Sofitel Baru Cartagena

The Sofitel Baru is a decent hotel. Its very similar to what you can find across the Mediterranean e.g. Mallorca, Crete. The complex only makes sense if the beach is priority for you or you're not in a capacity to enjoy Cartagena bc it's one or the other given the distance. This one is very secluded. I did both sequentially and will share my point of view with the lens of a traveler that came from Europe (i.e. overseas). Pros: - Nice and modern complex. It looks recent and fresh - Nice amenities e.g. Nice gym, pool areas - Nice beach. The water is warm, with great turquoise colour - Decent size and modern rooms, favour the ocean facing ones - Good food if you're careful where to go and close an eye on the highway robbery prices Cons: - Breakfast buffet: there is variety and choice but its just not satisfactory. The room is crowded, noisy, the staff is lost (i'll go back to service) - Restaurants: avoid Cala Blanca (the breakfast restaurant) its just poor. The Peruvian/Asian restaurant is ok but the prices are exaggerated. The best value is the "Bahia" both for food and atmosphere - Service: Like i said, though its a 5 star Sofitel, the service is no better than what you get in the Mediterranean mega hotels. It may just be hospitality standards. Few examples: at restaurants: service is chaotic, nonchalant, English proficiency insufficient (it is an international/French hotel) - at the beach: service can just be absent e.g. towels or water - Vendors on the beach: trinket / massage / water sports vendors on the beach are relentless. They're not aggressive unlike for ex. in the city but they do break your peace and its a real shame the hotel does not do anything against it - Airport transfers: the hotel is in the middle of nowhere so they take advantage. You could opt for a boat transfer which is the fastest and cost an arm. However, during my stay, the sea was not always calm and saw a boat returning to shore. I would not trust the guys driving the boat to take good care of my family. Alternatively, i would recommend booking a Van, also not cheap, but comfy and no surprise. It takes 1h30 to the airport. From the city, you may (?) be able to catch an uber but you can forget about it from Baru. Also the last bit is on a dirt road and you go through some rough areas where you wouldn't want to stop, for all these reasons it does make sense to book with the hotel -Wifi is sketchy and not always reliable All in all, its a decent hotel. Not sure I would recommend it to overseas travelers unless the beach is a priority or you want to get away from the city with young kids. My suggestion would rather be to stay in the city where you have a lot more restaurant/bar options, the sister hotel is for example a very good option, and spend the day at one of those beach clubs is you really wanted to.

Amazing atmosphere. Very family friendly and couple oriented . Beach is absolutely stunning . Breakfast is vibrant. Staff is friendly . Highly recommend

Only issues were the long lines at check-in and checkout. Robinson was very helpful. Food was great and service very good.

Amazing experience! Excellent food, excellent service.

Resort is nice but way overly priced on food that is sub par