Built in the 1970s, Hotel Playa Club isn’t the newest hotel on Avenida San Martin, but it’s well kept and blends in pretty well with many of its newer neighbors. Outside, a small flag-adorned portico leads to the lobby, where large floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with light. Brown leather sofas are arranged around a coffee table in one corner, while a small front desk is located in another. A large display of fresh flowers brings a little color to the otherwise neutral space, while colorful paintings of birds and fish add a little visual interest to the walls.  

The majority of guests at Hotel Playa Club are vacationing Colombian families. Most staff members speak very little English, so non-Spanish speaking travelers may find that things get lost in translation. 

Hotel Playa Club is located smack in the middle of Bocagrande, Cartagena’s Miami-like neighborhood filled with beachfront high rises, shopping malls, restaurants, bars, and night clubs. The hotel is situated on the bustling Avenida San Martin (Carrera 2), and is across the street from the beach. The beaches in Bocagrande aren’t the prettiest we’ve ever seen — the sand has a mud brown hue and the water is the crystal clear Caribbean stuff you might be picturing — but they’re great for people watching or lively activities like volleyball and soccer. Hotel Playa Club is about a 15-minute drive from Cartagena’s walled city, and about a 25-minute drive to Rafael Nunez International Airport. 

While they won’t be winning awards for interior design any time soon, rooms at Hotel Playa Club are clean and perfectly fine for travelers who are only looking for a place to sleep. White walls and white tile floors are bland, but keep spaces feeling bright and airy. Chocolate brown headboards and nightstands add a bit of contrast, as do bright orange bed runners. Rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and safety deposit boxes, but guests have to pay for the key to the safe. Though they’re not glamorous, rooms come with multiple configurations -- with one bed, two double beds, or a double bed and one or two singles. Interconnecting rooms are available, and popular with families or groups traveling together. Try to request a non-street facing room, as rooms near the street are subject to lots of noise, especially on weekends. Bathrooms are pretty dated (hello, sea life tile border) and water pressure in the showers is dismal. Hot water can be iffy, though this is typical in Cartagena. 

For a budget property, Hotel Playa Club is actually loaded with nice features. The hotel’s outdoor pool is small, but quite popular with guests. It’s surrounded by lounge chairs, which are usually occupied throughout the day. The pool has a shallow entry ledge, which is good for reading or sunbathing, and also has a fountain-like water feature. Adjacent to the pool is the outdoor snack bar, where guests can purchase snacks and light meals throughout the day. Those who’d prefer a sit-down dining establishment can eat at the hotel’s restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is free for all guests and is served buffet style every morning. The buffet features multiple hot items, such as eggs, rice, chicken, and toast, along with fresh fruit and juices — and it’s actually pretty tasty, as far as free breakfasts are concerned. The buffet is managed by a few staff members, which keeps things from getting chaotic. Lunch and dinner are served a la carte, but most guests choose to dine at nearby restaurants. 

Wi-Fi is free and works well across the property. Though elevators aren’t technically an amenity, we can’t help but mention how dreadfully slow the one at Hotel Playa Club is. It’s so slow, that during our visit, we often elected to take the stairs to our sixth-floor room.