GHL Collection Armería Real Hotel

“A beautiful, stylish hotel with soundproof windows”

Loved the hotel and the fact that it had soundproof windows. Cartagena has a big party scene and it can be noisy at night. But the hotel is a quiet oasis, stylish and very clean, with a beautiful rooftop terrace and pool. The only minor blemish for me was the weak coffee for breakfast. Colombia h... more

Loved the hotel and the fact that it had soundproof windows. Cartagena has a big party scene and it can be noisy at night. But the hotel is a quiet oasis, stylish and very clean, with a beautiful rooftop terrace and pool. The only minor blemish for me was the weak coffee for breakfast. Colombia had such great coffee wherever I went, but, somehow, not there.

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“Beutiful place but far from 5 stars”

Beautiful setting and good location, however needs vetter housekeeping. We did not expect 5 stars, as we researched in advance, however at this proce point, the housekeeping should be better. A lot of the rooms have windows only facing the garden. This means you have to have the shutters closed o... more

Beautiful setting and good location, however needs vetter housekeeping. We did not expect 5 stars, as we researched in advance, however at this proce point, the housekeeping should be better. A lot of the rooms have windows only facing the garden. This means you have to have the shutters closed or no privacy, so no daylight. Rooms are HUGE; and the AC is great. Hot water was available al three days. The front desk staff was really nice and helpful. You can walk anywhere, location is super convenient. Taxis are easily available, and the front desk staff can assist with bookings

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“Okay hotel but I would not book again”

The hotel was clean and in very good location and set around a nice courtyard which is why I give it 3 stars. However, I would never have booked this hotel if it had been clear that I would get a dark room with no window which I did not like at all, I told the front desk twice that I did not li... more

The hotel was clean and in very good location and set around a nice courtyard which is why I give it 3 stars. However, I would never have booked this hotel if it had been clear that I would get a dark room with no window which I did not like at all, I told the front desk twice that I did not like the room but nobody seemed to care. I was not even given chance to upgrade (I don't think i should have had to upgrade to get a window, it was not a cheap hotel) I did not find the staff at all friendly, especially at front desk. On my last day, I could not believe when the room maid walked in and was going to start cleaning the room although I was still getting dressed and ready! This was over an hour before check out time. I would not book this hotel again, I think there are many better options at lower prices and with friendlier staff.

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“Looks good, some bad rooms, front desk staff attitude, can’t recommend”

If you book a standard room you may get one dark, ugly, at street level or very small, in any case nowhere near a five stars hotel room. According to management it’s because of the category we booked….so beware. Now, if you dare asking for another one, you get a bad front desk staff attitude,... more

If you book a standard room you may get one dark, ugly, at street level or very small, in any case nowhere near a five stars hotel room. According to management it’s because of the category we booked….so beware. Now, if you dare asking for another one, you get a bad front desk staff attitude, which is totally unacceptable, and an offer to pay 50$ more a night. We accepted the initial one which at least was large. Bad attitude at check out too. Denied 1/2h late check out, understandable if they are busy but banging at your door before check out time is unacceptable. They also entertain large groups of cruise ships passengers who swarmed the whole place at different times of the day, quite unusual. Pushy concierge at check in was an immediate turn off . Besides room and front desk staff it is a nice hotel with good location and a small pool with beautiful views. Breakfast was good. The place was generally clean and quiet. There are a lot of good restaurants around . There is a good travel agency a few minutes from the hotel. Looks like the side effect of mass tourism in Cartagena, so go somewhere else!

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“Work in Progress”

I would classify the Ameria Real Hotel in Cartagena as a reasonably nice work in progress. It is currently trying to live up to the superb hotels within the walls of old town Cartagena, but it falls short in several ways. First, the good: the service of those who work in the hotel is great. ... more

I would classify the Ameria Real Hotel in Cartagena as a reasonably nice work in progress. It is currently trying to live up to the superb hotels within the walls of old town Cartagena, but it falls short in several ways. First, the good: the service of those who work in the hotel is great. There was no tea option for the breakfast buffet the first day we were there and we just casually mentioned it. The next morning they had tea. The room that they first put us in had fleas in the bed (it happens in the region sometimes), and they immediately upgraded our room and laundered our clothes for free. The rooftop pool and sundeck are wonderfully relaxing and a great place to watch the sunset. The location, in the hipster, more local feeling neighborhood of Getsemani, is convenient. Second, the mediocre: the first room that they put us in was quite sad (peeling paint, light bulbs falling from the recessed lighting, dark and dank feeling, a bit dirty in places). We are the type to not complain, but we had to move when we were bitten by fleas in the bed. The second room was better, with a balcony. The balcony had a table and no chairs, which was odd, but okay. The room was cleaned each day (we stayed 6 nights), but the body wash was never replaced, the shampoo was replaced sometimes (even when we had used the previous bottle up), and the dirty towels on the ground were just folded up to use again. The hotel also could use an interior designer to help them out with some curtains or at least a picture on the wall. The breakfast buffet is fine, but nothing to write home about. The concierge was helpful, but kept trying to sell us day trips when we just wanted a nice beach that was off the beaten path. In the end, it was an okay stay - the staff really did make the difference. The hotel is currently undergoing some minor construction, so maybe they are working on revamping the rooms and it will be much better in some months.

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