Amarla Boutique Hotel Cartagena

Location - Pool

Breakfast service is TERRIBLE. We had to wait 1.5hrs to get our breakfast. Lighting inside rooms is very poor if you need to do make up or get ready for an event.

Great location and rooftop terrace view

Uncomfortable beds, like sleeping on a bouncy castle. Non existent duvet provided. Staff wanted to charge extra for any request i.e. early or late check in. Multiple messages to ask when we would be checking in, only to tell us check in was only available from 3.30pm and any sooner would require extra payment. Inflexible and tried to charge for what other hotels often provide for free.

El diseño del lugar.

El mantenimiento deja mucho que desear.

Great boutique hotel and very nice staff - room was very comfortable and AC worked perfectly in a much needed weather; breakfast was good

beautiful historic building with pretty roof top pool although no view from sitting. Attractive courtyard built around two trees.

The walls and shutters were fighting the damp and the rooms needed some maintenance, painting airing cupboards fixing. Only one kitchen as you came in which was awkward to order from. Very noise road with bands and people trading all night

Amarla is a truly stunning hotel that unfortunately has a pretty severe identity problem. Upon entering, your breath is taken away by the beautiful art and amazing scale of the place. It feels like you've been transported to a wonderfully extravagant secret where the rooftop, the lobby, and the rooms seem painstakingly curated. However, upon closer examination, the hotel is not as wonderful as it seems. My husband and I chose to spend our honeymoon here, thinking the stay would be magical, but it was far from that. The hotel staff were very kind (Dorian was very nice), but there seems to be consistently poor communication between them. From our smaller-than-expected room with no view besides the inner wall of the hotel, we had a bathroom that, besides having very odd water pressure in a shower that did not drain, also had a window that did not seal whatsoever. This was uncomfortable because A) it did nothing to keep the Cartagena humidity and mosquitoes OUTSIDE and B) you could vividly hear all of the conversations in the dining space below, as well as the frequent disagreements between the hotel staff. During the first breakfast of our honeymoon, we waited for over an hour before my husband went to inquire about the food's status, and only then did lukewarm food appear. Mind you, the mosquitoes had a full meal of all of the hotel guests during breakfast, as we were all itching uncontrollably in the open-air space (if you are coming, bring lots of bug spray). During our first swim at the rooftop swimming pool, we noticed that although we were blown away by the view, the pool lacked some maintenance, and there was no hotel staff monitoring for available towels (there were none) or anything else. My husband went downstairs to ask for two cocktails, and upon asking twice whether he should wait to bring them up himself, he was persuaded that they would be brought up. And the cocktails were indeed brought up... 45 minutes later. And again on our last day, when we wanted to enjoy some room service, the food was brought up 40 minutes later (which is fine), but without any of the coffee I had ordered. I messaged the front desk, and they read my message but did not respond. My husband went down to inquire, and the staff at the front desk apparently went to yell at the kitchen staff before someone brought up two coffees 15 minutes later. All that to say, Amarla is a beautiful hotel, but it is a hotel that really needs to work on its guest relations and communication. Besides all of the inconveniences, we were not expecting the red carpet upon arriving, but I genuinely would've appreciated the smallest single gesture or thoughtful detail to make our honeymoon experience at such a beautiful boutique hotel any better than just "average."

An absolutely stunningly beautiful, antique hotel in the heart of old Town, Cartagena, kind, attentive, friendly, professional stuff. Amazing views from rooms and upper terrace/pool. Tasty breakfast. Walking distance to everything. It's an absolutely magical place.

Unfortunately, the climate and the AC in the room. When we visited, it was extreme heat and humidity, so the moment AC is off, and we had to switch it off over nights occasionally, as it blows strongly straight to the bed, so the room gets warmed up in seconds and was quite hot to sleep.. Also, somehow, ironically, this beautiful hotel is located in the loudest street of the old town, so bring your earplugs :)

Las instalaciones son muy lindas, el hotel bien ubicado. Los empleados amables

El servicio de desayuno es malísimo, lento, las cantidades en el desayuno son bastante limitadas. Esa parte de la estadía no nos gustó y para nosotros es muy importante

This was an amazing experience. The hotel is perfectly located close to all, the architecture is just breathtaking, the guest rooms are only 7 and each of them are perfectly designed with amenities and comfort for a demanding guest. Rooftop pool was so nice, stunning views of the town and the cathedral tower. And the staff takes the emerald, everyone was super attentive to our needs and comfort, immaculate clean rooms and the entire house, checking in and arranging plans and transportation for us, and always with a smile and the will to go beyond what’s expected. Truly thank you for making our week vacation in Cartagena a very memorable one that we will never forget. Thanks to Dorian, Edgardo, Kevin, Ramon, and the entire staff. Gracias amigos! De corazón

Belle décoration, chambre d'époque meublée avec goût (ancien-vintage). Bon petit déjeuner. L'équipe de l'hotel est très sympathique. La petite piscine sur le toit est un plus après une journée de visite dans la chaleur. Enfin l'hotel est très bien situé. En général bon rapport qualité-prix.

