“A very comfortable place to stay and would stay here again. Definitely will recommend to others.”

Very kind and welcoming staff. Loved the ice cold arrival drink and the attention to detail. Extremely comfortable bed and great air conditioning. Loved having the pool outside my door!

“Great stay and great staff”

We had to leave another property which wasn’t suitable last minute. This hotel was amazing. We accidentally double booked and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful in resolving it. Our apartment was huge and spacious, great WiFi for video calls, 2 lovely pools and many areas to relax. Great location in the centre of Santa Marta, with no noise so we could sleep peacefully

See previous review 10+ ( for the extra 5 night stay). This place is an oasis in the Santa Marta madness!

“Planned 2 nights, stayed 7!”

El Cactus is like an oasis where you can retreat from whatever unexpected craziness your journey throws at you! It's modern; very tasteful; beautifully designed and organised; has several outdoor spaces including a swimming pool, rooftop plunge pool and even a "crows nest" den overlooking the city rooftops and cathedral. Every corner has beautiful plants, all well cared for. There are only 7 rooms; the security is great; and it all feels quite exclusive. The cherry on the top, are the friendly, attentive and very professional staff led by Indira: the perfect host ( and Luna, the immaculate cat!)

We came back after out first stay to spend christmas in this lovely hotel. We enjoyed our stays very much. Thanks to the whole team for making our time this special

“Exceptionally beautiful, comfortable, friendly and well-positioned place to stay”

We stay in lots of different places but when we were shown our apartment, we were really, really impressed. The staff were really lovely and helpful with everything right from pre-booking until we left. The bed was really comfortable, the communal spaces really beautiful and I got hot water in the shower which living in Colombia becomes a special treat as it´s not always guaranteed :)

“Luxurious flat & facilities. Good for long term stay too”

Indira the receptionist was amazing, very polite and her English was amongst the best I heard in Colombia. The flat was very clean, internet/wifi was very good (I work remotely). I stayed 1 week but could have stayed more.

“Perfect - would 100% recommend and come back!”

Very nice hotel, no idea why this is not booked more. Huge room, two pools, really nice staff, well equipped and perfect. Even for europe standarts this is amazing!

I felt safe and the apartment was very clean with a comfy bed and hot water

“Outstanding value for money - and super kind people!”

The staff were so kind and helpful. They gave excellent restaurant recommendations and did everything to accommodate us.

“Beautiful suite with a lovely rooftop view. Well equipped and clean. Excellent location. Would highly recommend of other”

Beautiful suite with a lovely rooftop view. Well equipped and clean. Excellent location. Would highly recommend of others.

“spacious and comfortable”

I stayed here twice on my trip (once before and once after the last city trek). the hotel offered everything I needed and gave me a good nights sleep before and after. perfect for my needs

“perfect”

the apartment was perfect and the staff are so lovely and friendly. I was only there a briefly, but I would definitely stay here again. highly recommend!

“Great place -- just don't stay under the pool”

This is a tricky review to write. The hotel is almost a perfect 10, but our experience was not. This small resort hotel is beautiful, with two pools and a really stunning rooftop patio with views of the city. The rooms are huge apartment-style spaces with every amenity you could need. Air conditioning and endless hot water in the shower (rare on the Caribbean coast). It's very quiet, with no noise from the exterior or surrounding rooms. The owner/manager was very kind and provided a delicious drink while we checked in.

“Perfect stay in Santa Marta”

We had the appartment on the first floor and it was really spacious and nothing to complain about. It was super clean, a nice large shower and lots of storage facilities and a comfy bed. The lady at the reception was super friendly, welcomed us with a free drink and explained everything well in perfect English. Also communication upfront via WhatsApp was very easy and they replied very quickly. We unfortunately only stayed one night but really enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend this place in Santa Marta. It’s also well located, in walking distance there are lots of restaurants etc.

The hotel is well located and has an amazing view of all of Santa Marta and the mountains. The staff is really friendly. The room is big, clean and really comfortable. The shower is amazing, hot and with pressure. You have the choice between 2 swimming pools. Highly recommend, wish I could stay more.

“Excellent location and lovely staff.”

It was beautiful apartment and the location was great. Staff very friendly and helpful.

“Nice place to enjoy your time in Santa Marta”

Great spacy room with nice bathroom and comfortable bed. Unfortunately was raining during our stay so we did not use swimming pool which was looking very inviting. On the roof also there is a nice jacuzzi and chilling place. Walking distance to Santa Marta center with restaurants and bars. Definitely nice place to stay. Very nice staff in reception always helpful with your requests.

“5*”

The room was great, so spacious and clean with great amenities, especially the kitchen area. The bed was huge and very comfortable, and the two pools were great to cool off in from the heat! Also special mention to Indira from reception who was so helpful and friendly and really helped us have a great stay!

“Great place from where to explore the town and cool off when needed.”

This was the first location that asked for a login on an external site which made me a bit nervous, also because I had just read of a scam that entailed this as part of their scheme. But after messaging my concerns to the property and to booking and both answered very quickly with their reasoning, I wasn't worried anymore. Already that first exchange was very courteous and that continued through my whole stay which I extended. Every single person on the staff was just completely professional and genuinely friendly with good recommendations for every need. Special thanks for the tip on the first night about the Lulo Restaurant. I had the room on the top floor for the first part of my stay which is just overwhelming by size and facilities. 10 steps to the pool and the terrasse to the back just being two of the most outstanding features. But also the second room I had was just grand and also with a terrasse. I had planned to go back to Santa Marta and would definitely have chose the Cactus again. My plans changed though, at least for now. Hope to be back here next year. Oh and the Cactus theme used nicely throughout the property was so befitting. Almost forgot about the location which was quiet and still close to the zona rosa and any stores you would need.