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Reviews of Hotel Marlin Cartagena

2 out of 5
Hotel Marlin Cartagena
Barrio Getsemani, Calle Media Luna 10-35, Cartagena, Bolivar

Reviews

6.6
Rating 10 - Excellent. 9 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 30 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 8 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 75 reviews" "

6.4/10

Cleanliness

7.0/10

Staff & service

5.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Natalie

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not comfortable at all
We got a basic double room here, and it was so small and the bed took up so much space that we could barely fit ourselves + luggage into it! Being backpackers, we don't even have that much stuff. There were decorative holes in the walls near the ceiling, presumably for air flow, but they mostly let in mosquitos that ate us throughout the night. The staff, though friendly, also didn't always seem to know what was going on, making it hard to extend our reservation or even get information about the city. Maybe it was a language barrier, but we both speak Spanish and haven't had this issue at other hotels/hostels.

8/10 Good

Hernan A.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Response from General Manager on 29 Oct 2016
Buenas tardes, Sr. Hernan Mil gracias por su excelente calificación, esperamos poder atenderlo en su próxima visita a nuestra ciudad. Saludos, Alexis Simancas Administradora

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stay away from this neighborhood! For your safety
The woman at the front desk was wonderful. They let you leave your key at the front desk when you go out, that should have been a clue to how unsafe the neighborhood is. Our mattress was at least as old as the beautiful antique headboard it was attached to. There is no hot water, the bathroom is so small you have to sit sideways on the toilet. The walls have mildew all over them and somehow the Wi-Fi only works in the 105 degree lobby. Once you step outside the hotel you are immediately set upon by the relentless swarms of human vultures who follow you, insisting that buy their hats, tours, and drugs. The streets are Full of taxis, each one honking at you as they go by, trying to give you a ride. The amount of harassment was overwhelming. Our first trip out of the hotel my husband had his pocket picked. The police are corrupt and threatened to throw my husband in jail for a made up charge if we didn't pay them 2,000,000 pesos! We were able to talk then down to 700,000, but only because I was crying and people were starting to stare. Stay away from this neighborhood! Please learn from our disastrous stay.

8/10 Good

Ruiliang, Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Overall is good
Staff are very friendly and helpful. The neighborhood has many restaurants, one travel agency, markets and it is quite close to the castle. Disadvantages are the bathroom conditions: area so small and the toilet doesn't work we'll

4/10 Poor

Liz, San Diego, CA

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Good location but that's about it
When we got to Hotel Marlin the power was out (not their fault). The staff showed us to our room via a flashlight but then left us to fend for ourselves without offering to provide any type of light source. We were able to use our cell phones for flashlights but they had low batteries and without power we were not able to charge them. Upon request they brought us a candle but we had no way to light it. Eventually the power came back on. The only window in the room opened up to the hallway so if we would have opened the window anyone walking by could look right into our room and it provided no breeze. There is a bar across the street with loud music playing well until the morning (I don't know but I would guess 5am). I brought earplugs but I could still hear the music through them. I eventually fell asleep but was woken up several times throughout the night by the hotel's cat meowing VERY LOUDLY outside our door. I'm guessing it was hungry which bothered me and if I would have had anything to feed him I would have. I was surprised the staff did not notice this and feed the poor little guy. The room we stayed in was incredibly small as was the bathroom (my knees hit the wall in front of me when I sat down and I'm only 5'5. We originally planned to stay at Hotel Marlin for 3 nights but checked out after the first night and relocated to Casa Tatis right around the corner. The rooms were the same price but much larger, no loud music or hungry cats to keep you up all night.

8/10 Good

kerry, Cancun

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cartagena 2015
Cartagena is beautiful city. If you like warm weather it is a place to be

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
fine hotel but ...
You can do better staying in a private room in a hostel, this hotel was hostel-like but but too expensive for what it is. The staff was very nice, especially Jose.

8/10 Good

Raul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

4/10 Poor

Jana, Vancouver, Canada

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
OK for the price
It was very basic, tiny room. There was no space to use the toilet, had to sit on the side. We had to ask for towels and soap for the room. Convenient location to visit the Wall City. Reasonably clean.

6/10 Okay

Daniel, Florida USA

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Simple place in a great location
Great location, near bars, restaurants and near the walled city in Centro, its a very simple place with small bathrooms. Staff is layed back and is a good place to meet and mingle with turists from around the world.

6/10 Okay

Elaine, Dublin

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Small room
The hostel is located in a really good area for restaurants and bars at the weekend but that means it is noisy. The kitchen is not really usable. The cleaner stole my towel and it was not returned. Some of the staff were very disinterested and they do not speak English.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room is very small and over priced given other hostals in the area. Staff is very nice and speak passable English. Nice split air conditioning.

8/10 Good

Anita, Zurich

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good Hostel
friendly staff answers all questions, good location in getsemani, many restaurants around, only 10 min walk to old town, private rooms are very small, but clean, good wifi, can be very loud in the evenings.