Tout était bien, parfois la pression de l'eau de la douche était faible mais c'est souvent le cas à Cartagena.

The breakfast was excellent and the common areas were beautiful.

The dimmers on the lights created a constant flicker

Very comfortable with attentive and friendly staff. Only 6 rooms so plenty of common spaces to relax with privacy.

Nothing not to like.

La beauté du lieu , le côté intimiste , le service et le calme !

This was one of our favourite hotels ever. Firstly the location was great, right in the heart of the walled city with everything you need minutes away! The room was absolutely beautiful with a fantastic view from the balcony and all the amenities you could need. Lovingly decorated with beautiful little thoughtful touches. The roof terrace was amazing and given the small number of rooms we had it pretty much to ourselves, it really was something very special! Finally, the staff were fantastic. I would like to say to the management that one lady in particular, I think her name was Veronica, was incredibly helpful. This wonderful lady really made our stay perfect. She was so kind and helpful and chatted to us about the city and islands and nature...she even helped us buy a kimono! Veronica really is a credit, not just to the hotel but to the spirit of the Colombian people...so friendly and welcoming. Thank you for everything!

Amazing location and hotel. Comfortable beds and everything was perfect.

Excelente servicio , todo el personal fue muy amable desde el recibimiento hasta nuestra salida. Las instalaciones muy cómodas , tanto las habitaciones , el área para comer y el rooftop 10/10. 🥳 Sin duda lo recomendaría y volvería a visitarlos Gracias especiales a Verito y Claudia 👏👏

La beauté de l’hôtel

Rien

Fantastic location, beautiful and quiet hotel, amazing breakfast and staff. Would definitely stay here again. Hot strong showers and beautiful decor. Rooftop had stunning views.

Nothing, it was all amazing.

l'hotel est magnifique, beaucoup de charme, les chambres sont grandes et magnifiquement décorées. Personnel au petit soin et a l'écoute du client. Tout était parfait!

une chambre a la fenêtre que donne sur un mur, mais ils nous ont promptement changé de chambre après que nous avons fait parti du problème.

Beautiful and helpful staff very clean and comfy

Un établissement plein de charme au cœur de la vieille ville de Carthagene. Service impeccable, décoration et confort soignés.

This was our last hotel to stay at in Colombia and it was just perfect. Great location, lovely staff, very quiet, delicious breakfast, clean, gorgeous rooftop with pool and comfy beds. They also give you free water.

Nothing major but the hot water wasn’t very hot, but hot enough for a shower so we didn’t complain.

La habitación suite es espectacular, la decoración , los baños, las camas amplias y cómodas

El tiempo de esperar en el restaurante es un poco largo , pero la comida es deliciosa

Die Lage dieses Boutique Hotel war fantastisch: zentral aber ruhig. Das Personal war super nett . Das Hotel ist ein Traum: eine alte Villa sehr schmalvoll renoviert und dekoriert. Die Terrasse hat eine schöne Pool mit frischem Wasser und Aussicht auf die Kathedrale. Das Frühstück war perfekt: klein aber lecker und gesund.

alle war schön.

La ubicación es muy buena si se quiere conocer el centro histórico. La habitación no daba hacia la calle por lo que no escuchamos ruido en ningún momento del día. El personal en general fue amable. Nos pareció un hotel seguro ya que de noche cerraban la puerta principal. Estaba decorado muy bonito. Las almohadas estaban cómodas.

