HOTEL ISLA PALMA RESERVA NATURAL — Hotel in undefined

This hotel is on a private island with gorgeous views of the ocean. The beach is serene and the water very shallow and beautiful. You have to take a boat two hours from Cartagena with lots of people taking a day trip to the island to get here. We went to check in and they requested more money for some taxes they said we owed when our reservation was paid in full. The agency who booked this for us said that asked us to pay taxes as a Colombian citizen would that are not applicable to myself being a foreigner whose name the reservation was in. We did not receive any welcome drinks when we arrived. Instead we sat there for over an 1 1/2 hours waiting after contacting the agency to resolve this. Their internet was horrible and very intermittent. We paid the extra taxes so we could get checked in. Hotel restaurant stopped serving breakfast and didn’t serve lunch until 12 PM. They recommended that we go to the cafe. Everything we tried to order at the cafe wasn’t available from their menu. They only had ham and cheese sandwiches and chicken empanadas. My girlfriends ordered two sandwiches, I ordered an espresso martini. The martini was good. The sandwiches did not look good and looked slimy inside with some small pieces of pickles. My girlfriends tried to eat the sandwiches but couldn’t finish them they were so bad. We walked to the spa to schedule three full body 60 minute massages later. Only two were available that afternoon. The third one wasn’t available until the next morning. We walked to the beach to hang out until we could check into our room and change into our swim suits and eat lunch. We sat at a table at the hotel restaurant to order lunch. The restaurant and staff seemed to be concerned only about feeding the day trippers lunch and not the hotel guests. One of the staff asked my girlfriends to move from our table to make room for the day trippers who need to eat lunch. My girlfriends were offended. We were all starving and we had not been able to find anything good to eat all morning at this resort. We ordered two fried fish local dishes, one ceviche and a pitcher of rose sangria. The staff came to notify us that they didn’t have the fish they said it would be and they would have to substitute another fish if we still wanted this which we did. The ceviche and sangria were both very good. The fried fish with coconut rice was just okay. Our bill was over $96 USD for mediocre lunch. We hung out at the gorgeous beach until time for two massages. My girlfriends went first and said that this was the worst massage they had ever had. They recommended that I don’t get a massage at this hotel the next morning because it was a waste of money. I didn’t have any time to get a massage anywhere else on this trip so I kept my appointment the following morning. The room was comfortable and big. There were hammocks outside on the porch to relax with. For dinner, I had more ceviche which was good. My girlfriends had some soup and snacked on the leftover fish from lunch. We all had a pitcher of red sangria that was very good. They had fun entertainment from 9 - 11 PM with a dance contest, etc. Everyone had lots of fun. One girlfriend went back to the room shortly before the entertainment ended to shower. After the entertainment ended, my other girlfriend and I returned to the room to shower. My girlfriend fully showered. The water stopped working in the middle of my shower. The hotel turns it off after a certain time. The next morning breakfast was included and was okay. I got my massage after breakfast and was very disappointed also. These were the worst massages the three of us ever had in our lives. The massage therapist didn’t apply any pressure for any of us. We wasted almost $150 USD for three of the most expensive massages at this hotel only to be extremely disappointed. We checked out until our return back to Cartagena. We hung out at the swimming pool which is also a jacuzzi with gorgeous views. Jose was the bartender there and was the most helpful person from the hotel staff. We had a pitcher of...

If I only had to rate the island, it would be easier to give it five stars. But I have to think that overall it was my experience; unfortunately, it wasn't 100% good. As I said, the beach, island, and nature were great, and I spent as much time as possible in the water and doing activities. So, here is a quick rate about the Hotel Las Palmas, considering that it is a rustic and isolated hotel in the middle of the ocean:

Accommodation (3): no noise, bed and shower are reasonable.

Cleaning (4): They did cleaning every day in the bedroom, and it was ok. Overall, no complaints.

Food (3): (including breakfast, lunch and dinner): there are not too many options, but the taste is good, and the juices are fresh. Chicken and pork are the most meat you´ll eat. I love fish, so I ate the same menu every day (lol).

Free Entertainment (2): they have a show every night for kids and adults. Basically, they teach some dance (salsa, merengue..) and you enjoy it, or sometimes they do Karaoke.

Extra services/entertainment (4): massages, water sports (as paddle, kayak, esqui, etc.). This is around USD 30-50 each. Usually, it is not busy and you can book it the day before.

Wi-fi (3): Works well inside the hotel, when you go out, you have no service at all.

Payment (5): they accept Colombian Pesos, debit or credit cards or American dollars.

Although it is a kind of "paradise island," the Las Palmas hotel needs maintenance, especially in the shared area. The balcony on the top floor, facing the sea, has some bare wood and peeling paint and sometimes smells not good. The staff is VERY friendly and always helpful, but they need the training to react quickly to emergencies. I have had two bad experiences: My phone was stolen (on this PRIVATE beach) 3h after we arrived. No one could help me, even the manager. I am still waiting for some resolution, but I don't think this will be closed. And the second one, I twisted my ankle while playing volleyball. The recreator supposed he should help me, but he didn't do anything. I asked a girl, who was helping in the activities, Madelaine, and she grabbed a pack of ice. My friend had to go to our room and bring medicine for me. I had to go back to the hotel walk. After complaining to the manager for the next few days, until I left, I received a massage from Olga and Carmen, and my ankle got a little better. They were kind and helpful.

So, those episodes were brutal, but I really enjoyed my vacation, and I was glad to spend my New Year on one of those fun islands in the world. Cartagena is beautiful and colourful and has such positive energy. You just can´t be mad. I had to make a sweet lemonade with lime that I received.

Thank you for reading it, and I hope it is helpful! Enjoy what...

the Island is 5 star; the fish feed from your hands, as do the red squirrels and monkeys. The beaches are stunning, lots of spaces you can get a sun bed and see no-one. The staff are wonderful. The hotel is more like 3-4 star standards, as is the buffett. And a big mistake is them not readily lending out masks and snorkels, charging for bottles of water. So the Hotel itself is the weak spot on an otherwise perfect island with 5 star staff and brilliant animal interractions. Getting the boat there is a farcical mess as I had to physically go to the boat place and pay they seemed incapable of organising online or via whatsapp so you cant land in the morning and get on the boat, you have to stay in Cartagena the night before. And even booking the hotel was difficult as no one responds to calls, emails or whatsapp or the internet reservation I made. The receptionist saved me as I just turned up at the island knowing a Monday morning would be OK. But really its like way cheaper than say Bora Bora or Maldives, so on that scale its very good value for money and you can easily switch off and relax. Im going to go regularly for breaks. I'm the person who wrote a scathing review ten years ago about the Dolphin and Flamingoes being captive and it not being very 'eco', and that has long...