Maloka Boutique Centro Histórico

The hotel is in the historic center; we could do everything on foot (city center, Getsemani, and Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas). It's about 15 minutes from the airport. The hotel staff are very friendly and always willing to help. Our room was on the 3rd floor, and there are only stairs (we didn't have any difficulties, but it's difficult for those with mobility issues). In our room, the bed was great, the air conditioning worked very well (essential in Cartagena), there was a safe, but no mini-fridge. As a negative point, the shower had low water pressure, and it was mostly cold. Breakfast is served at the table. Fruit, juice, arepas or toast, and eggs. Coffee is charged separately. We found it to be good value for money, especially considering the location and the friendliness of the Maloka staff!

The location was very good, but unfortunately the hotel was a bit run-down. The weather was showing signs of wear and tear, especially in the common areas. The rooms were okay. Breakfast—how can coffee not be included in the price??? You had to pay extra for coffee. The staff seemed to be working as a punishment. A plus was that we could leave our belongings in the storage room for the entire day.

Beautiful place and wonderful people who work there! It was a pleasure to spend my time there! Highly recommended for the place, the service, and the friendly atmosphere. Thank you so much!

Very nice hotel, breakfasts are very good. However, we were cheated by Francisco, a person who sells tours in the hotel, he sold us a tour and the experience was horrible!! The tourist police even intervened, thanks to them, we recovered the money. Do not hire tours at this hotel if you do not want to have a bad experience during your vacation. Any deception contact the police, they helped us a lot. I leave a photo of the injury I got on the terrible excursion!

We booked an Economy Double Room for 4 nights but had to change rooms after two sleepless nights due to several major issues. ​The Economy Room (Room 101): This room was a massive disappointment. Located on the ground floor, it is squeezed between the kitchen and a storage room. The window is so heavily tinted that no daylight enters at all. It is also very noisy: every few hours, a loud humming and creaking from a machine (likely an ice maker or freezer) in the adjacent storage room would start and last for several minutes, making it impossible to rest. In the morning, you can clearly hear the kitchen staff chopping fruit. The bed was a major "no-go": the mattress was worn out and sagging. Both the mattress and pillows were covered in synthetic plastic protectors, making them hard and causing us to sweat uncomfortably. The air was damp and musty, only made bearable by the good AC and a room freshener. The bathroom was poorly designed (no hooks, no shower shelf, and a non-functional toilet paper holder). ​Room Change & Family Room: After we complained, the staff was initially helpful and offered a free upgrade to a Family Room. This room had more daylight and, thankfully, no plastic mattress protector. The bathroom was more functional with a shower shelf and working toilet paper holder, though some towel hooks were loose or missing screws. The air quality was similar, unfortunately. ​Consistent Lack of Hot Water: A major problem that existed in both rooms was the water temperature. The water was only lukewarm at best, never truly hot. This was consistent throughout our entire stay, regardless of the time of day we tried to shower. ​Breakfast & Checkout Issues: Breakfast is à la carte (fruit plate, juice, eggs). While the food was okay, there is no free filter coffee included—you have to pay extra for espresso drinks. Not offering any basic complimentary coffee significantly devalues the breakfast experience. ​However, the biggest issue occurred during checkout, which ruined the initially positive impression of the service. When paying for our coffees, they tried to charge an unsolicited 24% "Propina" (tip). No receipt was shown; they only stated a total amount. Only after we insisted on seeing a breakdown did they print a receipt showing this outrageous tip. Upon our request, it was reduced to the standard 10%. Attempting to overcharge guests this way without a receipt is unprofessional and unacceptable. ​Summary: The persistent issue with hot water, the significant structural flaws of the ground-floor rooms (especially Room 101), and the shady billing practices at the end overshadowed the staff's initial efforts to help. We cannot recommend staying here, particularly in the Economy category.

The Maloka staff is very kind and always ready to help with anything needed. The location is very good for those who want to stay in the walled city, and the hotel offers excellent value for money. We stayed in a queen room and the bed was comfortable. One downside is that breakfast doesn't include coffee, only tea or hot chocolate: the reason given is that there's a coffee shop on site and you have the option of buying coffee from them.

The location is excellent, and the breakfast and reception service is good. However, the room we were given was the worst located in the entire hotel. We stayed two nights and it was impossible to rest. It was a room between the kitchen and the maid's quarters (constant plumbing noises at all hours), so there was constant traffic and movement. If you get that room, you won't be able to sleep at all very early in the morning. The bathroom was in quite poor condition. It did have air conditioning, which is a plus. The photo is taken from the room's doorway. To the right is the maid's quarters, and on the other side of the wall is the hotel kitchen.

The welcome upon arrival wasn't very good. There was very little information provided. The next day we had a boat trip at 8:00 am, and our stay included breakfast. We asked the staff if they could prepare breakfast earlier, but this information wasn't relayed. Poor communication. We were able to have breakfast eventually, but it was very rushed. I had higher expectations for the place.