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Sofitel Barú Calablanca Beach Resort offers unforgettable accommodations in Barú, Cartagena, surrounded by the mesmerizing Colombian Caribbean Sea. Our rooms provide stunning views of the Caribbean Sea and offer spacious and comfortable accommodations. The experience at Calablanca is truly remarkable, featuring the best of traditional Colombian and Mediterranean cuisine, as well as international dishes. Enjoy delightful drinks at La Pergola Bar, whether on the rooftop or at one of the three poolside bars. Sofitel Barú Calablanca Beach Resort also offers a spa, gym, a range of water activities, weekly culinary experiences, immersive tours, and a dedicated kids' Villa.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Accor Hotels.
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Sofitel Barú Calablanca has captivated many travelers with its idyllic beachfront location, despite being a distance from Cartagena. Guests frequently commend the resort for its immaculate cleanliness across rooms, pools, and beaches. The service is often lauded for staff's attentiveness and warmth, though occasional slow service at restaurants has been noted.
While the hotel's atmosphere is generally appreciated for its serene ambiance and elegant decor, some find the nightlife more vibrant than preferred. Opinions on value vary, with some guests questioning the pricing structure. The range of amenities, including stunning beaches, pools, and a top-notch spa, along with the modern, luxurious rooms boasting ocean views, consistently receive high marks, though issues with room allocation and soundproofing have been mentioned.
Location
Remote
Atmosphere
Serenely
Rooms
Well-designed
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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This is a great place to relax—very quiet. They don’t open the pools until 9 and they close them at 6! The three restaurants close at 10 and, at least for the week we were there, no one hung out late at the bars if they were even open.
A 10% service charge is added to everything and no one seems to tip extra, at least in cash. I wanted to get smaller bills for housekeeping and beach staff but the hotel did not have any money, nor is there an ATM. I added tips to room charges but wasn’t able to provide cash tips as much as I’d like.
Food at the beach truck and the Bahia restaurant was great. I crave the shrimp quesadillas from the truck. Everything from ceviche to pork belly at Bahia was terrific. Humo, was the most pretentious, not great, and overpriced restaurant. You had to have a reservation even though it was never more than 30% full.
Water is weird. They pour water from pitcher for breakfast but insist you buy bottles of water at other meals! A server at Bahia poured us water and it was fine.
I would be very happy to return—at least until all the condos/villas are built. I expect Baru will become like Cancun.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Bring small bills for tips.
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Response from Heyder Baldiris, Proprietário at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Aug 26, 2022
Dear Ruth P Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at the Sofitel Baru Calablanca. It is always a pleasure to receive positive feedback. I will share your comments with our team. I am sure that this feedback will serve as an encouragement to all of our staff. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we hope your next visit will be as pleasant as the previous one. Heyder Baldiris Guest Relations Manager
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My husband and I stayed at Sofitel Calablanca for 7 nights and really enjoyed our time there. All the staff were very friendly and welcoming. I wish we could remember everyones names—Days (food truck), Carlos (concierge), Ariel (pool bar), Victor (Bahia), Gustavo & Hernando (beach), Jose & Sergio (Calablanca), Juan, and many others were all outstanding. We travel a lot and I’d say our experience there has definitely made it onto our top five. Our room was impeccably cleaned every day and were often left with sweet notes or little treats in the evenings. I’m really missing the food — it was incredible and fairly priced compared to what we pay back at home in the Midwest. The property, beach, and blue water was absolutely beautiful. We loved searching for seashells— there were a lot, but not to where you couldn’t walk comfortably. It was perfect. We went to the bird sanctuary, took a boat around many of the islands, and spent a day in the old walled city in Cartegena as our excursions off the resort. It was the most amazing and peaceful trip which was exactly what we needed, I’m so glad we chose to stay there and think it’s going to become a very popular destination. Thank you for the amazing experience and we hope to return one day.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Heyder Baldiris, Proprietário at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Dec 28, 2022
Dear Guest, We highly appreciate you took the time to review your experience with us. It is a real pleasure to know that you enjoyed your experience with us At Sofitel Barú Calablanca Beach Resort. we strive to provide the most sophisticated service in the Island, this is the reason why your opinion is very important for us. Thank you for your interest in returning in your next visit and we hope to have the pleasure to welcome you again in the near future. Sincerely, Jesús López, Guest Experience Attendant.
