Best Hotels in Santa Marta: How To Choose
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Avoid the mistake many travelers make by coming to Santa Marta to explore the Caribbean coast and choosing their hotel at the last minute.
In this guide, you’ll find my analysis of the best hotels in Santa Marta—based on my eight stays in the city. Just pick the one that suits you best!
Edit 07/2024: We’ve completely redesigned this article.
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Best Hotels in Santa Marta: How To Choose
Of the best hotels in Santa Marta, my top pick is Casa Carolina. I love to unwind here after my adventures in the surrounding areas. Are you a backpacker? Hostel Masaya is perfect for you.
Fancy a night in a luxurious colonial house? Don Pepe welcomes you. There’s something for every preference and budget, so let’s start.
TOM’S TIP
Before deciding on your hotel for your next visit to Santa Marta, identify your ideal neighborhood and follow our recommendations to enjoy Santa Marta and its surroundings—we know a bunch of excellent local experts.
Best Hotels in Santa Marta: mini-Reviews
In Booking only, there are more than 400 hotels in Santa Marta.
How to pick the right one?
Easy peasy. I have applied different formulas and criteria and chosen a winner for each category.
1# My favorite hotel in Santa Marta: Casa Carolina
Casa Carolina is the ideal option to enjoy the city of Santa Marta with comfort and without spending a fortune. You can choose between a double room or a loft. Whichever you choose the staff will make sure that you’ll have a great time.
- A SPA with excellent massages to relax after a long day.
- A swimming pool and various social areas to escape from the afternoon heat.
- Located in the historical center, the best restaurants and bars are nearby.
- Excellent value for the price.
- Comfortable rooms with air conditioning.
- Take note: Many floors with no elevator.
- Family rooms are available.
Prices: From 202.000 COP | Cancellation Policy: 3 days prior | Neighborhood: Historic Center | Type of accommodation: Hotel | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor swimming pool: Yes
2# The best hostel in Santa Marta: Masaya
Masaya is the ideal place to get to know other travelers in the city. This beautiful Santa Marta hostel is located in a colonial-style building and has many dorms and private bedrooms. It will be a perfect option for backpackers.
- An enormous roof with a swimming pool, restaurant, bar, and a view to other rooftops of Santa Marta
- The hostel organizes social events every day.
- Located in the historic center, near bars and restaurants.
- Spacious air-conditioned rooms.
- Take note: The hostels are usually noisier than hotels.
Prices: From 38.000 COP (dorm) | Cancellation Policy: 1 day prior | Neighborhood: Historic center | Type of accommodation: Hostal | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor pool: Yes
3# quiet hotel in Santa Marta: Casa Verano
Santa Marta is a noisy city that wakes up early during the week and sleeps late on weekends. If you prefer quiet, choose Casa Verano. This luxurious boutique hotel is located in an isolated place near the beach of Pozos Colorados.
- Kids are not allowed. You won’t be hearing a child crying.
- A pretty garden with a swimming pool, deck chairs, and palms.
- Direct access to the beach of Pozos Colorados, with few tourists and vendors.
- Nice rooms with curtains and double insulated windows.
- Take note: You will be far away from restaurants and bars. Come to relax and don’t move around too much. Just take it easy.
Prices: From 387.000 COP | Cancelation Policy: 3 days prior | Neighborhood: Pozos Colorados | 30 minutes by car from downtown | Type of accommodation: Boutique hotel | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor swimming pool: Yes
4# The best apartments in Santa Marta: El Cactus
Sometimes it’s pleasant to stay in a suite with all the conveniences. You can walk around in your underwear or have breakfast in bed. Choosing El Cactus suite is a perfect opportunity to organize a romantic getaway with your partner.
- 8 suites ranging from 40 to 110 m². You could hide if you fight with your partner.
- A big bed and a dresser.
- 2 swimming pools, one of them on the roof.
- It’s the ideal place to watch the sunset.
- Near the best restaurants in Santa Marta.