La habitación no tenía luz natural y me pareció muy oscura. Me tenía que arreglar para un evento y ninguna de las lamparas daba buena luz para maquillarse. Había varios puntos de iluminación pero todos eran de ambiente. La lámpara a la par de la cama tenía un problema eléctrico y me electrocutó. El baño era sumamente estrecho e incómodo. También estaba mal iluminado. Casi no salía agua caliente y el chorro de agua era duro. La cabeza de ducha no dispersaba bien el agua. La cama era demasiado suave incluso para alguien a quien le gustan las camas suaves. La piscina estaba demasiado fría, incluso para un destino caliente. Durante mi estancia los días no fueron tan calientes y entrar en el agua era imposible. Ademas de que el material del piso de la piscina era resbaloso y peligroso. Las escaleras hacia el rooftop eran pequeñas y peligrosas. El desayuno incluido estaba pasable pero duraba muchísimo en salir así que no es una opción si se tiene un evento o tour planificado. No diría que fue la comida más agradable. Si volviera no lo pagaría y comería fuera. Pagamos el Amarla Boutique Hotel ya que queríamos un lugar bonito y más confortable. Conociendo la ciudad más y viendo las opciones creo que preferiría quedarme en otro lugar la próxima vez.

La perfecta ubicación. Tamaño de la habitación y del baño.

El colchón de las camas es demasiado blando. La habitación y el baño necesitan una limpieza más profunda.

Ubicación perfecta. Personal muy amable.

Las ventanas de la habitación muy complicadas abrir y cerrar

Great location in Cartagena, loved our room and comfy bed. Beautiful building and design. Staff were helpful. We enjoyed having the breakfast in different places (room, downstairs, rooftop).

Pool was not open / full whilst we were there. There was also a photoshoot / influencers happening at breakfast on one of our mornings, which we found disruptive as they took over lots of the tables and space and service was slow.

lo bonito del lugar y la excelencia del personal

la piscina le faltaba mantenimiento

This was my first time in Cartagena and absolutely loved the Amarla Hotel. The price was great for the location, the room and the wonderful breakfast served every morning as part of the price. Staff could not be more amenable. They are always available to meet your needs and are pleasant and helpful. My room was elegant with old-world charm but modern conveniences. This small boutique hotel was a gem and in the best location - walkable to almost everything within the walled city. I would recommend it without reservation.

Me encantó esta hermosa casa, es un lugar hermoso con un diseño del espacio increíble. La habitación era muy cómoda y el hotel entero para disfrutar. La atención increíble por parte de todo el equipo, especialmente Verónica que estaba ahí para cuidar cada detalle. Súper recomendable!

This hotel is lovely. It's very charming, full of character, and centrally located. All the staff I interacted with were kind and accommodating. As a wonderful bonus, breakfast is included and their menu is extensive. I stayed for several nights and was able to try many different options. Very good and I loved the passionfruit juice.

This would have been a 10/10 stay had it not been for what happened when I checked out. I came from the US so I have a foreign credit card. Usually, whenever I pay with my credit card when traveling abroad it will ask if I want to pay in USD or the local currency. I always choose to pay in the local currency because my credit card company (like many) charges for the conversion. The staff member did not ask my preference, charged my credit card in USD, and I ended up paying more than I should have as a result. Apart from this incident, I would still recommend them but I hope they address this so it's not an issue for future guests.

The property is beautifully decorated and kept. Lovely roof top and pool, all the facilities are great

NA

Ho avuto un’ottima esperienza in questo hotel a Cartagena. L’attenzione del personale è stata impeccabile e la direttrice si è distinta per professionalità e disponibilità. Tutto questo ha reso il soggiorno molto piacevole. Consigliato.

Habitaciones bellamente decoradas y amplias. Personal increíblemente amable y localización perfecta

Nada

El hotel es exquisito. La decoración, el gusto, la atención. Hasta el más mínimo detalle impresiona. Plagado de objetos decorativos que son verdaderas obras de arte y combinados con un sentido impecable del diseño. Servicio superlativo. No puede estar mejor ubicado Camas increíbles

Nada

Superbe hôtel en plein cœur de la vielle ville et pourtant c’est très calme. La décoration des lieux et la piscine sur le toit sont incroyables. Les employés de l’hôtel sont très professionnel et à l’écoute. Nous recommandons.

Les murs de la salle de bain suintaient.

Absolut toll - perfekt gelegen - im Zimmer 1 total ruhig! Muchísimas gracias a todo el equipo!!!!

La paz y la tranquilidad

Que cerraban la piscina muy temprano

The staff the location and the comfort of the room.

Nothing

El cuarto, la cama súper cómoda y el desayuno muy completo y rico

Hubieron detalles como q la puerta de la ducha no cerraba bien, y el área de la piscina podría mejorar.

Charmant hotel très bien placé avec belle décoration. Lit incroyablement confortable et personnel charmant.

Rien

Todo genial. Muy buena ubicación.

Beautiful property, delicious breakfast each morning, perfect location. Absolutely loved our stay!

The only negative was that the pool was undergoing maintenance due to an issue, so the rooftop was closed during our stay which was a bummer. However, the hotel offered us a couples massage which was appreciated.

