. If you wanted something else, you had to pay for it.|The food was the worst—minimal to no variety and completely tasteless.|The only options were chicken or pork, chicken or fish, fish or pork—nothing else. Starters were repeated daily, and it was not even a buffet. They served whatever they wanted and in the portions they decided. Twice, we requested salads after being told they were available, but we never received them.|At the reception, we were told breakfast was available until 9:30 AM. One day, we arrived at 8:15 AM, only to find they were already closing, leaving us with very few options.|The "snack" service was only from 4 PM to 5 PM, and you couldn't choose what you wanted, they served whatever they decided. On the first day, we were given a microwaved sandwich, probably made from breakfast leftovers, because it tasted awful. At that time, we were the only ones with the "all-inclusive" plan. Later, more guests arrived under the same package, and the snacks changed but again,they decided what to give you, leaving you with no options,the quality and variety remained poor.|One night at dinner, we were served a cracked glass that no one noticed until we pointed it out. Additionally, the cutlery was bent or had open edges. The restaurant staff was not particularly friendly.|If you want coffee or water after 6 PM, you have to pay for it because free drinks are only available from 11 AM to 6 PM.||The showers in the pool area were moldy and poorly maintained.|The music at the pool area was incredibly loud, making it impossible to have a conversation.|The smell from the parking lot and lobby entrance was strong, like sewage, giving a terrible first impression.|Street noise could be heard since 6AM.|Before arriving, I sent an email to reservations requesting information/assistance on how to arrange decorations and extra wine for my boyfriend’s 30th birthday (as they advertise this service on their website), but I never received a response. As a result, I couldn't arrange the surprise on time.||The Only Positive Aspects:|The location is within walking distance of the beach, restaurants, casinos, markets, and other attractions.|Sair, the bartender at the pool, was very kind and attentive.|The welcome upon arrival at the hotel...

The hotel is in a great location, very centric. Staff were very friendly. However, we had multiple inconveniences. First, the air conditioner could not keep up with the size of the room and sunlight that came through the windows. Second, we had internet in our room the day we arrived and that was it. The second day we informed the receptionist of the situation and the came with the maintenance guy who started arguing with me passive aggressively suggesting that our phones were the issue. I told him that my phone would connect to all the other routers in the hotel and in restaurants outside of the hotel, and after some time they agreed to send someone to check it. Four days later that person never came. Third, they only give you two medium-size towels for the room every time you ask, and the material is rough. The beds are hard and the pillows are uncomfortable; I woke up with back pain every time (mind you, I don’t suffer back pain regularly). Me and my husband were very complacent and never brought any issues besides the internet once. When we went to checkout, they told us they had to check the room before we left, and although I found it weird, I didn’t mind it much because I was sure we left the room in excellent condition. Or at least that’s what I thought. They came back and told us we had left a marker-like stain in one of the towels… like what!? Why would I bring a marker to Colombia. I don’t even wear make up. We only used those towels after showering since we didn’t even use the pool. I ended up paying a fee for the stain. Just unbelievable. Very unpleasant experience. I do not...

This Hotel, is not a Hotel! It is a MOTEL! Very old. Dirty, and unmaintained. For starters they don't ever have clean towels because they tell you that they don't have water. They also speak zero English so if you don't speak Spanish good luck. The rooms AC barely works and the hotel allows locals to come and swim in the pool. The service is a 3. And the hotel needs a new management team and staff. I am VERY disappointed and unhappy with the service and the attitude of the staff. This is one of the cheapest MOTEL in the area. DO NOT STAY HERE Please don’t be fooled there are zero English speaking employees. Also, the pool area is so old and so dirty and so small that four or five hotel guests barely fit in the pool if you open your pool area to outsiders to come in that leaves no room for hotel guests, we have witnessed people from the streets coming upstairs in the pool area, bathroom and change their clothes into swimwear and then change back to streetwear and leave the hotel that is revolting to . Also, they charge you money if you stain your sheets so they’re basically telling you that you cannot leave any marks on your sheets or your towels and the towels are so old and raggedy that they’re ripping apart and each room only gets two towels and if you ask for more, you have to hand a towel back in order to get another towel. I have never seen such low class...