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We stayed at Sofitel Baru for four days after doing Cartagena for four days. It was a gorgeous property. Rooms are well appointed. There is not much to do outside of the resort though, which was a surprise. We stayed on property the entire stay. We inquired about taking a boat to Playa Blanca, but the hotel told us that the beach at the hotel was much better. The beach at the hotel was just okay. The sand is a little rocky. More than noticeable seaweed washes on the shore. The property has 3-6 pools in different areas. There is a main pool by the lobby with an infinity pool and waterfall. We were told that kids were not allowed in that pool (and for good reason: kids roughhouse in the waterfall and infinity pool. If you have kids: this is not a resort for them. There's a kids villa, but the property is not that kind of vibe. Your kids will get bored here. Our experience was that parents were ignoring their kids and for childless guests, let me tell you: we notice. We complained that kids were often at the main pool, acting a damn fool, but even worse, parents weren't looking after them. The property has three different restaurants and a continental breakfast. The breakfast needs to be put on hot plates. They just have hot dishes not being heated for several hours. In general, the food still has a ways to go at the resort. Just okay. It needs to make up its mind about what it wants to be. It's not fine dining, but sort of masquerades as it? The food has the quality of an all-inclusive cruise, but you are paying top dollar for meals at the resort, as if it there were fine dining restaurants. We often went to the grill by the beach because it had the least amount of airs about the food. Staff is excellent. They are a little bored, but they aim to please and are polite, pleasant, and excellently trained. We'd go back, but only for two days next time. If this becomes a property where kids come, we would explicitly avoid it.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:The rooms on the third floor in the first building on the hill are the best.
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Response from Heyder Baldiris, Proprietário at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Jun 30, 2022
Dear markE9112BL We really appreciate your comments about your stay at Sofitel Baru Calablanca, your feedback is very important to us. It is a pleasure to hear that you had a wonderful time with us in our tropical property Your kind comments are highly motivating as it is our priority to exceed our customers’ expectations. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the near future. Heyder Baldiris Guest relations manager
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This hotel is pretty typical. It didn't really have any "wow" features to make it memorable. The architecture and design in stark, which is fine and a matter of taste. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but for locals I imagine it is a convenient get-away.
We stayed at this hotel when it was pretty new, so I am forgiving of many items that can use improvement. For example, lack of chairs around the pools may be a supply issue. And staff can use a lot more training. (Ordered drinks that never came, 45 minutes for the bellhop to come to the room to get bags, etc)
We liked the food. The drinks were hit and miss.
I did not ding them on stars due to the above observations. The hotel overall is fine.
They lost two stars for being horrible stewards of the land they sit on. The hotel has an eco trail, which to me, is one of the highlights of the hotel. It's nice being able to wander along the beach on a trail, or slip behind a tree for morning stretches on the beach. However, it is covered in trash. It's mainly plastic that has washed ashore, but it looks like they have never picked it up. The trash starts immediately off the main beach. It is in the area they have marked for swimming, so very much within their grounds.
They also lost a star due to their drinking water. Most of us travel with refillable water bottles these days to avoid using plastics. Most new hotels include water bottle refill stations. This hotel didn't have any! Even the gym which should always have this option only had a fridge full of plastic 300ml water bottles. They didn't even have plain water available at breakfast. We had to buy two 300ml waters for $5USD.
These issues have turned me off to Sofitel as a whole. This is out-of-touch management that trickles from the top of the organization. I do not want to support this kind of irresponsibility.
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Date of stay: January 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
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Response from Nathalia Pedraza, Proprietário at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Mar 30, 2022
Dear Sctravelers2 Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at the Sofitel Baru Calablanca, At Sofitel, we strive to provide a superior service experience for every customer; therefore, your impressions are very important to our organization and, your satisfaction and comfort is our priority. I am very sorry your stay with us did not meet your expectations. I would like to apologize for the inconveniences presented with the service of food and Beverage and our bellman team, I can assure you that this is not the service quality that we strive to provide to our guests. I have shared all your comments with the managers of the different areas and we will take the proper measure in order for these situations will not happen again. On the other hand, I would like to inform you that we have been performing a continuous cleaning process to the land next to our property I order to keep them clean, as you explained in your comment this bottles of plastic are washed ashore every day, regarding your observation about the water bottle refill station allow us to inform you that we are working on that in order to have them in different areas of our Caribbean property. Our guest’s feedback is very valuable for us since it gives us the change to improve our product and services. Thank you again for sharing your experience and we hope you will give us another opportunity in the future to provide you with the quality service we pride ourselves on. Heyder Baldiris Guest Relations Manager
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This was the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. On our first day, I was relaxing at one of the empty pool cabanas. About two hours later, this aggressive and loud couple approaches me and starts yelling that the cabana is “theirs”. At first, I thought they had paid to reserve it for the day, however, the hotel confirmed that was not possible. This couple had left a pair of disposable Sofitel sandals near the cabana — and they believed they now owned this cabana as a result. The older man started screaming at me, picked up my things, and then sat down uncomfortably close and threatened me.
