Sofitel Baru Cartagena

We booked our honeymoon stay here after getting married in Cartagena, and unfortunately the experience was extremely disappointing. While many of the staff were kind and well-intentioned, several major issues completely overshadowed our stay. To start, we were told by guest services that there would be a surprise in our room to celebrate our wedding, but nothing was ever there. Not a huge deal on its own, but it set the tone for the lack of follow-through we experienced throughout our stay. The biggest issue was the spa. We splurged on the most expensive spa package, a three-hour treatment package plus an additional 30-minute sauna experience. Upon arrival, we were informed that one of the treatments could not be performed due to weather and water temperature issues. A spa staff member kindly offered to make up for it with additional time during our massage or facial, which we agreed to. Unfortunately, this turned into an uncomfortable and frustrating situation when the massage therapists began arguing with that staff member in the spa lobby within earshot of guests about honoring the accommodation. This went on for over 20 minutes, cutting directly into our scheduled spa time. Eventually, we were told the extra time could not be honored and that we could come back another day, which was not possible as we were checking out. In total, what was supposed to be a 3.5-hour experience ended after roughly 2 hours, and that total time included the 20 minutes spent waiting while staff argued in the hallway. We never received the third service that we paid for, nor the full duration of the experience that was advertised. After the spa, we requested a discount for the service that was not rendered. We were told by the manager that the bill would be adjusted and that we would receive a follow-up call. We never did. At checkout the next day, there was no discount applied, which led to yet another lengthy discussion. Ultimately, we were given only a 15 percent discount, which we do not feel is appropriate given that approximately one third of the services and a significant portion of the time were not provided. Another frustrating experience occurred when we arrived for a 7:00 PM dinner reservation and were told the restaurant was closed due to weather. While that is understandable, no one bothered to notify us in advance. We then went to another restaurant on property where, after waiting over an hour and a half without being checked on to even place our dinner order, we finally gave up and left. Taken individually, some of these issues might have been minor, but together they completely ruined what was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon experience. Due to the lack of communication, accountability, and failure to deliver services that were paid for, we will be disputing the spa charges with our credit card company. We would not recommend this property, especially for a special occasion.

We were picked up at the pier and were the only people on the Cataraman transfer.. what a lovely 50 minute journey. We were met with a golf buggy and taken to the lobby, checked in and whisked to our ocean view room. Everything in the room was great (ok the lighting could be a little lighter and more strait forward) but it was spacious, modern, huge comfy bed, great shower, products, arrival fruit plate.. big balcony - all perfect All of the restaurants were great - we had really nice food, great service and nice wine. There are so many nice places to sit. We sat on the beach sometimes and by one of the many pools. Again the service of towels, food, drinks and little treats - all perfect. We went to the bonfire and drums show on the beach which was really fun. The beach was nice, sea quite warm and the guys work very hard daily trying to keep it free from seaweed etc. We couldn’t get the boat back to the city because of the torrential rain so a car was swiftly arranged. This hotel is run like clockwork. Every member of staff was lovely, helpful and professional. It’s a little uphill walk to the lobby and 2 of the restaurants. We were fine but I’d say could be a struggle for some people, but that’s when you’d call a buggy.. we used them a little and again, no waiting times. Nothing negative to say..

My husband and I had a wonderful stay at the Sofitel Baru! Everything was top tier. All of the guest care specialist were awesome. A special thanks to Cristian & Enrique! There was also a gentlemen who worked at the beach bar who went above and beyond to make sure my husband had is favorite snack! Thank you! We will definitely return here in the future.

Pros: We liked the location close to the beach, the many swimming pools, the restaurants (excellent breakfast, fine dining at Humo, others were good as well), our room on the second floor with balcony, the cleanliness, the grounds, and the friendliness especially of the ground and housekeeping staff. Cons: The check-in process took a long time, even though we had provided all of the information online the day before but had to fill it out again. When I asked for a second or third floor room, the receptionist told me that rooms with 2 beds (as I requested) were all and only on the first floor, however, when that room smelled so musty that I had to change the next morning, and all of a sudden there was a room with 2 beds on the second floor. We were also not happy that we were not alerted to the additional 10% of room charge resort fee until we were checking out. Fortunately, we saw it and when we asked about the addition to our bill, we were told that it was not mandatory to pay it. I think, it should be made clear when you book that there might or might not be a resort fee and what it was for. In general, the front desk team was disappointing, lacking helpfulness, friendliness, and professionalism.

Idelso was our go to guy throughout our visit. The resort was amazing and Idelso made us feel at home. He was very personable and shared alot of knowledge that helped our stay be full of enjoyment. I hope we see him again on our return next year at this time.