The best hotels in Cartagena are converted colonial buildings inside the walls, and the top three are a 17th-century convent, a merchant palace and a bastion of the city wall itself. That is what you are paying for here — not a resort, but a building with four hundred years behind it, on the cobbled streets of a UNESCO-listed historic city center. Below are the hotels that external rankings consistently put at the top, what tier each sits in, and what a room actually costs at each level.
- Casa San Agustín is the most consistently top-ranked hotel in Cartagena — 31 rooms across three 17th-century houses, endorsed by ten publications.
- Sofitel Legend Santa Clara is a converted 17th-century convent and ranks No. 2 of 284 Cartagena hotels on TripAdvisor.
- Bastion Luxury Hotel is built into the city wall, with a rooftop pool over the old town.
- Luxury starts around US$400 a night. Mid-range averages about US$87, and hostel dorms start near US$17.
- Almost every hotel worth booking is inside the walls or in Getsemaní, ten minutes apart.
Where this comes from, and its limits. Hotel details and rankings were read from published 2026 sources on 13 August 2026, including Forbes Travel Guide, TripAdvisor rankings and Cartagena hotel guides. We have not stayed in these hotels — see our editorial policy. We deliberately do not quote a nightly price for individual hotels: Cartagena rates swing with season and booking window, so a figure written today would be wrong by the time you read it. The bands below tell you the tier; check the live rate for your dates.
The best hotels in Cartagena at a glance
| Hotel | Area | The building | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa San Agustín | El Centro | Three 17th-century houses, 31 rooms | $$$$$ |
| Sofitel Legend Santa Clara | San Diego | 17th-century Clarist convent | $$$$$ |
| Bastion Luxury Hotel | El Centro | Built into the city wall | $$$$ |
| Casa Pestagua | El Centro | 16th-century merchant palace, 9 suites | $$$$$ |
| Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa | El Centro | Convent on Plaza Santa Teresa, rooftop pool | $$$$$ |
| Island resorts | Barú / Tierra Bomba | Beachfront, boat access only | $$$–$$$$$ |
| Amarla Boutique | El Centro | Small colonial conversion | $$$$ |
| Casa La Fe | San Diego | Courtyard guesthouse | $$$ |
| Casa Lola | Getsemaní | Two joined colonial houses | $$$ |
| Viajero Cartagena | San Diego | Hostel, dorms and privates | $ |
The top tier: the five that keep winning rankings
Casa San Agustín
- Assembled from three 17th-century colonial houses and generally treated as the best hotel in Cartagena outright.
- 31 rooms, exposed wooden beams, hand-painted floor tiles, and three swimming pools — unusual in a city where most colonial hotels manage a plunge pool.
- Ranked first in the city by Tripexpert, with endorsements from ten publications including Lonely Planet and the Hideaway Report.
- El Centro, so everything inside the walls is on foot.
Sofitel Legend Santa Clara
- A 17th-century Clarist convent turned hotel, with the cloister intact and a saltwater pool in what was the convent garden.
- Ranked No. 2 of 284 hotels in Cartagena on TripAdvisor.
- Four bars and the largest swimming pool in the city, which is the practical difference from the smaller colonial conversions.
- Sits in San Diego, the quieter corner inside the walls.
Bastion Luxury Hotel
- Built into a bastion of the city walls — the most dramatically sited hotel in Cartagena, and the reason it is the one people photograph.
- Rooftop terraces sit directly on top of the fortifications, with a rooftop pool looking over the whole walled city.
- Smaller and less formal than the two above, and usually a tier cheaper.
Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa
- Another convent conversion, this one on Plaza Santa Teresa in the heart of the city, with a rooftop pool and a view over the ramparts to the sea.
- Larger and more traditional in feel than the boutique conversions, and one of the longest-established five-star names in Cartagena de Indias.
- The usual pick for a romantic getaway where you want a spa and a proper pool area rather than a nine-room house.
Casa Pestagua
- A restored 16th-century merchant palace with just nine suites, carved wooden ceilings and colonial antiques.
- A courtyard pool rather than a full one, which is normal for buildings this old and this narrow.
- The choice if you want the smallest and quietest of the top tier.
Beach and island hotels near Cartagena
A “best hotels in Cartagena” list that stops at the historic city center misses half the market. The city itself has no good beach, so the five-star beachfront properties sit offshore — and reaching them is part of the stay.
