We stayed at the Placita Vieja Hotel for six nights and enjoyed both the hotel and Santa Marta. What did we like about PVH? 1. Location: in the heart of the entertainment district and two blocks from the Malecón de Bastidas. Plenty of solid dining options nearby--we heartily recommend Donde Chucho Gourmet, Restaurante LaMart, and Ouzo--and more bars than I could count. It was a short walk to a number of attractions. 2. The staff is friendly and with a boost Google Translate, helpful. We loved the woman who cooked our breakfasts and tidied our room. It's my habit to tip housekeepers on a daily basis; I was happy to so at PVH. 3. Speaking of breakfasts--they're very good. Wonderful fruit to start, as much coffee as we could drink, eggs to order and some Colombian specialties: arepas with eggs and cayeye. 4.. Our room--a "junior suite"--was comfortable with a fine air conditioner, ceiling fan and balcony. We could barely hear the noise from the plaza on which the hotel sits. That said, PVH isn't a luxury hotel as I would define one. 5.. We arrived by rental car from Cartagena on a Saturday night--not something I would do again--and were able to find a secured lot within a couple of blocks of PVH.

I was mildly annoyed with paying 50,000 COP to replace a plastic key card, the same card a four or five star property would replace without charging. That said, it was only ten bucks.

We had a wonderful stay and didn't want to leave. Placita Vieja is an oasis in the middle of Santa Marta. The staff were friendly, helpful, and really made us feel special. Breakfast was delicious and made fresh each morning. They linked us to a tour company for excursions to Minca for bird watching, coffee, and cocoa farm tours. The room was modern, comfortable, and clean. We loved having a full, cozy comforters on the bed. We did not avail ourselves of the full spa experience, but we enjoyed the roof top pool. The location is excellent in the middle of everything. The hotel is close to great restaurants, shops, and bars..but we didn't have any noise from the street at night. It's only a short walk to the malecón. You will not regret booking here!

The location of the hotel is great, big rooms and nice swimming pool. However, the best this hotel has is the people working there: they are incredible nice and helpful. They will even make your breakfast every time you have to leave earlier for a hike to Tayrona or other excursions. It is possible to book a massage and I highly recommend to ask for Yasmin, she is absolutely amazing!!! I would like to say a special thank you to the whole team and above all to Eliana for being so friendly and made me feel like family!

Incredible location right on the main square, but the quieter side. We had no trouble sleeping despite being less than a minute walk from the brilliant nightlife. The property is beautiful - modern and stylish but in keeping with the age and location of the property. Rooftop pool is a godsend in the heat and though it looks small, it was super quiet up there, never more than a couple of other people, if any, so plenty big enough. The staff were just such wonderful people. The two girls at reception are so sweet and kind. One ran after us in the street worried we were going to miss breakfast, one gave us the most kind compliments. We felt very looked after and cared about as their guests. Breakfast is freshly cooked and lovely - fruits and eggs cooked as you wish. It feels safe walking home in the evening as you’re always in a busy and well lit part of town. Loved it!

The bathroom door of our room should be changed - it was a twin room for friends and had a glass bathroom door which means you can see each other on the toilet! Some frosting on the glass at least would be a big improvement!

Beautiful Boutique hotel Super location Staff so helpful Beds and room very comfortable Right in main square but not too noisy. Beautiful fish restaurant next door that the staff in hotel kindly organised for lunch from restaurant to be brought to us at the pool. Would also recommend Ouzo restaurant 2 minute walk from hotel. Really nice breakfast and hot shower! Would definitely recommend this hotel

The hotel was very attractive, in a great location for exploring the city and with incredibly helpful staff with regard to trips to places around and outside the city, and with restaurant recommendations. Everything was comfortable and worked well. The breakfast was very good and fresh. The hotel was surprisingly quiet and tranquil in spite of being near a nightlife area.

The only thing I didn't like would be impossible to do anything about. Having never been to Santa Marta before I did want to explore the city and the hotel is in the perfect location for that. However, my friend who I was with loves spending the day at the beach and the beaches that are easily accessible from the city center are mostly pretty dirty and crowded. Not anywhere you would particularly want to swim or even spend a lot of time on the sand. The really nice beaches are almost all a long ways away - the best of them in Tayrona National Park. We went for the day to Playa Cristal, which was great, but it is nearly four hours (round trip) of travel by car and then boat. The hotel is great at arranging such excursions

I liked everything about this hotel. From the beginning the staff was courteous and hospitable way beyond our expectations. The crew works consistently the same shift at each individual’s hours so you get to know everyone. They’re all nice and friendly. At some point I asked if it was a family business due to their interaction, workflow, and smooth logistics. Excellent service all around. If you did not schedule a service, i.e, spa, mani/pedi, or even transportation to Barranquilla; they will go beyond their way to arrange it and make it happen. I left every morning to run errands and Elaine would bring breakfast to my husband without us even asking for it. Jesús is such a loving person, he is extremely attentive and will make you feel like a VIP! The lady at the kitchen, the young gentleman working the graveyard shift, and even the housekeeper (which refreshes your room every day, btw). Even though it’s a hotel, you will feel at a bed and breakfast. A home away from home! I love Colombians in general and Plazita Vieja Hotel is a fine representation of the reason why I’m in love with their culture. Your very own “Encanto” family in real life and the Hotel…your casita without “Bruno.” (Disney movie reference 😊) You will definitely be enchanted.

Perfect location, tucked into a quieter corner of the Historic District. Just next door is restaurant Donde Chucho--excellent fresh seafood at reasonable prices and great service. The Junior Suites are quite large with comfortable beds, air con and ceiling fans. good bathrooms and large shaded balconies with comfortable chairs and ceiling fans. Every staff member is eager to accommodate you. Breakfast is plentiful, tasty and served by good staff. Strongly recommended.

Love the pool!! The massage pressure jet is great on the shoulders and the view of the park is fun. You feel like you have privacy even though you are in the middle of everything. The staff was REALLY fantastic - just so helpful and authentically kind...they made our stay special.

Only that i cannot stay longer

Everything was great including the presidential suite and the free breakfast. Location is superb since it right in the middle of the downtown where all the action is. The staff was super nice they even charge reasonable prices on their mini bar which can't be said for the big name hotels. On the busiest nights you may hear a little noise from the streets but that is expected given the location. They only gave us one key which I think is positive because they are not waisting a ton of plastic like most hotels. If you are looking to be close to everything in Santa Marta this is the place to go.

I can say I liked everything.