8/10 Good

Rose, Fort McMurray, Alberta

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Come ahead
Arriving late at the airport I failed to notice the taxi kiosk where the rates are posted.A taxi driver grabbed my bags and I did not ask the rate. BIG MISTAKE I was charged 25,000 COP instead of 7,000-10,000. My mistake. The staff here were just incredible. Lorcy the Front desk supervisor speaks English and translated everything I required.Cautioning me to have the taxi rate agreed upon before I get in to avoid conflict. Very helpful with even the most tiresome guests. Diana my housemaid was also a tremendous help. Moved my bed to maximize space. The hotel is in the tourist area of town and needs some touch ups. I would come back here.The people of the city were in the midst of Halloween. What a treat for me. Lots of security here. Getsemani is a tourist mecca with lovely Spanish colonial buildings.

8/10 Good

Claire, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Central location, right in the action
Good, clean hotel right in the middle of many restaurants and bars (earplugs may be required.)Friendly helpful staff, clean but smallish room and decent free coffee.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Recommended(ish)
A nice enough little hostel, for what you pay it's an amazing find. The rooms are comfortable(ish) the aircon was effective, the coffee was always there, and the beds were mostly comfortable(ish). If you want luxory in Cartagena, you're going to have to pay more... if not... Marlin is perfect(ish)

10/10 Excellent

Bob, Portland, OR - now living in Panama

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very comfortable
The place is neat and clean, and the staff very friendly. I was greeted with a cup of Colombian coffee when I checked in. The hostel is located on a busy street frequented by the younger set. There are many bars and restaurants, and if you enjoy going out and being active, this is the perfect place. It is more busy on the weekends, of course. There is a little noise from the street and music in the bars, but it isn't bad and it didn't affect my sleep. Everyone in Colombia friendly and helpful, and you really feel welcome as a tourist.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice stay

2/10 Terrible

Rafael, Lima Peru

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Dont loose your money or your healty booking this
The room was unclean, old and dirty towels, also the bed, roff with breaks and no good conditios in the room at all. Door of the bathroom was just a piece of blanket.... no way !! No hot water, only cold :-(

6/10 Okay

Gary, San Diego, CA, USA

Disliked: Room comfort
Budget low water pressure
Room was very small with two sets of bunk beads. Bathroom was tiny, poorly lit, water trickled out of the sink. Shower had good pressure so washed up using the shower. Air conditioning worked well. Too well for those in the bottom bunks who froze by morning, while the upper bunks were comfortable. Clients were noisy coming and going thru the nite. Breakfast was a bowl of mixed tropical fruits in cream served at room temp. Would recommend for the low budget travelers that do not intend to spend a lot of time in the room. Only $48 bucks a nite for three. We moved after the first nite at my wife's insistence.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great hostel for everybody
The location of the hotel is very good, just a few walking minutes from the center. the castle san felipe is also very near. The harbor to go to the islands is also in walking distance. Its better to walk or take the bus, because the taxis are extremely pricy. The rooms are very nice and comfortable. The tv is not very good though. Most of the staff are very friendly and helpfull. you can book tours and tranfers. Its acuatlly cheaper to book a tour in the hostel for the rosario islands than in the harbor itself, because there are a lot of venders who make their one prices. The laundry service is good, but be carefull with white clothes, one of my t-shirts is now yellow.

10/10 Excellent

Katherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
good budget hotel
It was clean, cool (we got an airconditioned room), and the staff were all nice. The rooms were certainly small but we weren't staying in Cartagena to spend time in the room so that wasn't a huge issue for us.

6/10 Okay

jodasa

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

London Butterfly

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location, great staff, good price but BUDGET
This was the cheapest hotel we found in Cartagena and for the price we paid it was worth it. The location is a two minute walk from the old town and there are many bars and other hostels surrounding Hotel Marlin, so even though it is outside the old town there are plenty of other tourists about and it is safe. The staff are very friendly and helpful and they made us very welcome. The only bad thing about the hotel is that you get exactly what you pay for. It is very very basic. If you want to spend time in your hotel and like luxury this is not the place for you. If your hotel is just a place to leave your stuff and sleep then it is definitely worth it. Also, there are plenty of backpackers staying so you can always ask people for tips and advice! I should add that our bathroom sink fell off the wall... but despite this I would stay here again. Last sore point would be that some rooms are much better than others, so if your room is really bad see if you can swap some of the rooms without AC are actually a bit better than those with it. The rooms without AC all seem to have ceiling fans and shutters for the windows so you don't have to let in the sun and can therefore keep the room cool.

10/10 Excellent

JACKIE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
LOVED IT!!! GOOD SERVICE!!!

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Great value and yum fruit breaky
My partner and i booked a double room at Marlin Was nice comfy bed, bathroom ensuite was handy tho bit run down Excellent value cheaper than dorm at nearby hostels plus free breakfast and coffee The reception staff i found quite unhelpful and if asked a question felt like they were annoued The lady making breakfast was really sweet as were the cleaners Location great on media luna, plenty eateries and supermarket nearby

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel Marlin
Great bang for your buck. I had a clean room with my own bathroom, a/c, fan, and breakfast was included. Also it's located about 5-10mins from the old town in Cartagena. Staff was very helpful, and they offer a laundry service and tour information.

