Sofitel Baru Calablanca Beach Resort

Pool bar and the pool with it is great! I prefer this area over the pools near the beach. The infinity pool is incredible. David was our server and he is wonderful. Would recommend getting drinks here. Enjoyed a snack here every day before dinner.

With a flight to Cartagena and a 1.5 hr drive the reception was a little chaotic because of the arrival of a large wedding party. Difficult for any hotel to manage - but there seemed to be a hierarchy of muy importante personas and then us waiting longer than we hoped arriving somewhere very special. Our room was very nice, clean, spacious, comfortable. We met several great staff - Sandra at breakfast is 5 star. Attentive, polite and caring. On the beach - Alejandro was a great welcome each morning. At the pool bar - Marco and David are polite and go out of their way to help and also good company.

The hotel is what you would expect from a Sofitel. It takes between 90 minutes and two hours to drive to the hotel from the centre of Cartagena or from Cartagena Airport, depending on the traffic. Given it's proximity to Cartagena, it shouldn't be unexpected that from the beach you can see some of the high rises of modern Cartagena and that on the horizon container ships and cruise ships are frequently seen. That said the beach is what you would imagine a Caribbean beach should be - white sands, palm trees, a sea at a constant temperature of 28c. The waves are generally small, helped by the reef that is some way out. As with Cartagena, in the afternoon the wind builds, so if you are looking for a flattish sea to swim in the best time of the day is in the morning. However there are five swimming pools to choose from, which are less impacted by the wind. On the beach there are plenty of sun beds, cabanas and staff. There is a 30 minute rule, which is that if you leave your bed unattended for thirty minutes, then your stuff will be removed and the bed will be made available to other customers. This is not strictly enforced but is a deterrent to bed bagging. The staff bring the towels, free water and will move the beds when required. There is a food van on the beach where mexican food is available for lunch. There is also a bar on the beach. The staff on the beach, and indeed around the whole hotel, are friendly, helpful and want you to have the best time you can have. A call out for Agustin on the beach who was exemplary in his customer service. There are four restaurants each offering a different range of foods. Bahia is a more casual dining experience on the level of the pools and the beaches and is where you can get a burger. Calablanca is where breakfast is served and for lunch and dinner also has a wood fired pizza oven. Humo is more asian cuisine focused. The breakfast at Calablanca has an extensive range of both Columbian and European foods. As you would expect from a Sofitel the pastries are excellent. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. There is always a good selection of Columbian fruit. Our room was comfortable and well equipped with a good number of client usable plugs to charge devices. The wifi is good and reliable. The products in the bathroom are of a high quality. There was both a fan and air-conditioning. The air-conditioning was quiet. There was a turndown service which brought cartons of water every evening and a sweet treat. The front office staff were helpful and friendly. There is a cafe nearby the reception where both tea, coffee, pastries and cakes are available. I would highly recommend the Sofitel Baru hotel for a few days stay. As they say in Colombia es una nota!

We booked three nights. Left after the first night. Feces all along the side of the toilet, floor and wall. Room reaked of mildew. Mosquitos are brutal all day long. It's no where near Cartagena. No taxis or ubers. You are trapped. It's 200 for a ride to town. If available. Massive property. We were in the last room 338. A good 8 minute uphill walk in 32 degree heat. Do not recommend. Completely regret and now fighting for the 2 night refund.

This is a resort at a very high level of hospitality, beauty, experiences et. We were staying at Sofitel Santa Clara, Cartagena and we went to Baru Calablanca just for the day- "pasadia". Baru is an island of the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. It was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. We were greeted by Alondra Rivero the Experience Coordinator and by Paola Cardozo from Guest Relations. We started with a wonderful tour of the property in one of their golf carts. After we went to the most wonderful beach I've seen in Colombia. The waters are a wonderful green/blue. It makes you feel like you're in a swimming pool. We spend the day at the beach and had a great lunch. We received the best service from our waiters Gustavo and Luis. We will definitely be back, maybe spend a few days at Santa Clara in Cartagena and few more days at Calablanca. I definitely recommend this wonderful resort.