Price: From 430.000 COP | Cancellation policy: 1 day prior | Neighborhood: Historic center | Type of accommodation: Suites and apartments | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor pool: Yes (2 pools)
5# The best luxury hotel in Santa Marta: Don Pepe
Hotel boutique Don Pepe is a house that has conserved the authentic ambiance from the Colonial era. Its illuminated stone arcs and the tastefully decorated rooms attract travelers looking for a luxurious stay. Don Pepe is one of the best hotels in Santa Marta.
- The staff is detail-oriented and meets all the guests’ expectations.
- Comfortable bedrooms with fine furniture.
- The restaurant serves delicious food.
- Nice and well-kept interior patio with a swimming pool.
- A large roof with many resting areas, including a hot tub.
- The price is steep for Santa Marta.
Price: From 740.000 COP | Cancelation policy: 5 days prior | Neighborhood: Historic district | Type of accommodation: Boutique hotel | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor swimming pool: Yes
6# Hotel for people with low mobility: Placita Vieja
It’s challenging to find a hotel in Santa Marta in the old town for travelers with limited mobility. All the more so if you are looking for a private room in a beautiful colonial hotel. La Placita Vieja is one of the rare hotels offering a bedroom designed for this kind of situation.
- The Morro bedroom is specially equipped with electronically controlled beds and a bath with a ramp.
- There’s an elevator.
- The terrace is well-distributed and has lots of vegetation. It also has a swimming pool, a bar, and massage baths.
- It overlooks El Parque de Los Novios, and the best restaurants are nearby.
- A pleasant hotel with spacious bedrooms.
- Family rooms are available.
Price: From 438.000 COP | Cancelation policy: 1 day prior | Neighborhood: Historic center | Type of accommodation: Boutique hotel | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor swimming pool: Yes
7# low budget Hotel in Santa Marta: Casa Linda
Casa Linda is a low-budget hotel for travelers who seek to stay in Rodadero. Single and comfortable bedrooms. Sometimes, that’s all that you need.
- Cancelation 2 days prior without any charge.
- Apartments with kitchens are available for up to a maximum of 5/6 persons.
- The hosts will give you excellent tips to visit Santa Marta.
- Breakfast is not included.
- Family rooms are available.
Price: From 59.000 COP | Cancelation policy: 2 days prior | Neighborhood: El Rodadero | Type of accommodation: Hotel and apartments | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor swimming pool: No
8# Best family hotel in Santa Marta: Camali
Camali is a new hotel with large interior patios. The kids can swim in the pool while their parents read a book under the palm trees.
- Many family rooms for up to 4 persons. This makes the prices more affordable.
- A large swimming pool for the kids to enjoy themselves without leaving the hotel.
- A Kitchen is available if you don’t want to go to a restaurant every day.
- The neighborhood is not safe at night. Better to take a cab.
- Family rooms available.
Price: From 305.000 COP (4 persons) | Cancellation policy: 7 days | Neighborhood: 8 minutes ride to the Historic center | Type of accommodation: Hotel | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor swimming pool: Yes
9# Apartment with the best view: Grand Marina
Grand Marina is a building with the best view of the coast. Its modern apartments are new and well-equipped. Travelers who want to be independent while still enjoying the services of a hotel will be pleased.
- You can take your pets (paid)
- Reception desk 24 hours if a problem should arise and for access to the pool
- The sunset from the terrace is magnificent.
- There’s a deluxe apartment for up to 5 persons—ideal for a group of friends or family.
- Good natural light
- Depending on your room, you’ll have an incredible city view, beach view, or both.
Price: From 380.000 COP | Cancellation policy: 3 days | Neighborhood: Historic center | Type of accommodation: Aparthotel | Free wifi: yes | Outdoor swimming pool: Yes
How to choose your hotel in Santa Marta
There are several zones and hundreds of hotels in Santa Marta.
To decide where you should stay, let’s begin with the most important: Your plans.