I immediately reported the incident to Sofitel management. They refused to help. They told me to calm down, gave me a drink, moved me to a completely different cabana without a pool, and then asked if I wanted a photo?!? The manager was incredibly sexist and condescending. I had to insist six or seven times that they remove the threatening couple, however, the hotel manager insisted they could treat me how they wanted because “they are guests too.” So, if the man had hit me, would that have been okay “because he’s a guest too?” Finally, I said I was going to checkout immediately if they did not handle it. Once they realized they might lose money (not when a guest might be in danger) did they remove the unruly guests.
That night, we tried to sleep. However, that proved impossible. A large spotlight was pointed directly into our room the entire night, with no drapes to cover it. It was like trying to sleep with floodlights on. Further, the sheets were the cheapest and scratchiest I’ve ever slept on. The standard sheets and linens for this price point are Frette. But no, the Sofitel bought the absolute bottom of the barrel cheap linens to save money. After three hours of terrible sleep, we woke up and checked out early.
Overall, the construction and design of the hotel were slapped together very quickly and cheaply. Everything in our room was broken, including the phone, the electricity, the WiFi, the jacuzzi, even the glass door to the shower. They built this hotel as quickly and cheaply as possible and then superficially branded it as “luxury”. It is not. Don’t waste your money. Stay at Casa San Agustin in the city instead.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Don’t stay here!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nathalia Pedraza, Proprietário at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Feb 24, 2022
Dear Melanie M Thank you for preferring us while in Cartagena and for sharing your experience with us. At the Sofitel Baru Calablanca we care about every guest opinion and observation since it gives us the opportunity to improve our services. We are very sorry to read that your stay with us was not living up to your rightful expectations At the Sofitel Baru Calablanca we care about providing a luxurious experience making guests feel comfortable and at home and we deeply regret that you have been bothered by the behavior of another guest and I can reassure you that our pool rules don’t allow to book any cabanas or sunbed . I can assure you that we are taking the appropriate measures to address these kinds of issues. All our efforts are concentrated in preventing future occurrences on the other hand We regret to read your perception about the linen in your room. The Housekeeping manager already is taking you comment very serious and doing some research about the situation. Once again, I apologize on behalf of all Sofitel Baru Calablanca for the inconveniences presented in our property. This kind of situation are not accepted in our property and it is not the kind of service we offer. Our guest and visitors are used to the most sophisticated service and it is why we are chosen for many visitors of the city of Cartagena. We appreciate your sharing your concerns, and it is our hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the near future. Sincerely, Heyder Baldiris Serrano Guest Relations Manager
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We only had two nights but wish we could have stayed longer. From our personalized greeting at the airport for the long (yes, it's true, the road is BAD) bumpy drive to the resort, to our final goodbye after our boat ride return to Cartagena, the Sofitel exceeded our expectations. We booked a regular room months in advance and then when prices dropped, asked to move to a Baru Suite for almost the same rate. The Baru has a powder room at the entry, a small living area with table and chairs, king bed, soaking tub, and marble bathroom. Tons of storage - closet, drawers, safe, etc. The balcony was private, with two chaise lounges and a private jacuzzi. It was blissful.
The pools are varied but all excellent. The beach always had available chaises, cabanas, etc. We ate at three restaurants, each different but outstanding flavor and service. Humo added sensory elements and artful presentation. Don't miss watching the sunset from the rooftop bar!
