Hotel Dann Cartagena

Like most of its neighbors, Hotel Dann is housed in a modern high-rise building. Unlike most of its neighbors, Hotel Dann is located directly on the beach, instead of across the street. This distinction sets Hotel Dann apart from the pack, and makes it more popular with vacationers than business travelers. While similar properties like the Hampton by Hilton Cartagena or the Holiday Inn Express Bocagrande have comparable rooms, amenities, and services, Hotel Dann feels more like a resort than a standard-issue chain hotel. The resort-like atmosphere begins at the hotel’s entrance, where staff members wait beneath a flag-covered portico to welcome guests upon arrival. Inside, the busy lobby has a bit of a retro South Beach feel, with scalloped black and white tile floors and white leather high-back couches. Large floor to ceiling windows overlook the pool, where families splash around in the water and relax on the provided lounge chairs. The spirit of vacation is in there air here, which brings a general sense of cheeriness to all of the common spaces. Hotel Dann is one of few hotels in Bocagrande that sees an even mix of South American and North American travelers, as well as a smattering of Europeans. As we’ve mentioned, most guests here are vacationers rather than business travelers, and many are families with children. We also saw adult friend groups, couples, and multi-generational families.  

Hotel Dann is located on the border of two popular Cartagena neighborhoods, Bocagrande and El Laguito. Bocagrande is Cartagena’s Miami-like strip of high-rise hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping malls, and casinos. It’s known for its nightlife and miles-long beach. Bocagrande is situated on a long peninsula that extends from the city into the Caribbean Sea; El Laguito sits on the southwestern tip of this peninsula, almost like a hat on the top of Bocagrande’s long, skinny body. El Laguito is more residential than Bocagrande, and feels much quieter at night. Also, because it’s located at the tip of Bocagrande, the beach is much quieter, and less crowded than those in the center of the city. Hotel Dann is within walking distance of shops and restaurants, but it might be easier to take a cab to some of its malls and shopping plazas. The property is about a 10- to 15-minute drive to the historic walled city and the trendy Getsamani neighborhood. It’s about a 20- to 25-minute drive to Rafael Nunez International Airport. 

Rooms at Hotel Dann are some of the nicest you’ll find at any three-pearl property in Cartagena. White walls and light tile floors give rooms a bright, airy feeling, which is enhanced by large windows that let in tons of natural light. Sleek wood furniture and chrome pendant lamps add a modern flair, but orange and blue accents give spaces a relaxed, tropical feel. Rooms are equipped with quality amenities, like wall-mounted flat screen TVs, iPod docks, and fully stocked minibars (though guests must pay for the snacks and drinks). Bathrooms are tiled, and have large walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads. The only drawback is that most rooms do not have bathtubs, which may be a problem for some families. The hotel provides free toiletries such as soap, shampoo, and conditioner, but also stocks bathrooms with oft-forgotten items like razors, toothpaste, and toothbrushes — though guests will be charged for use of these items. There are multiple room types at Hotel Dann, from Standard Twin Rooms to suites with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. Most rooms are designed with families in mind; Standard King rooms feature a pull-out sofa bed, and Junior Suites have two sofa beds. Some rooms have ocean-facing balconies, but most only have windows that overlook the cityscape. One thing we have to make note of is the awkward layout of each hotel floor. Besides the lobby, every remaining floor is split into two levels by a small staircase. The elevator brings guests to a landing area, where they then can proceed up or down a set of stairs to reach their room. This may not be an issue for some travelers, but could be a problem for guests with limited mobility, as well as families traveling with young kids in strollers. 

Hotel Dann’s oceanfront mosaic tiled pool is surely its greatest feature. Guests hang around the pool area all day long, relaxing on lounge chairs or splashing around beneath the water feature. The pool has a large, shallow ledge for sunbathing, and a tiny hot tub. Some guests, especially couples, may find the pool a bit too family-friendly, as the area if often filled with the joyous shrieks of children on vacation. From the pool, a gated entryway leads directly to the beach. Like all beaches in Colombia, the one in front of Hotel Dann is open to the public. However, the hotel provides guests with free umbrellas and lounge chairs. The beaches of Cartagena aren’t among the nicest we’ve ever seen — the sand has a mud-brown hue and the water isn’t the crystal-clear blue you might be picturing. But they’re always crowded with sunbathers and local artisans selling their wares. The beach in front of Hotel Dann tends to be less crowded than some of the others in Bocagrande. It’s also a great spot to catch the sunset in the evenings. Restaurant Bucaneros is Hotel Dann’s on-site restaurant. Bucaneros serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual setting that overlooks the pool. Breakfast is served buffet style and includes eggs, toast, coffee, fresh fruit and juice, plus local specialities like "pan de bono" and "apreas con huevo." Breakfast is included in the nightly room rate for all guests. Lunch and dinner are served a la carte, and both menus feature lots of fresh local seafood. During our visit we sampled a dish of delicious, freshly caught fish and shrimp, coconut rice, and fried plantains — and it was divine.  Though Hotel Dann isn’t particularly known to attract business travelers, it does have a business center with a few computers. It also has a large event space, that can be used for meetings or other business functions. Wi-Fi is free for all guests, and works well throughout the hotel.