La Casa de Felipe Hostel — Hotel in Taganga

Detained at La Casa De Felipe for not signing checkout book.

Summary: asked night before about going to san gill in the morning told about catching 6:30 bus, but nothing about checking out detained inside compound until 7:30 told by reception lady we talked to night before that she didn't know if we had paid and how would she know if we paid - also said she didn't know we wanted to leave in the morning even though she remembers talking with us also said that we couldn't leave until we had given the keys back (dosn't understand the theory behind a deposit) no appologies were given, only blame directed at us

The night before we talked at length to the receptionist Deanna about how to get to San Gill. She said that we would have to catch a bus leaving Taganga at 6:30 to ensure we would get to the bus terminal in Santa Marta in time for the 8:30 bus to San Gill. At no point did she let us know that we would have to check out then as there would be no one there in the morning when we left.

In the moening, we were looking around for someone to give our deposit for the key but instead we where told no one could do that for us. When we tried to leave the man working there (Guillemo) closed the gate on us and wouldn't let us leave, saying that we couldn't leave until we'd checked out. That meant we were going to miss our bus.

We were locked inside the compound until 7:30 (over an hour) until the rwceptionist we talked to the night before arrived. When we asked why we were being detained her response was: "How would we know if you paid the night before", "she didn't know if we'd paid as someone else had taken payment" and her final reason was "we need the key back from you before you need".

Our response to her first two points was that its there job to know who has and hasn't paid and to communicate between themselves if the don't have a system set up. Our response to them needing the key back was that that is what the deposit is for (tocover the cost of losing the keys). We also let her know that at no point did anyone let us know that we needed to check out the night before, even her who knew our plans.

She reponded that we were wrong about it all and blamed us for not checking out the night before. At that point we just wanted to leave. So they figured out we had already paid, got me to sign their book and gave the deposit back.for the key.

At no point was there any sympathy or any sorrys about having detained us.

After signing and giving the key back, we ran to the taxi station and paid 6 times as much as the bus would have cost. We got to the bus station in time only to learn that the bus actually left at 9:30. Not only had we been detained, we had also been given wrong information.

We would never go back there and will warn everyone how you will be treated at La...

We enjoyed our stay at La Casa de Felipe.||||In general, our room was clean and well looked after. We loved the small terrace outside our room with hammocks and deck chairs for us to be able to socialise with our friends, who they kindly put into the room next to us. The Mirador was also a fantastic place to watch the sunset and enjoy the wonderful mix of birds that fly around this area. ||||The staff here stand out as amazingly supportive. Before we even arrived they were offering us guidance about beach reservations. Then we had to be isolated whilst visiting (due to a possible contact with COVID and then delayed results) and the hotel were great at supporting us, while ensuring everyone stayed safe. ||||The restaurant is also a stand out for us. Ricardo and his wife Natalia work super hard. There is a limited number of dishes but they are all delicious (my favourite was the chicken curry) and we loved having a brownie and ice cream as we watched the sunset. We ate out a few times, but kept reverting back to the restaurant onsite.||||Our only downside is the ventilation in the rooms. We booked knowing there was no AC, which was fine as there were ceiling fans. However, the open tiles in the rooms, which also helped cool the room, meant we were constantly bombarded by mosquitoes. ||||The hotel is located 10 minutes walk from the sea front, which we preferred as the area was generally quiet. You walk past a couple of little stores to pick up provisions too. However, we don't recommend staying New Year's Eve- the locals play music so loud the room vibrates and this...

The place is really a good value for what you pay! It's very affordable and what you get is just good. The rooms could be a bit bigger and there could have been a mosquito net. But besides, there is nothing to criticize. The whole site is made with a lot of attention to ambience and details. It's really nice to rest there in one of the hammocks or in the easy chair on the little platform on top of the rooms. The staff is really nice and welcoming. Some of them even speak a bit English. The breakfast was included and just the quality you get everywhere in Colombia. At one point, the owner of the place was visiting and made a BBQ for the employees. Because they had plenty of food, they just invited me and other guests as well. A...