Hotel Caribe By Faranda Grand, A Member Of Radisson Individuals

“Home away from home”

This is a very special hotel, our family has been coming to Cartagena for the past 5 years and this has become our favorite place to stay, the staff is very attentive, the food is very good (carbonara and Hawaiian pizza are a must!), our children love the animals on site, they are all very well car… more

This is a very special hotel, our family has been coming to Cartagena for the past 5 years and this has become our favorite place to stay, the staff is very attentive, the food is very good (carbonara and Hawaiian pizza are a must!), our children love the animals on site, they are all very well cared for, as a family hotel, El caribe has the feeling and comforts of home, this paired with the beautiful colonial architecture makes for a superb stay.

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“Truly memorable & unique stay at Hotel Caribe by Faranda”

This hotel offers much more than accommodation — it delivers warmth, character, and genuine hospitality. Location: Situated in the safest and liveliest area of Cartagena, yet tucked into a peaceful corner. It’s an easy walk to excellent restaurants and shops while still feeling calm and private. S… more

This hotel offers much more than accommodation — it delivers warmth, character, and genuine hospitality. Location: Situated in the safest and liveliest area of Cartagena, yet tucked into a peaceful corner. It’s an easy walk to excellent restaurants and shops while still feeling calm and private. Staff: The dedication of the team truly stands out. They follow up on any inquiry to make sure you are happy! A heartfelt shout out to Andrea, Merellyn, and Vivian for organizing a beautiful surprise for our special occasion. Their kindness and coordination meant so much to us! See my first photo! Food: The breakfast buffet is impressive — a wide variety of freshly prepared options including hot soups, with some daily rotation to keep it interesting. The dinner buffet is also excellent value: delicious, clean, and thoughtfully presented. Setting & Architecture: The historic architecture, beautifully preserved and updated, gives the property incredible character. Walking through the grounds feels like a tropical oasis. The presence of parrots, toucans, peacocks, sloths, and small deer adds a charm that is rare to find elsewhere. Beach Access: Only a one-minute walk to the private beach club with comfortable beds and shaded areas — convenient and relaxing. Comfort & Details: Extremely comfortable mattresses and pillows, and a fully stocked mini fridge. While there’s no coffee maker in the room, fresh coffee and juice are always available in the hallways — a lovely touch. The bathroom amenities are generous and well curated: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, soap, mouthwash, shower cap, cotton swabs (Q-tips), and slippers, etc. We were a group of 6 & all loved this place & their service!

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“Invest money into this classical building which is a gem”

Let´s begin with the very motivated and very friendly staff of the hotel starting from the front desk, restaurant staff and house keeping. All motivated and willingly guest oriented. A big thank you! The location is a gorgeous classical old hotel in Cartagena and not a faceless modern structure o… more

Let´s begin with the very motivated and very friendly staff of the hotel starting from the front desk, restaurant staff and house keeping. All motivated and willingly guest oriented. A big thank you! The location is a gorgeous classical old hotel in Cartagena and not a faceless modern structure of bad taste or one of these artificially blown up stay sides in Boca Grande. It is breathing a charming and cosy atmosphere and features a nice pool, although with dangeroaus slippery tiles surrounding. The park is lovely and the restaurant and breakfast made the stay very enjoyable. My room was somewhat worn down, the windows of our room could not be opened and the aircon noisy and not so easy to regulate. Dear management my father stayed in your hotel in the 70s. Since then it seems that limited or no money was ever invested in mantainance of the lovely colonial style building. This is a real pity and a shame. Overhaul the full completely building, do not touch the nice garden and parks. Pretending being a five star hotel is far too ambitious by my judgement but I will come back because the hotel has a special atmosphere which I like. By doing so the rating would be much higher.

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“OK hotel stay....but definitely not a 5* property as claimed.”

Stayed here last week on a holiday package and only had a choice between 2 properties in Cartagena. Both had similar review ratings, but choose the Hotel Caribe as its location was closer to town and could walk to other restaurants/shops. This hotel rates themselves as a 5* property, but unfortun… more

Stayed here last week on a holiday package and only had a choice between 2 properties in Cartagena. Both had similar review ratings, but choose the Hotel Caribe as its location was closer to town and could walk to other restaurants/shops. This hotel rates themselves as a 5* property, but unfortunately you will be very disappointed as this may be more of a 3* property with 5* pricing (ranging from $400-$700 per night the week I was there....definitely not worth the price). Pros: - Historic property (+80 years old) so has old world historic charm to it - Good location in Bocagrande area within a short walk to restaurants, shops, groceries - Uber to Walled City ~$5, 10-15 mins - Large onsite swimming pools - Located across the street from Hollywood Beach (soft clean black sand beach) - Rescued wildlife roaming on landscaped groups (deer, parrots, toucans, peacocks, sloth) - Friendly staff (but you need to know some Spanish as only a select few workers speak English; same with entire city) Cons: - Historic building in need of upgrades and modernization - AirCondition limited (moved 4 rooms to finally find one with AC that could get below 25 degrees C). Initially asked for a fan for the room, but they were all given out as we weren't the only ones feeling warm. - When switching rooms, even though the same room category and within the same building, each room appeared with different room furnishings so very inconsistent with standards. For example, first room had 3 lamps, last room had 0 lamps so had to ask for one as it was dark. One room had table and chair, the others none. One room had low water pressure, the other room was better. - Windows are very thin and with cracks (so can hear outside noise, and loss of any cool air) - Wear slippers in room, or your feet will be black within minutes. - Plumbing is old, so let faucets run for a bit as initially water is rusty. - Wireless internet non-existent, or very limited speeds if you can get connected. Don't expect to be able to work remotely, or do social media, videos, etc... Had to buy data esim for basic email and messaging. - Bring a long extension cord, as limited and inconvenient location of electrical outlets - Breakfast is included for everyone, so quality and options felt very basic. For a 5* hotel, the options were no better than a 2-3* complimentary hot options continental breakfast. - Onsite restaurant prices are very expensive (as is typical for hotels) Did I survive my stay, yes. Would I stay at this hotel again... probably not. There are many other more modern hotels in great locations I would give a try instead, and at the same or lower price point. The Hotel Caribe has much potential, but needs a lot of TLC upgrading if it wants to be considered 5*.

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