OLD TOWN HOUSE — Hotel in Cartagena

Don't think for a moment that this 'Hostel' is anything like what we've come to associate with accommodations which put themselves in that category. ||||A backpacker Hostel, it is not. ||||It is more of a friendly small-scale hotel or Guesthouse with cooking facilities and no dorms.||||We read reviews on TA and decided to pop by when we arrived in Cartagena, despite it having very few reviews. San Diego Old Town Hostel is less than a year old, hence its limited coverage on TripAdvisor. ||||There are just five rooms and they are modern, well equipped and very clean. They provide a safe, a TV, ensuite, air con and towels. Breakfast is standard Colombian hostel breakfast and included in the price. (Coffee/Tea, Juice, Eggs, bread, Aripas, Jams). ||||The location is excellent, in a quiet and safe part of the old town. We walked all over Cartagena from here and were able to buy food in the Exito supermarket right around the corner to cook back in the Hostel. ||||At night we'd stroll through the pretty streets to the Hostel feeling very comfortable and safe. (I read a review which suggested taking a taxi at night as the area was dodgey...I'm baffled by that, it's a lovely part of the old town).||||The price is excellent value, very similar to the price of a basic private room in typical backpacker hostel in the Getsemane area which isn't even inside the old town.||||The staff don't speak any English, other than the owner who pops in from time to time. But they were very friendly and we communicated with them using Google translate. We stayed for five nights in total. Three nights, then they minded our bags while we were away staying in Playa Blanca, and then a further two back in Cartagena. ||||Criticisms; ||There are some flaws which I think are associated with this being a relatively new Hostel. ||Stay in the upstairs rooms if you have the choice, on the second half of our stay we were allocated a room downstairs and each morning were woken by the noise from the kitchen/dining room area. ||We had some laundry cleaned and this took 48hours to arrive back which I felt was too long. ||The room service forgot little things like replacing the toilet roll, providing new soap or emptying the bin. ||The air con in the second room was Freezing beyond control at times and left us shivering in bed.||The wifi didn't work in the rooms at the back of the Hostel.||The TV signal wasn't great. ||||...But who cares about the TV...||||All in all however, we were very glad to have stayed there and anticipate that as they receive more reviews, the price will increase and this will be marked as a top place to stay. For the price and location, I don't think there could be a better room in...

This place is in the northeastern part of the old town of Cartagena, which is a good location (apart from nearby construction across the street) if you want something that is in the old city but quiet. The street is quiet and away from all the noise of the main area but is still a short walk to everything and there is an Exito supermarket very close by, which is convenient.||||However, the place is more basic than it looks and seems to have fallen slightly into neglect. We got two rooms for our family of 4, both rather basic and dreary inside with no windows to anywhere - one had a window that looked right onto a blank wall and the other had a window with no glass or covering that opened into the small pool/lobby area and thus was loud due to the pool machinery next to it. The rooms were stuffy and cramped, the air-conditioning worked but was very loud and had a blue light shining in our faces. The rooms were reasonably clean but just a touch dirty, especially the bathrooms. The bathroom was small and had no hot water in the faucet while the shower either shot out hot water or had only cold water, no in-between. We experienced hot-water/plumbing/bathroom limitations in most places we stayed in Colombia but at this price we expect something better. In an effort to be modern and have a television, they stuck a television on the wall with an ugly mass of wires all over the place, making that part of the room just ugly and messy. I would prefer no television at all (I admit I never use them when travelling) - I understand some people want that but really I, and I think many others who travel to places like this, prefer attractive charm and character to having a television. ||||The female staff during the morning and daytime were friendly and helpful. They provided us a nice, standard Colombian hotel breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit, etc.||||The male staff member on duty in the evening and night was taciturn, unfriendly, and seemed unpleasant. ||||The breakfast area at the open end of the lobby by the pool was nice and pleasant.||||The place seemed dead and deserted. We saw one other family in the morning we left, and nobody else. ||||The pool seemed pleasant but its cramped location combined with the unfriendly employee in the evening and the complete lack of anyone else made us feel uncomfortable about relaxing there. ||||Overall, this is decent enough for a single-night stay and a quick visit to Cartagena, but had an unpleasant, drab, and uninviting quality. If I were going to stay in Cartagena for 2 or more nights and wanted a really enjoyable experience, I would not...

Cartagena is undoubtedly the touristic destination in Colombia by excellence. For any traveler that wants to enjoy the magic of the Ciudad Amurallada, the historic center of the city, then Old Town B&B should be your top choice for a wonderful B&B. The hotel is conveniently located so you can easily walk around the Ciudad Amurallada and find everything nearby like Gabriel Garcia Marquez house and the Bovedas. If you want to explore to Getsamani neighborhood, it is also within walking distance and to the Convention Center and also the pier where you can travel to Isla del Rosario and Baru. ||||I cannot stress enough how good the location is. The hotel is very comfortable and nice. You received personalized attention, and the staff is very welcoming. The rate includes free breakfast that usually consists of juice or fruit, coffee, eggs, bread and arepa.||||The hotel has 5 rooms, including a family suite so there is option for every kind of traveler. The rooms have A/C, hot water (yes, it is important to have hot water even in hot climate because if you stay all night with A/C you probably dont want cold water), flat TV with cable and wifi depending on which room you get. Outside you can enjoy a small pool with a jacuzzi.||||The staff can help you with tours and geting a cab. ||Everything you need to enjoy and relax you can find in this hotel, you won't regret...