Casa Carolina Hotel

It's hard to write a review for this hotel because you need to see and experience it for yourself. The old town is the place to stay and this hotel is breathtaking. It clearly used to be a home and the way they have transformed it is amazing. We ended our two week trip here and it was every bit as relaxing and wonderful as you have read from others. It's quiet and tranquil, which is amazing because when you walk out the front door it's loud and bustling! The entire hotel is stunning and breathtaking with decor and old charm. We loved the balcony that looked out over the front. The best part was the rooftop pool. (It would be great if they served drinks or food up there!). We stayed in a room towards the back of the hotel, which is probably why it was so quiet. I would love to stay in a room to the front with a balcony overlooking the square- but that might not be so quiet. The staff was so incredibly kind and helpful and they were all genuinely happy you are there. We stayed in a smaller room (the bed was huge though), but it was still clean, nice and cool (yay air conditioning because it's HOT in Cartagena). I will be recommending this hotel to anyone who will listen- it absolutely made our stay. It's also so incredibly affordable for what you are getting. If you're looking for somewhere to stay in Cartagena, look no further!

The hotel concierge greeted us upon our arrival and settle a dispute between myself/my travel partner and the taxi driver, who had tried to tell us that our Colombian Pesos were not "good." I was grateful for this upon our arrival, as this was not something I was expecting to run into, since we took care of the currency exchange at the airport. So from the first point of contact, we felt safe. Upon check in, we were provided with our room key, escorted to our room and and advised of the policies/options available. It was overcast the day we arrived, so the inner area wasn't as bright as it had been in some of the pictures, but that was no fault of the hotel and even so, with all of the natural light that was available, It was still beautiful and breathtaking. There were pool attendants cleaning the water in the center of the hotel upon arrival (and throughout the day each day) to keep the leaves and debris out of the water and keep it looking beautiful. I can't remember a time during our stay that there weren't people cleaning/testing the water, and there were people working on other parts of the building, as well. Our room was on the second floor, which overlooked the hottub area down below. Outside our bedroom was a large sitting/dining area, which also overlooked the center. Our bedding was comfortable, but the mattress/pillows weren't as soft as what I am personally used to. I prefer more plush/soft mattresses and the one we had was more on the firmer side. However, there were a lot of pillows and the room was clean, smelled great and the shower was HUGE and I still slept good. It was nice and quiet and secure. There was someone at the front desk basically all night so we felt safe knowing that when we came in from the surrounding restaurants/nightlife. The location and service were the best part. This is literally right in the center with endless options for restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment. There are a LOT of street vendors all throughout but most are friendly and respect the word "no" if you are polite/respectful but firm. Most of the people kept to themselves but were available upon request. There were a few who spoke fluent English and others that did not. They helped us with a lot of our questions and even got us coffee upon request, since there is not an area for us to make ourselves or in our rooms; I think had there been coffee makers in the rooms, I would have been happier. The coffee was okay, but better coffee was available next door, to be honest, and the ambiance at the coffee shop to the right was fabulous so really, it wasn't that big of a deal if you're willing to go outside the hotel. The decor/history of the building was absolutely stunning. It felt like it went on for miles and you could easily get lost in the halls/building itself. One of my favorite views/places within the property were on the second or third floor, on the backside, where you could either sit on the couch and read or look out at the

Lo positivo del hotel: 1) Apartamentos grandes y bien ubicados para grupos numerosos en la ciudad antigua, con varias zonas muy agradables (terraza, sala, comedor), 2) La gente es muy servicial y amable, 3) La casa es una joya histórica, el piso de entrada es una belleza se siente realmente como volviendo en el tiempo! Igual el salón principal y en cada rincón hay detalles históricos de esta casa de las de 400 años! Lo negativo: 1) En general el nivel de mantenimiento es bajo, por ejemplo los parasoles de la pisicina sin toldos, la misma piscina en mal estado igual que el jacuzzi del apartamento, el horno no funcionaba ni el seca ropas, 2) La dotación de los apartamentos estaba incompleta, toco pedir de todo (platos, copas, cubiertos etc) 3) la información es poca y muy vaga, no ayuda en la planeación del viaje. 4) las habitaciones se acceden por escaleras, no es apto para adultos mayores (esto nos se informo) lo cual nos obligó a buscar una habitación de urgencia en otro hotel el mismo día de llegada para los abuelos, quienes no podran subir las escaleras 5) Hay mucho ruido siempre de la calle, y la esquina es una de las mas transitadas por vendedores y turistas 6) Hay una infestación de pequeños murgiélados (no entran al depa pero se ven volar) 7) Hay varios riesgos de seguridad importantes, la pisicina tiene un succionador super potente que puede llegar a lastimar a un niño gravemente, y el jacuzzi de nuestra departamento en un 5 piso tiene un lado totalmente sin guardas de seguridad. 8) Al salir se quedaron algunas prendas de ropa olvidadas, ellos no están dando razón de las mismas... En general la estadía fue fluida y buena, pero se nota que este hotel tuvo mejor época. Nos llamo la atención que no parece existir una gerencia presente y que se haga cargo, los empleados son muy amorosos pero no tienen la capacidad de decisión necesaria,