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Ask to be on an upper floor for more privacy. Ground level rooms would require shades pulled.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Heyder Baldiris, Owner at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Jan 28, 2024
Bonjour dear lovetravelfoodwine, Thank you for sharing your detailed and wonderful review following your recent stay at Sofitel Barú Calablanca. We're thrilled to hear that your experience was filled with positive highlights, and we appreciate your valuable feedback. We're delighted that the personalized greeting at the airport and the boat ride back to Cartagena contributed to a seamless and enjoyable overall experience. It's fantastic to know that the Baru Suite provided you with additional comfort and blissful moments, and we're glad you found the pools, beach amenities, and various dining experiences to be outstanding. Your understanding of the road conditions to Barú is truly appreciated, and we thank you for your flexibility in adapting to the journey. We continually strive to enhance all aspects of our guests' experiences, including transportation arrangements. Once again, thank you for choosing Sofitel Barú Calablanca. We look forward to the pleasure of welcoming you back for another extended and delightful stay in the future. Warm regards, Stephania Guerrero Bueno Guest Relations & Quality Director Sofitel Barú Calablanca Beach Resort
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Cala Blanca restaurant is below average with “canteen” food and unjustifiable prices, namely in wines: what justifies a Wine that costs 6 euros in a regular supermarket to be priced there at 60 euros? Worst than that was the sommelier explaining that it was an exceptional wine only accesible to some privileged mouths. Inconsistent with the overall quality of the hotel and location, this restaurant risks to be a reason not to go. Just because any other option outside the hotel is one hour ago shouldn’t be a reason to not be consistent with the quality and take advantage over it.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nathalia Pedraza, Proprietário at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Apr 22, 2022
Dear 119paulod I would like to thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us and for you detailed comment. At Sofitel, we strive to provide a superior service experience for every customer; therefore, your impressions are very important to our organization and your satisfaction and comfort is our priority. I am sorry to read about how you felt about our Calablanca restaurant; we a welcome each and every comment and take measures to ensure experience we create for our guests is a memorable one, To do so, we work continuously with our food an beverage manager and our French chef in order to improve our products. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we look forward to having the opportunity to serve you again in the near future. Sincerely, Heyder Baldiris Guest relations manager
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Got here on December 29th 2021 and planning to leave on Jan 3rd. Brand new facilities that are beautiful with good taste and modern architecture , but the service has plenty of room for improvement, in general very disorganized, the day we arrived almost could not find a restaurant to eat, then room service takes forever or sometimes your order just gets lost, when they service your room for cleaning they often don’t replenish what you use. No enough sitting furniture around the pool. The day we arrived we wanted to eat at the restaurant around beach but they were booked then we asked to be sited in the bar area but they could not sell the food there despite technically it is the same restaurant. If you are sitting at the beach and order bottle of water could take many many min to arrives. In general very bad service, needs better management or maybe some tune up since they just opened up, but the examples described above should not happen in these type of “luxury hotels”. They have plenty of worker with excellent attitude but just so disorganized.
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nathalia Pedraza, Outro at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Feb 10, 2022
Dear S4531WJCarlos G First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to share your impressions about our Hotel with us. At Sofitel, we strive to provide a superior service experience for every customer; therefore your impressions are very important to our organization and your satisfaction and comfort is our priority. We are glad to read that you found our staff very friendly and with a excellent attitude. However, I am also very sorry because your stay didn’t meet your expectations;. It is mandatory requirements for this company to carry out actions that help improve the quality of service and to always be at the forefront. I can assure you that this is not the service quality that we strive to provide to our guests. I will share your comment with our staff, specially our Food and Beverage Manager and our Hotel Manager to take the proper measure and to provide a superior service. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we look forward to having the opportunity to serve you again in the near future. Sincerely, Heyder Baldiris Guest Relations Manager
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We already spend 1,5 weeks in Colombia and used this stay to finish our vacations.
We were greeted extremely nice by everyone and were amazed by the level of service that was existing throughout the property.
Our room was directed towards the ocean as all are, and was modern, spacious, and stylish.
After a short walk to the main building we could enjoy an amazing breakfast with many European and global, but especially delicious Colombian and Caribbean specialties.
We enjoyed the bars and restaurants, especially Bahia with amazing wood grilled meat and view to the ocean.
The beach is just incredible, with immaculate white sand and crystal clear water.
A special thank you to Jorge from the pool bar, who, after we were the only couple showing up to the fruit tasting, prepared a special fruit basket for just us two. I want to highlight his service and attention to detail - really someone who loves what he does with his whole heart!
Only two minor remarks:
1. The hotel is a bit far off Cartagena, so either plan some time to arrive via land, or be ready to spend a bit more to arrive by boat.
2. The vendors at the beach were respectful, but still approached us some times to offer their craft or massages. I think this could be handled better (e.g. offering massages on the beach at lower prices at a dedicated massage hut or something like that). The solicitations felt a bit annoying at times.
Overall, still a 10/10 and we will come back for sure!
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Remember to bring essential items or toiletries (sunscreen) as there are no stores close...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephania Guerrero Bueno, Guest Services / Front Office at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded 1 week ago
Bonjour Dear, Warm greetings from the Sofitel Barú Calablanca team. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience and for choosing our tropical paradise as the final destination of your Colombian vacation. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us, from our spacious ocean-view rooms to the delightful breakfast and the exquisite wood-grilled meat at Bahía. We are especially proud to read your kind words about Jorge from our pool bar. We will be sure to share your comment with him, as he puts his heart into providing exceptional service and creating unforgettable moments for our guests. We also appreciate your constructive feedback regarding transportation options to the hotel and your suggestion about the beach vendors. Your observations are very valuable to us, and we will consider them as we continue improving the experience for all of our visitors. It was an honor to host you, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the near future for another unforgettable stay. Cordialmente, María Alcalá, Quality Assistant.
