When I traveled to Colombia I had two objectives in mind; to buy the most beautiful emerald I could afford and to really experience Colombia's people and culture as much as possible. Hotel Caribe made both of these ideals a reality. Located outside the old city, but a very inexpensive and quick cab or bus ride away, this hotel offers so much choice and comfort it is a wonderful 'home base' for exploring Cartagena's rich history and culture. The hotel itself has been around since 1941 and still maintains its fabulous feeling of opulence from that era while offering it's contemporary guests modern amenities, great food, wonderful service and grounds that truly envelope you in a tropical paradise.

The location is fabulous as it is outside the bustle of the walled city but has it's own neighbourhood charm as it is within walking distance of so many amusing sights. There is a casino just down the street, a block away is an open market (where I did find the emerald of my dreams!), a Juan Valdez coffee shop that offers a better selection than Starbucks, I could go on and on.

The other thing I would like to mention is that Hotel Caribe offers a range of packages to suit its guests. As it is not a 'resort' style location but more of a hotel with resort-like amenities they have an European option where your breakfasts only are included. It was a fabulous option for us as we wanted to eat both in fine restaurants and local favourites in the area. We could get up and have a lazy morning with lots of coffee, fresh fruit and hot or cold choices and then organise our own schedule from there. Great freedon and flexibility, wonderful service and amenities, I would recommend this hotel to everyone.