I traveled to Cartagena from Miami Beach with my spouse and another couple. We booked on Hotel.com and compared to the other B&B's it was reasonable. The hotel is beautiful and very well kept.
When we arrived, hot and sticky, we were immediately offered a refreshing drink of lime and mint and lots of cold ice which was exactly what you need when you arrive at a hotel. The interior of the hotel is open and all the rooms face the courtyard. There is no view from the rooms other than the courtyard which didn't bother me as it was beautiful none the less.
The rooms are big with tall ceilings (we stayed on the 2nd floor). It is beautifully appointed with all-white furniture. Some of which are from IKEA. The IKEA furniture works well and unless you know the brand well, you could never tell as it is mixed in with Asian pieces and well accessorized to give it a feel of much more expensive furniture.
The front desk staff were friendly but could have been more professional. The room-staff however, were equal to what I have experienced at the Raffles in Singapore or The Peninsula in Hong Kong. Your luggage was brought to your room and placed in cupboards. On the eve prior to departure, our clothes were neatly folded and ready to be placed in our luggage. What a convenience!!!
If I could have changed anything, it would be to add a bath-tup as I am a bath-lover.
The breakfast was very tasty. I highly recommend the arepas. The Colombian coffee is delectable. Together with the fresh fruit platter which is complimentary, it is the perfect start to exploring Cartagena which is all at walking distance.
The food in Cartagena was a bit of a let-down. We had wonderful appetizers at Vera - which many claim to be the best Italian food in town, but when it was time for mains, I cannot express anything but utter disappointment. The pastas were bland - under seasoned and tasteless. The presentation was nothing to boast about either. To add insult to injury, the tab racked up to ca. 500 USD which it truly, truly wasn't worth.
In general, I was astounded by the price level of Cartagena. I don't think any of our dinners for 4 persons were less than 350$. Even the street-food was relatively pricy for a country where almost half its population lives below the poverty line.
When researching for the trip, we looked into several B&B's we really didn't want larger hotels like the Sofitel Santa Clara as it is just like any other big hotel with lots of American tourists lounging by the pool. We wanted something with felt like the real Cartagena with the charm and intimacy only a small establishment can provide.
Other contenders were the Tcherassi Hotel, LM and Hotel Aqua. I am convinced we got the best deal in with the Casablanca as I looked in the other hotels which didn't share the same serenity and beauty of the Casablanca.
I highly recommend staying at the Casablanca when you go to Cartagena. I really don't have anything negative to say about the place. And I'm picky.