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We LOVE Sofitel Calablanca Barú. My mother and I came last year shortly after they had opened and spent a quiet week doing nothing but reading on the beach or at the pool. We enjoyed our stay so much we decided to come back a second time, for even longer. This year it was much more busy; families have discovered what a wonderful place this is to bring their children. However it was still quiet and calm and relaxing. There are so many pools spread out all along the beach front, lots of games set up, daily activities, and even a whole kids center.
The ocean is stunning. Minimal seaweed, calm waves, crystal clear at some parts, and always warm. There are attendants that bring you everything from ice water and little fruit kabobs, to a cold towel for your face. They will take care of any need you can think of, and also run orders back and forth to the food truck or the pool bar.
Speaking of food: the food at the pool bar, the food truck in the beach, and the seafood restaurant Bahía are our faves. The food is outstanding, from shrimp salad to tacos to sandwiches. The breakfast is also fantastic.
Honestly I could write pages and pages about this place. They leave little treats in your room some days (a mini donut, madeleines, fresh fruit). The entire staff are so helpful and kind. We’ve been trying to remember everyone’s name. A few standout folks at the beach have been Gustavo, Alejandro, and Manuel (but there are even more!) and at Breakfast Maribel took such good care of us every morning. At dinner we had great bartenders like Shy and Luis, and the waitstaff (who’s names I’m blanking in! Need to update later!) remembers us every night and has been so helpful.
Even though this place is great for kids, it is a welcome oasis for our mother daughter trips. We have also seen plenty of couples, so there’s a lot of different types of vacationers here.
Definitely worth a visit!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Get a car from the hotel to pick you up at the airport. It’s quite a drive and you’ll be glad you...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Heyder Baldiris, Proprietário at Sofitel Barú Calablanca
Responded Jan 27, 2024
Elizabeth S Thank you for sharing such a heartwarming and detailed review of your experiences at Sofitel Calablanca Barú. It brings us immense joy to learn that you and your mother have not only visited once but returned for a longer stay, and that both occasions were memorable. Your descriptions of the serene atmosphere, numerous pools, beachfront activities, and the dedicated staff creating a tranquil environment are truly appreciated. We are delighted to hear that the busier atmosphere this year did not compromise the tranquility and relaxation you sought, and that families also find our resort to be a wonderful destination for their children. The compliments on our beach attendants, the stunning ocean, and the diverse culinary experiences across the pool bar, food truck, and seafood restaurant Bahía are incredibly gratifying. Your recognition of specific staff members, including Gustavo, Alejandro, Manuel, Maribel, Shy, and Luis, speaks volumes about the personalized and attentive service we strive to provide. We are touched that you took note of the thoughtful gestures like treats left in your room and that our staff has left a positive and lasting impression. Knowing that Sofitel Calablanca Barú serves as a welcome oasis for various types of travelers, including mother-daughter trips and couples, is truly heartening. Thank you for your kind words and for recommending Sofitel Calablanca Barú. We eagerly anticipate the pleasure of hosting you and your mother again on future visits. Warm regards, Daniela Dickens Guest Experience Attendant
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Yes, they require a credit card at. Checkin . to cover meals, drinks and spa charges .breakfast was included in our reservation but everything else is extra. Plan $100/PP/day. . Also you can charge transport from baru to Cartagena on your hotel charge as well. Tipping is 10% standard . Have some pesos for tipping of beach boy and maids
Hello,
Yes! This hotel is absolutely child friendly. In fact when I was there I was surprised at how many families were there. The kids have so many activity options from different pools, to beach games, to movie nights and more! I had a room only with 1 king bed, so I’m not sure what the other rooms are like. It’s a great resort!
I just did this trip and first stayed at the Sofitel Isla Baru then at the Sofitel in Cartagena. I would advise against renting a car. I took a car to Isla Baru and a boat back (which was super fun). There is nowhere to park in the walled city. Streets are narrow, one way and confusing. Easier to just hire someone to transport you.
Chairs at the beach? Definitely. I can’t remember if they had umbrellas at the beach. They do have large trees that provide shade. The car / driver service was arranged through the hotel. The pick up at the airport was not good. The cost was around US$ 75.
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