Sofitel Barú Cartagena

We enjoyed our stay. The staff was friendly. The babysitter from kids club, Everliss was amazing with our youngest daughter. Our girls enjoyed the kids club

Some negatives but I’ll temper my expectations in future…
One of our rooms was not ready until 5pm. It took several (3-4) requests to get a fold away bed for our daughter, resulting in a late bedtime.

Our biggest issues were the spa and scheduled activities. The spa had poor communication and English. Several attempts via email and phone to confirm our treatments - and a very loud dance or gym class could be heard from treatment room during massage. Poor sound insulation and very disturbing

The schedule seemed like a suggestion. We confirmed certain events and activities with staff that never took place, leaving our kids disappointed. This pertained to Cookie decorating and carnival parade which were both on their Christmas brochure and we confirmed with staff ahead of time

Poor communication amongst the staff which I feel is a management issue. We got 3 different answers on time a restaurant closed on Christmas Eve from 3 different people and all 3 ended up being incorrect (the food truck, 5, 6, and 10pm but ended up being 7)

In end, we understand things come up, I would come back with lower expectations and assume the above would reoccur as we still enjoyed our stay and the property.

I was totally blasted by this hotel. I’m not I’m not going to write about the amenities cause they are exceptional and of another world.
I mainly want to stress that every member of the staff that I met was simply extremely friendly and also helpful.
This started at the reception with Juan, with the people at the various restaurants and pool, the customer relation representative Lila who simply came to introduce herself and helped me with something.
At the magnificent rooftop bar “La Pérgola” I was met and attended to by three smiling and friendly waitresses Hilda, Camila and Veronica. There, the two barmen in charge Jesiel and Juan were exceptional. I was served amazing cocktails and they also made me taste some cocktail bases asking me about my opinion on them (how strong, tastes, sweetness). They like their job and want to bring it to the next level.
So in addition to an exceptional location and design, the Sofitel Barú strongly relies on its staff and it’s the way it should be I think.

Before visiting the hotel, I was surprised to read how many guests reviews enhanced the staff but after being here, I clearly understand where these reviews came from.

I stayed at this property while attending a conference and had a very positive experience.

The resort is beautiful, peaceful and thoughtfully designed (environmentally conscious). The staff were consistently warm, friendly and attentive.

As a foodie, I have to say that it’s clear that there is a strong culinary leadership. Brwakfast selection was exceptional mixing local food and international foods. I tried all the restaurants, room service and even the conference catering was surprisingly exquisite.

Although I was there for a conference, the property felt perfect for couple. They have playgrounds for kids but not sure that there are activities attractive for teenagers, it’s a place to relax and would not categorize it as ideal for families.

The resort is on an island about 1.5-hour drive from the Cartagena airport but there are boat transfers. I took a speed boat with a group (about 25 mins) which I highly recommend, it was faster and a great way to see the coastline. Just make sure you understand the group vs individual pricing as that seems to be a bit confusing and lacked flexibility.

Overall, a wonderful stay with excellent hospitality and food.

Visited with a friend to celebrate her birthday here for a few days after staying in Cartagena mainland for four days. Beautiful property, extraordinary service and amenities, and the food was amazing. The spa experience was EXCELLENT! Raquel was my therapist and she was absolutely wonderful. I had the Mud Wrap and the “So Delicate” facial treatments. Will definitely be back with my husband so he can experience this tranquil retreat.

I had an amazing experience at the spa with Laura. I had a facial and detox wrap. Both were excellent. She was very kind and thorough in my treatments. I left feeling relaxed and my skin was radiant. Highly recommend the spa and Laura!!

There is no doubt that the resort is stunning. There are 7 immaculate bars & pools. We are world beach goers and loved this stretch of beach on Baru. I believe every room has an ocean view (we had an ocean front balcony and got the basic room). The food was all delicious, but as expected the drinks over priced.
Here are the cons (big ones I think you should know). First, getting here is no joke and I did not realize this on booking. We ended up booking boat transfers from Cartagena (do not rent a car!!!!). The boats were both gorgeous but it cost us almost $350 round trip for 2 adults. We also booked a private boat ride to the Rosario islands. They are beautiful and it was worth it, but we way over paid. We are boaters at home and understand the costs, and we know we way over paid, however we were also glad we didn’t miss the islands (note: you go snorkeling & they take you to a restaurant of your choice for lunch).
Now here’s what left us unwilling to come back: I prepaid our room rate and the private boat. On check out our bill was for our food/drinks and transport. Each food & drink bill has gratuity added on. We tipped our boat tour guides in cash. The hotel added an optional gratuity to the total of our bill - all of which was tipped as we went. This gets split amongst the staff. If I didn’t notice that, it would’ve added a lot of money to our bill! Basically tipping on already tipped services. It made me leave there with a sour end to a wonderful few days. My advice is to pay as you go around the resort to avoid any confusion on check out.