Es absolutamente precioso y lleno de encanto! La suite es una maravilla con 2 pisos. El trato genial, fenomenal situado y el desayuno delicioso! Repetiría

Nada!

The hotel was an authentic mansion located in the historical city of Cartagena, beautifully decorated and the service was very nice. The room was very quiet.

I thought the bed mattress was too soft, and the shower was also a bit old, water spread everywhere. But that did not cause us any trouble.

La atención del personal y las instalaciones de primera.

La cocina muy mal. Todo lo que pedí de comer en toda mi estancia, muy insípido. Tienen que poner atención en la cocina.

Beautiful boutique hotel. in a prime location within the walls. Breakfast excellent. Exquisite attention to details providing a pampered feel to the room. Considering the building is very old they did a great job in restoring it.

The location in the old town was very nice, walking distance to all nice key spots

We had room 4 which is really to small and I kept hitting my legs on the corner of the bed as there is no space to move with all the furniture in it. The bathroom is very tiny, no space to put your toiletries. Also the shower door kept on opening while showering. The room is above the reception and no windows from bathroom to the room and we could hear the night guards phone the entire evening.

Privacy, great service, attention to details, amazing decoration

Localização, conforto, atendimento.

Banheiro muito escuro. Prédio com pouca acessibilidade.

Atendimento. Quarto ótimo

WC mal iluminado

Charming property. Great location. Spacious room. Nice staff.

Bathroom is open ceiling - might bother some people.

The location and the architecture of the hotel is perfect. The hospitality is excellent.

Excellent Boutique hotel.Excellent service will definitely stay there again!

I love the style and decoration. Rooms are spacious and really nice. Beds are EXCELLENT

At least on our room when there was a dinner party downstairs, it was really loud.

hotel muy bien ambientado en una casona. colonial , con exelente ubicacion a pasos de todo,cerca de la catedral el personal my acogedor y atento y te entregaba buenas indicacione , el desayuno es variado y suficiente el cual se tomaba en un patio interior

- very friendly staff - amazing architecture - great food

- pool is small - air conditioning only in rooms

Ubicación ideal, todo queda cerca caminando. Le decoración del hotel hermosa, que logra un contraste con la arquitectura del edificio. Los detalles durante la estadía y la gran cordialidad del personal del hotel. Verónica un encanto, le dio una gran calidez a nuestros días. Muy buen desayuno!!

Everything was perfect. The hotel is gorgeous.

Nothing.

El personal fue extremadamente amable y el lugar es muy bonito

Me gustó todo mucho

Beautiful interior and great breakfast

Rooms a tad small but understand the space constraint given the historical building

Desayuno perfecto , cena muy rica, gente muy agradable y nos ayudaron en todo

ventiladores solo funcionan a una velocidad y es muy alta WC y ducha deficiente

La ubicación excelente. La vista del rooftop divina. Es un hotel hermoso con solo 6 habitaciones, por lo cual es muy tranquilo. El personal excelente y siempre dispuesto a ayudar!

Everythiingggg

Todo me encantó! Las habitaciones súper cómodas, el servicio y la atención excelente. El staff muy cordial

I had high expectations for this hotel based on reviews, it turned out to be a big disappointment. Our 3 night reservation made through the hotel was cancelled, I’ve travel for business for the last 20 years and this has never happened before. According to them, it was cancelled because the card was declined even though I had received confirmation. They sent me an e mail informing me about the cancelation but I never saw it since it was sent to an e mail address I don’t check regularly. When asked why didn’t they call me since they had my cell number on file, they said they were not allowed to make international calls. They never bother to check that I had another reservation for 1 night through Expedia and a meeting scheduled to meet with the event planner of the hotel as I was planing on renting the hotel for an event in June. Claudia at the reception desk tried helping us find another hotel. We stayed one night with the Expedia reservation and the next day found hotel Casa de Alba which was FANTASTIC, booked right away and the card was NOT declined. When checking out, I met George who was rude and seemed to be annoyed, to make things worse, the safe deposit would not open and none of the keys that George provided to open the safe would work which made him more unpleasant to deal with. Oto, another employee, came and was very kind and helpful, he promised to call a lock Smith to open the safe and bring our things to the other hotel. I do not recommend this hotel.

Amazing hotel right in the centre of old town. Absolutely everything was perfect!

Everything was great! Staff was super friendly, breakfast was super good and authentic, clean and good rooms. Would definitely come back.

I would have given them a 10, but only being picky, just clean more or change the cushions by the pool (and I’m being super picky here).