People always want to know where I stayed while in Colombia. While I prefer not to change lodging accommodations, I stayed in 6 different types of locations throughout my 10-day trip. I stayed in hotels, boutique hotels, Airbnb’s and a hostel. Here is a list of the different places that I stayed.
Bogota
About an hour and a half after arriving in Bogota, Colombia from America, I was sent an email stating that my Airbnb in Bogota was canceled. I was super disappointed because the location was near tourist attractions such as the Museo del Oro aka Gold museum and Monserrate.
The Airbnb host informed me that it was canceled because the previous guest complained that a flea bit him. Airbnb could not allow guest to stay in the home until the bug problem had been investigated. Although it was not the owner’s fault, I was highly upset.
Abitare 56
My Colombian buddy helped me find a small hotel online called Abitare 56 for $40 a night. I think it was a great place to sleep and shower, however, if you are looking something fancy, you may not enjoy this location.
Bogota 100
On my way back from Cartagena, I booked a one night stay at a hotel called Bogota 100. It was approximately 20-30 minutes from the El Dorado International Airport in Bogota. I actually liked this hotel but I didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy because I arrived at 10 pm due to a delayed flight and had to leave at 6 am to catch my flight to Panama.
Medellin
Kolor Boutique Hotel
I stayed at Kolor Boutique Hotel. I arrived earlier than check-in time but as soon as a room became available they allowed me to check in. The staff was very helpful in helping me arrange taxis when needed and didn’t charge me a late fee when checking out past the check out time. I was supposed to stay here 4 nights but decided to cancel the other 3 days after reading negative reviews online. Several people reported they had items stolen from there room. I’m happy to report that my items were safe and my personal items were not taken from the room. They have free breakfast and the boutique is located near other restaurants. I would recommend the Kolor Boutique Hotel for people who are traveling to Medellin.
Poblado Apartment
For the remainder of my stay, I stayed at an Airbnb near Poblado Park. Staying near Poblado Park was great because it was within walking distance to the metro station, the meetup spot to one of my excursions and close to popular restaurants via taxi or Uber.
I paid $21 a night and had a bathroom inside my room. Some people may be uncomfortable with the thought of sharing an apartment with random guest. You have a lock and key to your individual room, and a code to the front door is utilized for entry. Although it was a shared apartment, I didn’t feel like I was sharing because I literally only saw guests when I was leaving or coming inside the apartment. The kitchen and living room were shared spaces but I didn’t use any of the amenities.
Cartagena
Bourbon St. Hostel
I stayed at the Bourbon St. Hostel, it was great because it was located in the walled city. Steps away from the entry, I had access to shopping stores, restaurants, music, etc. I stayed in a 16 mixed dorm style bedroom. I enjoyed the fact that each bed had a shade for privacy. Despite sharing the bathroom with lots of people I didn’t have to wait to use the bathrooms or shower. They also have a bar with live music and food upstairs. Hostel guest receives a discount on certain food items on the menu. I also like the fact that despite the bar being upstairs, the hostel was not noisy downstairs. The staff was great: answering all my questions and even hanging out with guest after work hours.
I only encountered one issue after checking in (which was not exactly the hostel’s fault) I was informed by hostel staff that I was unable to shower due to water in the city being shut off for about 5-6 hours. If anybody has been to Cartagena, you know its hotter than fish grease and showers are very necessary. LOL Thank God, the water was turned back on around 7 pm that evening.
Casa Barbara
Casa Barbara was my favorite Airbnb, it was the most expensive place I stayed in during my entire trip at $52 a night. It was definitely worth the money I spent. I loved staying on the 17th floor because I had a great view from my hammock of the beach below. My room had the following amenities: pool, Jacuzzi, air conditioning and a fan (super important due to the heat and humidity) bathroom, access to washer and dryer (never wash when traveling but it was cool because I didn’t have to wash clothes when I came home), access to the kitchen (eggs, bread, fruit, milk, and cereal were provided. Highly recommended and would book this casa if I returned to Cartagena.
Lesson learned
Airbnb did not work out very well in the beginning of my vacation but in the end, it was the best accommodation. Sometimes you have to give things a second chance.
While I enjoyed seeing various parts of the city by moving from place to place, next time I will attempt to stay in one place per city because I dislike moving around luggage after I have settled in.
From the various locations, I stayed in, which one appealed to you the most?
Thank you so much!!!!
I see that you do hostels too, please join my FB group BLACK HOSTEL SOCIETY and add information at your leisure
Yes, I love hostels and always try to get my family and friends to try them. I joined the FB page already 🙂
I think Casa Barbara was probably my favorite. Loved the beach view and the pool/jacuzzi area!
It was my favorite as well 🙂
Oh My! Colombia looks amazing! I would love to be able to add this to my list of places I’ve been . . . it’s beautiful.
I agree Colombia was amazing, I would def add it to my travel list of you have not done it before 🙂
Wow, so honored to have been voted best place to stay on your Colombia trip, muchísimas gracias! It was a pleasure hosting you & look forward to having you back sometime!
Hey Barbara! Thank you so much for reading and responding! Yes you were my favorite casa and were an awesome host I look forward to seeing you in the future. Safe travels during on your next trip 🙂
You certainly made the best of your situation. I’ve not had the Air BnB experience. The dorm style living was fascinating to read about. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.
You should try out the Airbnb experience, its like being at home away from home, The dorm life is very interesting, happy to report I haven’t had any real crazy experiences while in a hostel.
I can’t imagine doing that much moving from one venue to the next while traveling. I’m glad in the end everything turned out for the best. I’ve never stayed at an Airbnb but would like to try one here in the states. Thanks for sharing your trip!
Yes I definitely would not recommend that type of traveling, but everything worked out. I have a referral code, let me know if you ever need it before booking your first Airbnb. Thank you for reading.
These all look like great places to stay in Colombia. Thanks for sharing your lesson about the Airbnb.
Traveling has many teachable moments, you learn something new everyday.
First of all I would visit just to see that shoe painting lol so cute! Everything looks so beautiful! I really want to start traveling soon!
Yes, make it a goal to start traveling, pick a destination, save and go. LOL I see you love shoes 🙂
Oh yeah, I’m sure it was tough having to move your luggage all around! The boutique hotel is the cutest!
Yes, thank God I only had one suitcase and a backpack. On my first international trip to Ghana I made the huge mistake of taking two large suitcases. #neveragain #lessonlearned
I loved the boutique hotel where you stayed! But I’m waaay too old to hostel with anybody. LOL! Glad you’re having such wonderful experiences during your travels.
LOL, you would be surprised at the age range at hostels. They also have private rooms, although this hostel only had shared room. I enjoyed the boutique hotel as well.
I loved Cartagena. Barranquilla was pretty quiet but I need to go back so that I can visit Bogota and Medellin. I did a mix of ostels and hotels.
I loved Cartagena but didn’t love the heat and humidity. I hear there is an upcoming Carnival in Barranquilla. Hope you make it back soon.
So, I would’ve freaked when they said your Airbnb has been cancelled. Glad you were able to find somewhere else to stay. I love boutique hotels. They are quiet and intimate. These places are awesome.
I was a little freaked out. My Colombian buddy was trying to make feel assured, but I didn’t feel OK until I knew I had secured a location to stay for the next two nights.
You make me want to pack my things and visit here I love it so much this place is now on my list
I encourage travel, pack those bags and have a wonderful time in Colombia 🙂