Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena

Stunningly beautiful hotel in Cartagena that provides an oasis of calm amidst the busy and beautiful old town. The building is quite something - beautifully renovated in a way that is modern but highly respectful of the building's history. Interior courtyard is a lovely place to eat - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food is great. Very high quality! Service is the one thing that is a bit hit and miss. Staff ranged from being somewhat distracted and impersonal to being lovely and very attentive. it was good but a bit surprising in its randomness. While there was many people working in the restaurant and they seemed super busy - it was unclear what they were doing - a lot of running around and then impersonal at the table. It was a bit hard to figure out what was going on. People were very nice. warm. pleasant to be clear. They just did not seem organized to be able to go that extra mile, to know you, to recognize you. On the last day at breakfast we were informed we had had a table set aside for us every day for breakfast. It was lovely but until that person looked at our reservation - no one else noticed. Great she did - and it was lovely and appreciated. Odd no one else noticed. Similarly at arrival, car at airport was missing in action for 30 minutes.... and then no apology or explanation from hotel. Nothing terrible - by any means - and any one of the little things - can be overlooked...but as a whole the pattern was odd. It was surprising in comparison to experiences in other Sofitels and Sofitel legends. Should out to Sofitel Isla Baru and to Sofitel Legend in Panama city.... very high levels of service from arrival to departure. To be clear, hotel is lovely, people were very sweet and friendly...but there was something just off or odd. There was a big music festival on in Cartagena when we were there - and there were daily events in the hotel - so it may simply have been a result of the work from event preparation.

José our waiter was great, the meals were great, and the ambience was great. $$ / $$$$ We had a good time, but there was no music playing, if that’s what you like. It was mostly calm, great colonial architecture and elegant. Most people were wearing smart casual outfits. Nothing more to say.

Stayed for NY party as it was my dream to enjoy this important milestone at Santa Clara. I had the best year end of my life ! I posted several videos on my YT channel showing the activities of the night, the wonderful food stations & the amazing fireworks which are locally famous. Beautiful atmosphere, decoration & fantastic party after midnight at the Chapel (again I posted several videos because I am not a heavy partier but I couldn't help but dance because the live band was beyond amazing). An unforgettable experience coupled with the usual FANTASTIC service from everyone.

We've stayed at the Santa Clara many times but this stay was for sure the best of all. We were there for 10 days. The great experience started not the day we arrived but several months before when our butler Carlos started making our restaurant reservations and answering all our questions. When we arrived at the airport Carlos was waiting for us which made us feel relaxed and welcomed. During the stay all the butlers, not just Carlos, took care of all our needs every minute of the day (Rudy, Dany, Nixon,Diego). Johan and Resfa from Guests services also pampered us during the entire stay answering questions and making sure we were taken care of also. We met the general manager, Richard Launay and he was there for us every single day of our stay. We stayed at the Grau suite which is one of their iconic suites. We loved it and since we had stayed there before we felt right at home. We also had the great experience of spending the day (pasadia) at Sofitel Casablanca in Baru (a beautiful island). This was completely organized by the butlers and management. It was a wonderful beach day. I felt that during the whole stay anything we dreamed of and wanted was taken care of immediately. Breakfast is definitely one of the best we've had in any hotel of the world. I want to mention the names of the team that took care of us every single day: Eduardo, Leandro, Leonardo, Kathryn, Danna and several more. We spend a lot of time at the gorgeous pool where we were spoiled every day by: Dailin, Jose, Ynordys, Luis, Oscar and many more. We had several wonderful meals at the hotel: Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and a gourmet meal at Restaurant 1621 (pampered by everyone especially Keny, Carlos and our waiter). Christmas and New Year's were unforgettable. We also want to mention the cleanliness of the suite and our wonderful housekeepers: Ana K and Leonor. My husband and I were at Santa Clara without our family but everyone made sure we felt at home every minute of the day. We've stayed at many great hotels of the world but I have to say that this stay will always be remembered as one of the best ever. We can't wait to come back home to Santa Clara.

My family and decided to welcome new year at this property. First class service in all aspects. Amazing food at the restaurants, impeccable attitude and courtesy. Buttler service and team was remarkable, Thanks Rudy, Carlos, Nixon, Danny and Diego, you guys made our family stay an excellent experience at Santa Clara. Highly recommended!