Casa de Alba Hotel Boutique

We booked three nights at Casa de Alba, checking in on March 20th. This lovely boutique hotel, located on Calle 34, opposite to Santa Catalina Cathedral in Cartagena’s old town and just a few meters before Plaza de Bolivar, opens behind Casa Drake’s door (yes that’s Sir Francis Drake, the Pirate). Upon arrival we were immediately enchanted by the inner architecture, the peaceful a**osphere and the friendliness of the staff. We were assigned room “Caballito de Mar” on the first floor. The property is built around an inner courtyard featuring a luscious small garden with a pool and waterfall fountain. The whole is tastefully furnished with a lot of both useful and decorative elements. The open tower structure of the building produces a natural airflow which keeps the temperature in check. On the first floor there is a bar, the kitchen and the room where breakfast is served. Breakfast can also be had on the colonial balcony which opens on Calle 34. On the rooftop there is a second small pool and a second bar. Our room was rather large with a huge wardrobe, a comfortable double bed and a large bathroom. Our room featured also an internal mezzanine with ladder, with additional two separate beds. All very tastefully designed and furnished. Staff were amazing. We spent some quality time chatting with them, as we were old friends coming for a surprise visit. Our stay was nothing short then wonderful. While in Cartagena we had dinner in following restaurants, all very good and warmly recommended: Cuzco Cocina Peruana (located on 33-48 Calle Santo Domingo just 3 minutes walk from the hotel), La Unica Mexican (located on Carrera 8 8-47 San Diego, approx. 10 minutes walk) and Donjuan (located on 34-01 Avenida Carlos Escallon, approx. 5 minutes walk).

Great House/ Hotel. Fantastic Staff, very attentive, nothing was an issue. Rooms are nice; not over the top, comfortable and the area the hotel is in has great access: Don’t worry about the lack of restaurant there are great options all around and the hotel is happy to set up a table at a moments notice: Nightporter - also excellent, One of the few hotels of the 100 or so I stay in each year that honestly looks out for you l.

I surprised my wife with a surprise Valentine’s trip to Cartagena and was looking for a romantic place to stay. We couldn’t have been happier with my choice! The Casa de Alba is a truly wonderful boutique hotel! The building itself is incredible and historic, being the house where Sir Francis Drake, the English privateer, stayed when he captured the city in the 1500’s. The stone house, built in the 16th century, is in the Colonial style and, while relatively unassuming from the street, is simply beautiful inside. There is a lovely pool on the ground floor and up a winding set of stairs, a beautiful little rooftop patio. We were in the Suite Grand Salon, which was delightful and very romantic. It opens onto a balcony with a lovely view of the street. On a practical note, you definitely need good air conditioning while in Cartagena (it’s hot!) and our room stayed very cool and comfortable, even in the middle of the day. Our room faced the street, which we loved as the view was charming and to us, was worth a bit of noise. But Cartagena can be a noisy city so if you’re sensitive to noise you might want to ask for an interior room. I’d arranged for transportation from the airport and it was perfectly seamless. I’d also arranged the “romantic welcome package” so my wife was greeted with a bouquet of roses, chocolates, and Prosecco, which was wonderful. The hotel’s location is perfect. The Cathedral is a few steps away, Plaza Bolívar is just down the street, as is the beautiful and highly worthwhile (and free!) gold museum. You can easily walk to all of the top attractions in the walled city and the charming neighborhood of Gestemení is an easy walk. One of the very best things about our wonderful stay was the people. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and seemed genuinely interested in making our stay fantastic. A special shout-out to Ivan, who served us a superb breakfast (fresh fruits, eggs, toast, coffee, etc.) each morning! And thanks to the staff for humoring me while I practiced my Spanish!

I stayed in room 11 at Casa De Alba for 9 nights in early September 2023. This was a great hotel with excellent staff and an awesome location. The staff went the extra mile helping me plan my days and navigate the streets of Cartegna. I really enjoyed the pool after a long day of adventuring. My only complaint is there is no hot water unless you ask for it. It was explained that the d city doesn’t have adequate water but I’m not sure if that’s true or not. I would stay here again.

This is a 5* if all that counted is charm character, design, excellent location, and friendly helpful staff. 4* rating is mainly because it presents a number of practical challenges for those expecting your typical luxury / high-end business hotel. Biggest is the lack of phones in the rooms, so even for a cup of coffee, or simple question in the middle of the night you have to lug it down to the reception desk. Again, it’s a wonderful, 5* level property when it comes to charm, character, and design, but definitely not for those looking for more traditional 5* level amenities and services.

Great location, the best is the staff working at the Hotel, they really make a difference. If I ever come back to Cartagena, Casa de Alba would be the place to stay.

Casa De Alba boutique hotel is great for friends, family or solo travelers. We traveled in Oct, 2023 for girls trip. We stayed 3 nights 4 days and our stay was absolutely amazing. They served gourmet breakfast and met all the requirements as some of had dietary restrictions. Hotel has rooftop pool and main pool on ground floor. We used rooftop pool almost every single night until 2 in the morning. No issues, hotel is very safe and fulfilled all our requests. With minimum charged, they arranged private taxi for to and from the airport. Hotel is at center of everything, restaurants, clubs, etc. We felt very safe and secure inside and around the hotel area. Thank you Alba group, we will be back in again for sure.

Beautiful hotel with all the amenities. We were greeted with ice cold mojitos upon check in. Staff was always friendly and accommodating. Our room was spacious and super-clean. Breakfast was wonderful and the bartenders attentive.

We had an amazing stay. This is a historical landmark, and as a result of it being a historical site, there are areas that are not air conditioned. But our room was kept cool and comfortable. The staff went out of their way to meet our every need. Breakfast was delicious. The location is safe and central.