La Passion by Masaya
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Hotel Details
Location
Calle del Sargento Mayor #6-21, San Diego, 130001 Cartagena, Colombia
Colombia, South America
Location
La Passion by Masaya · Cartagena, Colombia
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Expert Review: La Passion by Masaya
La Passion by Masaya in Cartagena, Colombia, a Michelin Key Selected property, consistently earns high praise from guests, offering a charming and sophisticated retreat within the historic walled city. This boutique hotel is celebrated for its blend of colonial elegance and modern comforts, coupled with exceptional service and a prime location.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
La Passion by Masaya enjoys an overwhelmingly positive sentiment, with many guests rating their experience as "amazing" and giving scores of 9 or 10 out of 10. Reviewers frequently describe the hotel as "gorgeous," "romantic," "beautiful," "luxurious," and a "trendy boutique hotel," highlighting its ability to transport visitors back to a time of beauty and peace.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently rave about several aspects of La Passion:
- Service & Staff: The staff is frequently lauded as "amazing," "friendly," "accommodating," "warm and hospitable," "professional," "sincere," "helpful," and "caring." Individual staff members, such as Fabio and Yetiva, receive special mentions for their exceptional hospitality and local recommendations.
- Location: Situated "perfectly" and "super centrally" within Cartagena's Historic Center, the hotel is an "ideal starting point" for exploring the city's attractions. Its position allows guests to be close to everything while being "away from the hustle and bustle of other busy streets."
- Design: The hotel, housed in a 17th-century colonial manor, is praised for its "gorgeous," "romantic" design and "amazing style, architecture and decoration." It effectively fuses history with sophistication, featuring lush courtyards and balconies.
- Amenities: The rooftop pool and bar are significant highlights, offering a refreshing escape from the heat and providing panoramic views of the city's iconic domes. Other amenities include a hot tub, free Wi-Fi, and options for massages. The hotel also arranges tailored boat trips and shuttle services for convenience.
3. Room Quality
La Passion by Masaya offers stylish rooms that are soberly decorated with marble floors and modern furniture. Each of the 14 rooms is equipped with air conditioning for comfort, flat-screen TVs with satellite and cable channels for entertainment, and tea/coffee makers. Guests appreciate the clean facilities and the "huge" and "comfortable" beds. Some rooms boast private balconies or garden views, while bathrooms feature a separate toilet and shower, along with complimentary toiletries and hairdryers. Certain guests have also noted unique open-air showers. Soundproof windows contribute to a peaceful stay.
4. Dining Experience
The hotel provides a complimentary made-to-order breakfast daily, which can be a continental or Caribbean spread. Guests can enjoy breakfast in the charming terrace lounge, in their rooms, or at the on-site Desayuno restaurant. While generally described as delicious and good, one guest suggested that more variety could improve the breakfast offering. For other meals, the Almuerzo restaurant serves local and international flavors for lunch and dinner. There is also a poolside terrace bar, providing a pleasant spot for drinks with views.
5. Service & Staff
The service at La Passion by Masaya is a consistent highlight, with staff frequently described as "super friendly," "warm and hospitable," and "always willing to help." They are noted for being professional, accommodating, sincere, and proactive, even reaching out to guests before arrival. The staff's attentiveness and helpfulness in providing local recommendations and organizing transport further enhance the guest experience.
6. Location & Accessibility
La Passion by Masaya is strategically located in the vibrant heart of Cartagena's Historic Center, providing excellent accessibility to major attractions. It is a mere 5-minute walk from the Walled City and close to landmarks such as the Palace of Museo Historico de Cartagena de Indias, the Naval Museum of the Caribbean, the Sanctuary of Saint Peter Claver, and Custom's Square. The Rafael Núñez International Airport is conveniently a short 10-15 minute drive away, and the hotel offers both paid airport shuttle services and can arrange private transfers. Public transport links are also easily accessible.
7. Value & Pricing
Guests generally consider La Passion by Masaya to offer good value for money, with an average room rate in a recent month reported around $184.63 USD. While pricing can vary by room type and season, standard rooms may start from approximately $112 USD. Its blend of luxurious amenities, prime location, and exceptional service contributes to guests feeling it's a worthwhile investment for their stay in Cartagena.
8. Common Complaints
While guest feedback is overwhelmingly positive, a few minor criticisms have been noted. One guest mentioned a desire for more variety in the breakfast. Another review referenced concerns about room door safety and a "bad and intense smell," as well as a noisy toilet cistern, though these appear to be isolated incidents. The Michelin Guide review implied a lack of a full-service restaurant at the time of its assessment, though multiple other reviews and the hotel's descriptions confirm on-site dining options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, indicating potential updates or a different interpretation of "full-service."
Sources
Google Reviews
517 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Hannah Robinson
I had a wonderful 4 night stay here towards my trip around Colombia and it was the perfect place to finally relax and slow down. I had a room on the 2nd floor (or 1st floor for those of us in the UK) which was simple, spacious and clean (I had the best sleep of my stay here). Great shower (note you need to leave it running a few minutes to get the hot water, which I hadn't realised on the first tw...
Response from the owner
Dear Ms. Robinson, thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your four-night stay and found our location perfect for relaxation. It i...
Catherine Coates
Loved our visit here!! Rooms are great, people are great and in a great part of El Centro! So glad we stayed here, they made our Valentine’s Day trip extra special!! Loved the bartender Cindy and our fantastic breakfast every day! They even gave us a very cute sunset meal one of the nights with wine and food!! Can’t recommend enough!!
Response from the owner
Dear Ms. Coates, thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay and that our accommodations, staff, and location contributed to ...
Layla A
We ended up coming to Cartagena a day early and needed a hotel for the night. We booked La Passion and was so glad we did. On arrival the receptionist was super friendly and welcoming. The hotel is in a great location and is gorgeous. We were given the room on the ground floor next to the seating/foyer - we were a bit worried at first about the noise that could come from the foyer/seating but we w...
Response from the owner
Dear Layla A, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay and found our location and design appealing. It is wonderful to know t...
Paula Sarmiento
The hotel is honestly amazing. We came in velitas and the staff made sure we could celebrate. Nathaly and Cindy we're so attentive and made our stay so much better. The room is stunning, so much so you don't want to really leave, but it's hard not to do so when you have a great pool with amazing views. You're super close to an Ara and Carulla, but also 5 minutes from the clock tower and anything y...
Response from the owner
Dear Ms. Sarmiento, thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had an amazing experience during your stay and that our staff, particularly Nathaly and Cindy, cont...
Joshan Kadirgamar
We had an amazing stay at La Passion for part of our honeymoon! We were in room 7 which was beautiful (also had a huge bed, with great AC, and it always smelt amazing) - and the hotel has a lot of character, a matches the vibe and style of the old town. We loved the rooftop terrace, the pool, and the breakfast area. All of the staff at the reception and in the rooftop/breakfast area were really fr...
Response from the owner
Dear Mr. Kadirgamar, thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you had an amazing stay during your honeymoon and that you enjoyed the beauty and character ...
Marcela P
We had a great experience at La Passion. We came to celebrate New Year as a family of four and all the hotel staff made sure we felt at home. The hotel arranged a complementary New Year toast and invited guests to come together. The swimming pool is amazing in the rooftop. Bit tricky for people with difficulties climbing stairs, otherwise greatly recommend.
Response from the owner
Dear Marcela P, thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you and your family had a great time celebrating New Year at our property. It is heartw...