Why do you travel to Santa Marta
To me, Santa Marta is just a stopover on my way to a more peaceful place. Other travelers might decide to spend a week there because they love the atmosphere.
Keep in mind that the Santa Marta beach in the city center is not lovely. You will have to move north or south of the city center to find good ones.
Let’s see various situations:
→ Stay over an evening and then travel to Tayrona National Park or Minca. You should stay in a hotel in the historic center of Santa Marta. You can enjoy the city and visit 2-3 sights.
The next day, take the bus to the public market (Calle 11 and Carrera 11) going to Tayrona or take Cootransminca (Calle 11 and Carrera 9) to Minca.
Choose one of the budget hotels in Santa Marta: Masaya or Casa Linda.
→ Trekking to La Ciudad Perdida: The tours to The Los City leave from Santa Marta. The agencies offer free pick-up. It’s a four-day adventure in the Sierra Nevada. You’ll be glad to stay in a comfortable hotel to relax before and after the trip.
Choose one of the best hotels in Santa Marta: Casa Carolina, Don Pepe, or Placita Vieja.
→ To party on weekends: I prefer the bars in the historic center to the clubs in Rodadero. Either way, you’ll find a place to party.
Choose Hotel Masaya to meet other travelers. La Brisa Loca organizes wild parties on its roof.
→ To enjoy the beaches. You should be aware that there are no good beaches in Santa Marta. If you don’t mind the crowded and noisy beaches, you could stay in El Rodadero. If not, I would recommend you Pozos Colorados.
Casa Verano or Playa del Ritmo are two pleasant beachfront accommodations.
Hotels in Santa Marta near the airport
The airport of Santa Marta is located 30 minutes from downtown, right after the Pozos Colorados beach. It’s a tranquil zone (even though tall buildings surround it)
Casa Verano or Playa del Ritmo are two excellent hotels near the airport in Santa Marta.
Hotels in Santa Marta with parking
It’s not always easy to park in the streets of Santa Marta. Don Pepe, Camali, and Placita Vieja hotels are near public parking, and Casa Verano has a private parking lot.
Hotels in Santa Marta with swimming pools
It’s hot on the Coast, and there’s nothing better than a swimming pool to cool off!
From our list of hotels in Santa Marta, the best swimming pools are at the Don Pepe, Camali, Casa Verano, and Placita Vieja hotels.
What kind of accommodations are you looking for
→ The offers of the high-end Boutique hotel in Santa Marta are limited. Don Pepe and Placita Vieja are two good options in the old town. Choose Casa Verano if you prefer a quiet environment.
→ If you like to cook and/or travel with friends, you will need to stay in an apartment. El Cactus offers gigantic suites for couples who want to be by themselves. If it’s a bigger group, the modern apartments at Grand Marina will be a perfect choice. Casa Carolina also has some low-budget apartments.
→ Are you traveling on a low budget? You can make up your mind to stay in a hostel (like Masaya) or a small hotel like Casa Linda.
The safety in Santa Marta
At nighttime, you have to be alert in the streets of Santa Marta. Choose a hotel around Parque Los Novios if you wish to be in the city’s busiest (and safest) area.
How to get to Santa Marta
There are many daily flights from Medellín, Cali, and Bogotá. Once you arrive in Santa Marta (Simon Bolivar Airport), you can take a public bus or a cab (30 minutes) downtown. El Rodadero is only 15 minutes away by car.
Traveling from Cartagena, you’ll have to take a bus. Travel time 5-6 hours.
From Santa Marta, it’s easy to travel to the Caribbean Coast. There’s only one main highway that connects different tourist attractions, such as Tayrona, Palomino, and Riohacha.
How long to stay in Santa Marta
With its geographic location, it’s easy to organize many adventures.
Visit Santa Marta for only half a day. However, you could stay for 10 days to explore the surrounding areas.
Favorite tours in Santa Marta
Directly contact the best local agencies for this destination
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