We are a family of 4 adults and this was our first time at the Sofitel Baru. We took the boat from Cartagena and spent 3 nights there. This is a beautiful high end resort on the beach which is secluded, offers all the amenities needed and never feels crowded. On arrival, we were upgraded to a penthouse suite which was a nice surprise. Standout experiences were the breakfast buffet, the amazing massages, the beautiful swimming pools and Humo, the Peruvian/Asian fusion restaurant.

A special call out to Lila and Danilo for their attentive customer service.

Would definitely recommend this hotel for a super relaxing experience.

My wife and I stayed here for my 60th birthday celebration. The rooms were clean with a friendly staff. Most are bilingual who are fluent in English, if that is a concern. We do recommend the rooftop bar, if you can't get a reservation to one of their restaurants. During our stay, the Japanese restaurant was fully booked and didn't accept walk ins but the Italian restaurant did accept walk ins (without reservations).

The beach was so relaxing and the water was a perfect temperature to hang out in for a long time. If you get tired of the beach, they had plenty of pools to use one of which had a nice water fall.

A couple of people that made our stay there special was Leidy, a Sommelier and Dany, a Bartender. For my birthday, they prepared special Banana Rum drink for me to have there & a little bottle to take some home. They also wrote a little birthday note on a card with the banana rum recipe so we can make the drink at home.

I would recommend the hotel.

The experience was amazing. I went to know the hotel for futures events.

Everyone was incredible amazing and welcoming. But I need to give a big up to the sir Farid Yurban, my first point of contact to the sofitel Baru. He made sure that I feel comfortable and able to enjoy the boat drive even talked with me a little in portuguese.

I had a wonderful experience and i can guarantee that is what they always provides.

Excellent service, William.at Bahia restaurant excel on his service, provided what we call the classic Caribbean service. He learned our family likes and 2nd visit was already providing our drinks and all his suggestions were very acertive.

This hotel exceeded my expectations. Service was top notch. We especially liked the food at Bahia restaurant and were fortunate to be served by WILLIAM who pampered us every time we ate there. Breakfast was heavenly with a variety of fruit and Colombian staples as well as items found at a the best hotels we have visited. Installations were spotless and service was great and consistent throughout the hotel. I highly recommend Sofitel Baru to anyone wanting service excellence and absolutely delicious food.

The most wonderful experience!!! The hotel is beautiful, the food awesome, specially Humo restaurant!!! But the Best experience was the excellent service!! From the recepcionist, the waiters the cart drivers, the service at the beach. In all my travels, which have been many, I have never experieced such wonderful service!!!! I pray that I will be able to come back… soon!!!

Love the hotel 10/10 very clean and staff is very friendly worth every dollar. Only thing I would say there isn’t nothing to do out side of resort your kinda isolated in so bring everything you can from the city.

I had a great stay, will definitely return.

excellet

From the moment we arrived, everything about Sofitel Barú was perfection. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome — warm smiles, genuine hospitality, and attention to every little detail. The property itself is absolutely stunning, surrounded by water and tropical gardens that make you feel like you’re in paradise.

Our room was spacious and offered breathtaking ocean views. The food was another highlight — every meal, from breakfast to dinner, was exceptional, with fresh ingredients and creative flavors that showcased the best of Colombian and international cuisine.

Sofitel Barú is more than just a hotel; it’s a full luxury experience that captures the essence of Cartagena’s charm and the natural beauty of Barú Island. Can’t wait to return — truly one of the best resorts we’ve ever stayed at!

We visited for the day with a day pass — well worth it! We returned by boat, which made for a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed the paddleboards available on-site and the beautiful beach.

The pool

El staff es muy amable. En especial gracias a Lila, al chef Felipe y du staff del restaurante HUMO! Una estadía inolvidable

10/10 stay at Sofitel, incredible value, 5 star service from start to finish, amazing pools, amazing beaches, amazing food/drink. Would go again every time I’m back in Cartagena area.