Sonesta Hotel Cartagena vs Similar Hotels

Several negatives: bathrooms in poor condition (missing doors, uncomfortable toilets), partial/faulty lighting in rooms, old/damp furniture, uneven remodel quality and occasional water outages requiring room changes.

Rooms generally comfortable and praised, but issues include thin walls (noise from adjacent rooms), lighting deficits at mirrors, missing towel racks and occasional maintenance problems.

Mixed sentiments about room quality, with some complaints about outdated furnishings.

Reviews indicate issues with room maintenance and comfort.

Mixed: some reviews note rooms 'amplia y limpia', but multiple complaints about urine odor on bedding, ants entering rooms, humidity and unexterminated insects, and AC leaking that wet luggage.

Mostly praised (multiple mentions of good cleaning and hygiene), but isolated issues reported (worn bathrooms, a repaired-but-failing safe) lower the score slightly.

Several reviews highlight cleanliness positively, contributing to overall satisfaction.

The review mentions dirty and poorly maintained rooms, indicating low cleanliness.

Strong location and good access to the city; close to beach though not beachfront — typically a ~200 m walk and the beach is public with no hotel loungers, which some guests noted as a drawback.

Excellent beach-front location and easy taxi access to the center; one note about being a bit far from some activities by ship.

Location is frequently praised, especially its proximity to the beach.

Beautiful property right in the ocean; location praised in the reviews.

Generally very positive: staff repeatedly described as friendly, courteous, helpful and attentive (recepción, trato del personal). A few isolated remarks about slow/unprofessional restaurant service, but overall service is a strong point.

Staff repeatedly described as extremely kind and helpful; some front desk delays reported but overall service is a strong positive in the reviews.

Service is described as excellent in multiple reviews, indicating high customer satisfaction.

Some reviews highlight attentive service, but others mention rudeness at the front desk.

Generally positive: breakfasts and some meals described as very good and the food was liked by many guests. A few issues noted (limited buffet selection, perceived high cost, unexpected charges at checkout), but overall F&B received strong praise.

Breakfast is consistently praised as very good/comprehensive by many guests, though a few found it weak.

Food quality is highlighted positively in many reviews with few complaints.

Food quality received some criticism; some reviews found it poor.

Pools and property praised (multiple pools, not crowded), and rooms often include conveniences (plancha, secadora, A/C). Some lacks noted (no beach loungers, limited family activities, pool area could use music), but overall amenities are a highlight.

Good pools and facilities noted, but the pool is small for the hotel size, closes early, limited child-focused spaces, and some missing conveniences (no coffee station).

Amenities are mentioned positively, although improvements are suggested.

Positive mentions of multiple pools and activities available.

Negative: several guests felt the hotel is overpriced for the condition of facilities (explicit comment: 'no esta para el precio que cobran', 'caro y malo'). Value is a clear weak point.

Several guests explicitly stated the price is high relative to competitors and felt the cost–benefit relationship was poor.

Overall, value is rated positively, but some comments suggest room for improvement.

Mixed reviews on quality vs price, slightly lower due to poor experiences.