Centro, Calle 34 Num 11-15. Plazoleta Benkos Bioho, Cartagena, Colombia | (618) 248-8274
Budget hotel within walking distance of the historic walled city
Clean, if bland rooms with incredible views of the city
Lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance
Restaurant serves breakfast and lunch
Two event spaces
Free breakfast and Wi-Fi
Decor is drab and unimpressive throughout
Tiny elevators are unfathomably slow
Hotel feels chaotic when crowded
No hot water
Travelers who don’t care about aesthetics or amenities will find great value at Hotel Stil Cartagena, a 100-room budget hotel on the outskirts of Cartagena’s historic walled city. Housed in a 1970s-era 10-story building, Hotel Stil isn’t the prettiest on the block, and its interiors aren’t impressive either. Drab, dated rooms have tube TVs and spartan furnishings, and bathrooms lack hot water. The restaurant looks like a summer camp mess hall and serves mediocre food in mass quantities like it is one. The hotel’s claustrophobic, unfathomably slow elevators might be a deal-breaker for some (yes, they’re that bad), but freebies like breakfast and Wi-Fi and consistently rock-bottom rates still attract plenty of guests. Young budget travelers might prefer the nearby El Viajero Cartagena Hostel, which offers nightly on-site entertainment and similar freebies for comparable nightly rates.
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Scene
An ever-crowded budget hotel on the outskirts of Cartagena's historic walled city
When it’s crowded, the lobby at Hotel Stil Cartagena can feel a bit like the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Masses of guests call out to one another, hotel staff members try to quell the chaos, and the constant bustle of bodies can feel overwhelming. And did we mention it’s always crowded here? With affordable nightly rates, a convenient location, and freebies like breakfast and Wi-Fi, Hotel Stil attracts tons of travelers. But with so many people and little organization, guests should be prepared for pandemonium. Ninety percent of Hotel Stil guests are Colombian, while the remaining 10 percent is split between Americans and Europeans. Most are families and couples, but the hotel is also suited for solo travelers or friend groups. There are two on-site conference rooms, so the hotel sees a smattering of business travelers as well.
Location
Located in front of a crowded plaza, within walking distance of tons of shops and restaurants
Hotel Stil is located in Plazoleta Benkos Bioho (Plazoleta Telecom), a busy square on the periphery of Cartagena’s historic walled city. The hotel is within walking distance of the walled city and all its shops, restaurants, bars, and tourist sights. It’s also a five-minute drive to Castillo San Felipe de Barajas and a 10-minute drive to the Getsemani neighborhood. Rafael Nunez International Airport is about a 15-minute drive from the hotel.
Rooms
Spartan rooms without hot water, but all have excellent city views
Rooms at Hotel Stil have a spartan appearance, with white walls and white tile floors, simple wooden beds, and beige bedspreads. Wall-mounted tube TVs have all the charm of a hospital room, but large windows let in tons of natural light and offer incredible views of the city below. In-room amenities include minibars and safety deposit boxes, but that’s about it. Mini fridges are stocked with a few snacks and drinks; fees apply. Bathrooms are tiny, but feature all the necessities — shower stalls, tiny sinks, and toilets — except hot water. Hot water is still considered a luxury in Cartagena, and many budget hotels do not have it. In a city where daily temperatures hover in the 90s, hot water isn’t an absolute necessity, but this could be a deal-breaker for some travelers. While rooms at Hotel Stil aren’t impressively decorated or packed with amenities, they’re clean, and suited for anyone merely looking for a place to sleep at night.
Features
Free breakfast and Wi-Fi, two event spaces, and impossibly slow elevators
Hotel Stil doesn’t have any big-ticket amenities like a pool, spa, or fitness center, but it does offer free breakfast and Wi-Fi, and has two conference rooms. Breakfast and lunch are served daily in the hotel “restaurant.” We use quotes because it’s not so much a restaurant as much as it is a room with a buffet table. Breakfast is free for guests, but lunch incurs an extra charge. Meals and served in mass quantities, and the chaotic crowding at breakfast and lunch resembles a summer camp cafeteria. The food is mediocre, and can get repetitive after a few days. Wi-Fi is free for all guests and works well throughout the hotel. The hotel also has two on-site conference rooms that can host private events or business functions. Though elevators can hardly be considered an amenity, we need to talk about the ones at Hotel Stil. They’re incredibly slow, and with a maximum capacity of four people, each tiny vessel feels claustrophobic. Guests waiting around for the elevator cause crowding in the lobby, and many people become frustrated with the long lines that form.
