Ananda Hotel Boutique

This hotel was the base camp for a large wedding celebration that we attended this last weekend. Very comfortable rooms and that the service was over an above. You cannot go to the lobby and get your morning coffee in a "to go" cup, one of the bar tenders will bring you a formal coffee service - which is not all that bad. Our only dining here was breakfast because we were gone the rest of the day - try the waffle! I should mention that there is little hot water as (I guess) in this climate you really do not need it. The temps were in the 90's and with the high humidity, it was like Houston in the summer. Always walk on the shady side of the street.

Elegant yet comfortable place to make your home base in the walled city of Cartagena. Staff is welcoming to their guests and work hard to keep the atmosphere inviting and clean. The hotel includes a beautiful breakfast to start your day off right. The pool and rooftop areas were a haven from the heat. Our room was unique in design with comfortable bed and the large bathroom fully supplied with spa quality products.

We found the Ananda Hotel a nice base for our two night stay and exploration of Cartagena. It’s well located smack dab in the middle of the old, walled city. The bed was comfortable and the room clean. While not the best we had in Colombia, the breakfast was perfectly satisfactory and you could order eggs in addition to the buffet. We ate a small, tasty meal at the restaurant on our first night. The room has a comfy bed, room safe, good HD flatscreen. The bathroom area is spacious with a single large sink and a lot of counter space. Shower has both a rain shower and a handheld option. The vibe was nice with lots of wood. A/C worked very well. Housekeeping did a fine job of making up the room. Nice small pool area for relaxing outside. Nevertheless, we encountered some issues that might or might not matter to some. The shower didn’t get above warm tepid but honestly who needs hot in Cartagena’s heat and strong sun? There was a step up to the bathroom area that you need to remember if you get up at night. More strangely, a shaft adjoining the shower allows you to hear all conversations in the bathroom area in other rooms loud and clear. You can also clearly hear the music playing in the hotel central courtyard until around 9 or 9:30. While the welcome on arrival was very nice, departure was less friendly. Most disturbingly, despite having prepaid all for a complete tour with our travel agent, they tried to tack on a “seguridad hotelero”. After I asked, I was told this was to cover the room safe (!) and security but the charge was removed when challenged. This almost got me to downgrade the hotel to 3*. I hate when hotels add these bogus charges. I still wonder if one other charge was inflated or random but called it a day after getting the security charge removed. When calling for help with our luggage on departure, we discovered the internal phone battery was dead (i.e., would not charge) but a nice housekeeper called down for us. In short, we liked the place despite some hiccups. A solid and very well-located option for your visit to Cartagena.

This boutique hotel created a marvelous experience in Cartagena. The accommodations and services were excellent, from room, to swimming pool, to roof-top jacuzzi, to restaurant and bar. The (included) breakfasts in the central courtyard were relaxed, and the staff were attentive. The front desk manager was superb, helping to arrange tour guides, music site visits, and dining reservations, plus a host of other amenities that make for a great vacation experience.

Really enjoyed this hotel! Amazing location in walking distance to all the best bars and restaurants. Beds were very comfortable. Loved the rooftop pool. Everyone was very helpful at the front desk. We will definitely be back to Cartagena soon!!

We loved this property at first was very skeptical because of previous reviews. Everything was clean, worked perfectly, was quiet, had TV/AC, and great service. Jose, Lilienthal, Wilfredo, and Anando (front desk) were all the best!! We will definitely come back and stay here. They have 2 great pools as well a rooftop and courtyard one. Don’t listen to any negative reviews coming from someone who travels a lot. Location is phenomenal did not have to use one cab to get around you are in the heart of the city!

The hotel advertises as a high end hotel and the rates are commensurate to that. As a person who has traveled to over 100 countries around the world and a lifetime titanium member with Marriott and the same level with the ACCOR hotel, I have been staying in hotels for at least 100+ days a year for 26 years. This was one of the poorest experiences. I always say - while the location and the amenities matter in a hotel, what matters most is the attitude of service and that was something that this hotel lacked completely. Located in the heart of the old city - a total tourist center. Spanish is the local language and given the stature of the hotel, one would assume at least basic knowledge of English given the tourist clientele. Even if that were not the case, one would assume an attitude of service. Right from check in that we had to wait for over 30mts, to one of the most pathetic excuses for breakfast, there was not a single attempt to work with the guests. Even if you speak Spanish, the staff in the small dingy eating place/restaurant could not care. Even a simple tray of basic fruits were missing. Construction and repair late at night.. can you believe that :) It was not an emergency or urgent issue at all. Loud banging for over 45 minutes late at night. (High class hotel??) When you ask for local simple tourist guidance/directions, there is no one who can help even with the basics. More importantly, no one who wanted to. We had them arrange “premium” hotel service for one of our tourist visits. They charge a premium, but we got a lousy ‘uber’ that was so loud due to the lack of maintenance that we were not sure if it would work. And of course the person who was supposed to be a guide did absolutely nothing to help. The swimming pool is small and not maintained well - There was a lot of dead leaves all over. What surprised me the most is the attitude and the sheer lack of interest in guests. Even a simple basic hotel would provide a whole lot more. As a true road warrior and veteran of hotels over decades, I have seen my share of good and bad. This would certainly be towards the bottom for the level at which it tries to position itself.