Alfiz Hotel

Colonial style

The location is outstanding and one of the hotel’s biggest strengths. It’s right in the heart of Cartagena’s Walled City and within easy walking distance of restaurants, plazas, churches, shopping, and the main attractions. The hotel has a wonderful colonial atmosphere with lots of historic character. If you’re looking for an authentic Cartagena experience rather than a modern luxury hotel, this is a great choice. I stayed in the San Pedro Claver room, and the historical theme added to the overall experience. The Junior Suite was comfortable and spacious, and while it isn’t luxurious, it fits the rustic charm of the building. The staff was friendly overall. One feature I really appreciated is that guests can also enjoy breakfast at the hotel’s nearby sister properties. One offers a more extensive American-style breakfast, while another has a broader Colombian-style menu, giving you much more variety than the breakfast served at Alfiz itself. Guests are also welcome to use the pools at the sister hotels, including one with a larger pool.

The air conditioning struggled during the hottest part of the day and only really cooled the room later in the evening. The Wi-Fi was also somewhat inconsistent. Breakfast at Alfiz itself is fairly basic. The pool at Alfiz is very small, and when we arrived it was dirty, although to the hotel’s credit it was cleaned and back in service the following day. While I didn’t personally visit the larger pool at the sister property, having that option is a nice added benefit. Overall, Alfiz offers excellent value because of its unbeatable location, historic charm, and unique character. With a few improvements to the Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and breakfast at the main property, it would be an even stronger boutique hotel experience.

Hotel is located in an old grand building with lots of charm and period fittings. Room was large, over two levels, and the bed was very comfortable. The vibe very much fits Cartagena and we were transported back in time. Location near the cathedral is very central, all is easily reachable by food; as it is in a side street, it is very quiet.

Shower pressure was minimal and we had to hop from drop to drop. Breakfast was simple, strongly recommend taking up the offer to have breakfast at one of the upmarket sister hotels. Small swimming pool looked more pond and is the suspected source of a skin infection my wife developed in the following days.

Thre.place is too loud. A construction crew was jack hammering after 10 pm at night and the staff would not move my room. There is a park about 100 meters away with a drum dance group that is so loud until 9 at night. Place is old and way too noisy. Staff was ok. But not worth the money.