The Radisson Cartagena Hotel Review is part of the Quest Around The Globe Trip Report which covers the following places:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Grand Cayman
- Cartagena, Colombia
- Medellin, Colombia
- Miami, Florida
- Houston, Texas
- Moscow, Russia
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Ayia Napa, Cyprus
- Amman, Jordan
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- New York, New York
Here is the Picture Preview, the Excel Spreadsheet of all the points redemptions, and my CNN International Business Traveller segment which was filmed in Vegas.
Getting There: Uber picked me up at and took me to the hotel for a nominal fee.
This was my second time going to Cartagena and like the first time, I found myself asking why I did not stay longer. Two nights are not enough to experience all that the city and its surroundings has to offer. Before I get to the Cartagena Travel Guide, here’s a review of a great points options for those traveling to this splendid city.
The Location
I stayed two nights at the Radisson Cartagena which is conveniently located minutes from the airport, directly on the ocean, and twenty minutes from Cartagena’s best attraction, the old town.
The Hotel
The hotel lobby is beautiful. It is clean and fresh.
The Upgrade
The staff was very pleasant. They acknowledged my Club Carlson status and upgraded me to a one bedroom suite overlooking the pool and beach. It’s these upgrades that make it hard for me to cancel my US Bank Club Carlson cards.
The Living Room
The colors were a bit different but I thought it was cool that this was not the prototypical hotel room. I especially liked the stools.
The View
The Bedroom
The Bathrooms
Why have one bathroom when you can have two? I appreciate hotels that offer a toothbrush and real sized toothpaste as part of the amenities. When I jump from one location to the next, stuff gets disorganized and I find myself rummaging through my bag for toothpaste.
The Pool
I love looking at the ocean more than I like being on the beach. As such, I spent my time at the pool drinking piña coladas. Drinks were around $4, much better than the gazillion dollars they cost at the Marriott Grand Cayman.
Overall
As nice as this hotel is, the next time I go to Cartagena, I am going to stay within the walls of the old town. It’s convenient to stay at a hotel directly on the beach but there’s much more to Cartagena than just the ocean.
hot dang, brah! i wish i could even imagine what it’s like to stay in such nice digs. i got some stuff figured out, but not the hotel gigs…
during my rtw bike ride, while in colombia, a family flagged me down and invited me into their house for coffee. so cool. i was stoked. colombian coffee! money!
we all sat down around a table. a thermos of hot water was ceremoniously placed in the middle. and then a canister of folgers instant coffee was placed next to it.
fyi, toothpaste is largely unnecessary. it’s all about friction. and that’s not fiction.
lastly :
“Before ~~~I~~~ getting to the Cartagena Travel Guide, here’s a review of a great points options for those traveling to this splendid city.”
I like the grammar corrections at the end. It makes opening your comments less intimidating.
Your stories are nuts. Write that book!
His stories could be titled simply “Dees Nuts” – Stories from the road.
At least say, ‘your stories’. No one else is reading your comments. And the theme is living doesnt have to suck so what are you expecting, a postcard?
hmm maybe i missed this whole comment. note to self, do not wake up and trump angry respond to comments.