- Isla Barú — the largest concentration of beachfront resorts near Cartagena, reachable by road across the Barú bridge in 1.5 to 2 hours or by boat in 45 to 55 minutes. This is where the spa-and-pool-area stays are.
- Isla Tierra Bomba — 10 to 15 minutes by boat from Castillogrande. Smaller properties and beach club stays rather than full resorts, and the easiest island hotel stay to combine with time in the walled city.
- The Rosario Islands, the Islas del Rosario on Spanish signage — an hour or more out, and where the clear water, scuba diving and mangrove excursions actually are. Several day-pass beach clubs take overnight guests.
- La Boquilla, north of the city on the mainland, has a handful of beachfront hotels and is the base for mangrove canoe trips.
- The trade-off is simple: island hotels give you a view of the sea and a serene setting; city hotels give you dinner on foot. Boats stop in the evening, so you cannot have both in one night.
Which island suits which trip, and what the beach clubs cost, is in our guide to the beaches.
Mid-range and boutique hotels
This is where most people actually book, and where Cartagena is at its best value if you look one street away from the obvious.
- Amarla Boutique and Casa Movida in El Centro — small colonial conversions with a handful of rooms each.
- Casa La Fe and Hotel Quadrifolio in San Diego — courtyard guesthouses, quieter, usually cheaper than the equivalent in El Centro.
- Casa Lola, Casa Jaguar and Allure Chocolat in Getsemaní — the same standard of building for noticeably less, ten minutes from the walls.
- Most colonial hotels have a plunge pool rather than a swimming pool. The buildings are narrow. If a real pool matters, check the photographs rather than the description.
Budget hotels and hostels
- Viajero Cartagena in San Diego is the best-known hostel inside the walls, with dorms and private rooms.
- La 10B and Posada La Fe in Getsemaní cover the budget end without leaving the interesting part of the city.
- Dorm beds start near US$17; a budget private room runs roughly US$80–120.
- Getsemaní and Manga are where the budget options concentrate. Bocagrande has cheap rooms too, but you will be taxiing into town every evening.
What a hotel in Cartagena actually costs
| Tier | Typical nightly rate (US$) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | from 17 | Getsemaní, San Diego, Manga |
| Budget private room | 80–120 | Getsemaní, Manga, outer Bocagrande |
| Mid-range, average | ~87 | rises to about 162 in high season |
| Luxury and boutique | 400+ | El Centro and San Diego |
- High season is December to April, plus Holy Week. Rates roughly double against May and November — see when to visit.
- Rooms inside the walls carry a premium of roughly a third over Getsemaní for comparable quality.
- Rate bands read 13 August 2026. Check the live rate for your dates.
Planning a wedding? Several of these double as venues — see getting married in Cartagena.
How to choose a hotel in Cartagena
Area decides more than star rating here, because the city is small and the difference between neighbourhoods is large.
- First visit, two or three nights? Stay in the walled city of Cartagena itself. Do not spend the time commuting.
- A week or more? The Getsemaní neighborhood. The price gap compounds, the walk is ten minutes, and the colourful streets are the part people photograph.
- Travelling with children? Bocagrande, for the pool and the lift, or an island resort if the beach is the point.
- Want quiet inside the walls? San Diego rather than El Centro.
- The full breakdown by area, with walking times, is in our guide to where to stay in Cartagena.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best hotel in Cartagena, Colombia?
Casa San Agustín by external ranking — three 17th-century houses, 31 rooms and three pools, placed first in the city by Tripexpert with endorsements from ten publications. Sofitel Legend Santa Clara, a converted convent, is ranked No. 2 of 284 Cartagena hotels on TripAdvisor and is the usual second name.
How much is a good hotel in Cartagena?
Luxury and boutique properties inside the walls start around US$400 a night. Mid-range hotels average about US$87 and reach roughly US$162 in high season. Hostel dorms start near US$17. Figures read 13 August 2026.
Where should you stay in Cartagena?
Inside the walls for a short first visit — El Centro for atmosphere, San Diego for the same walkability with fewer crowds. Getsemaní for value on longer stays, at roughly a third less for comparable rooms.
Do Cartagena hotels have pools?
Most colonial hotels have a plunge pool rather than a full swimming pool, because the buildings are narrow. Sofitel Legend Santa Clara has the largest pool in the city, and Casa San Agustín has three. If a real pool matters, check the photographs.
Is it better to stay inside the walls or in Getsemaní?
Inside for a two or three night visit, Getsemaní for anything longer. Getsemaní is a ten-minute walk from the walls and comparable rooms cost roughly a third less.