2/10 Terrible

Cesar, Buenos Aires

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
La habitación, es apenas mas grande que la cama
Como dijo la habitación es apenas mas grande que la cama, no hay un solo gancho o clavo para colgar solo dos estantes en un hueco y un barral con 3 perchas todo lo tenes que apoyar en el suelo, y para mas no hay agua caliente en ningún horario, pase la noche y me cambie de hotel.-
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

6/10 Okay

Cecilia

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Good location
Everything in the room felt old.. and not so fresh. The fan only had one level and the noise was so loud, but it was tooo hot if we turned it off, so did not sleep so well. The location was great (near to old town) and we only had 2 nights.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

Manfred

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2017

6/10 Okay

Marcelo

Tuve inconvenientes al momento del check in, ya que el recepcionistas nunca encontró mi reserva. Finalmente pude ingresar mostrando mis correos con la confirmacion de la reserva
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Limpio, bien ubicado yprecio excelente
Muy bien un lugar perfecto para descansar y disfrutar de la Ciudad

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Estuvo bien pero realmente falta mejorar mucho las habitaciones no son agradables

10/10 Excellent

Aurore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
le meilleur rapport qualité prix
un excellent séjour, le plus: la cuisine bien équiper, les chambres charmantes, le personnel extrêmement serviable.

8/10 Good

Alyssa

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Bien situé
Bon séjour dans' l'ensemble

8/10 Good

Teco, Argentina

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Bueno
Tiene ambientes muy lindos, livings y cocina (muy equipada). La habitacion que nos tocó era demasiado pequeña para una doble matrimonial, no entraban las valijas. Habia un poco de mal olor y humedad. Limpieza de la habitacion: tenes que poner el cartelito sino no limpian. La limpieza en general del hotel es muy buena y tuvimos una buena experiencia mas allá de la habitación. Lastima algunas personas que dejaban todo demasiado sucio a la noche y no limpiaban sus platos en la cosina, igualmwnte a la mañana temprano el personal del hotel lo limpiaba.

6/10 Okay

Kévin

Disliked: Cleanliness
La cama no es doble sino una persona y media. Habitacion no muy limpia.
Response from General Manager on 27 Dec 2016
Estimado Kevin Para nosotros todos los comentarios son importantes y nos sirven para el mejoramiento continuo. Lamentamos los inconvenientes presentados. Cordial Saludo, Alexis Simancas Administradora

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Response from General Manager on 29 Oct 2016
Buenas tardes, Para nosotros todas las calificaciones son importantes ya que las tenemos en cuenta para mejorar. Saludos, Alexis Simancas Administradora

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
HOTEL ECONOMICO BIEN SITUADO EN CARTAGENA
MUY BIEN

6/10 Okay

Lucia, Buenos aires

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Busquen otro
Habíamos reservado una habitación con aire acondicionado y cuando llegamos la reserva era por un con ventilador. Tuvimos que poner la diferencia. No estaba limpia la habitación. La zona es céntrica bastante ruidosa por la noches porque es la cuadra de los boliches. Teníamos que pedir toallas siempre y nunca estaban disponibles. .. Busquen otro hotel

8/10 Good

Fernando

Liked: Staff & service

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Caarolina

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

8/10 Good

Kerry, Cancún

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fue una experiencia muy gratificante

2/10 Terrible

Hernan, Bogota

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
La peor experiencia en Cartagena
Muy mal! Es engañosa la oferta porque al llegar te dan la peor habitación, sucia, sin aire acondicionado, mal ubicada y ruidosa! Al solicitar el cambio de habitación incrementaron el costo en más de un 50%, aun siendo temporada baja! Me cobraron un late check oír de 4 horas por el costo de un día entero. En general las instalaciones son sucias y viejas, en mal estado.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities

10/10 Excellent

Jorge Eduardo, Cali

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
AMAZING
This was a great experience. We wanted to experience Cartagena at its heart, and thid hostal made it possible. Three blocks away from the old city and right in the heart of the night life. The staff was AMAZING with us. Thank you so much.

8/10 Good

Liliana Edit, Buenos Aires ARG

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Proximidad al centro histórico, restaurantes econo
Muy buena la atención, muy ruidoso por la noche

2/10 Terrible

guillermo, Sutamarchan

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nos iban a Tumbar
Que desagradable decirlo pero que hotel tan pesimo, tan pronto observamos el lugar decidimos salir inmediatamente de alli. Un pasillo largo en el segundo piso y 50 centimetros de ancho sin luz, toco utilizar la luz del celular para ver el numero de la pieza que nos iban a alquilar el cuarto tenia mal olor y el TV de 14" viejo. Fuera de eso la empleada de la recepcion nos amenazo que teniamos que aceptarlo o que nos cobraba multa por haberlo reserbado. Que pena hermano...ese hueco por pagina de internet.