Cartagena, Colombia: Selina Cartagena

Is Selina my favorite hostel chain so far? Idk. Does a three-legged dog swim in a circle?…

Cartagena is a city of so much atmosphere, parties, good times, and beach life and this Selina captures all of it! Keep reading to find out more!

BEDS

I stayed in a 7-bed dorm on the top floor of the hostel. The room was pretty small for 7 people but managed to fit 3 bunk beds and a single twin. I slept super well and it was nice that the beds weren’t noisy at all and the room was air conditioned! With temps in the triple digits (Fahrenheit), air conditioned sleeping environments are big time!

BAR

The bar and pool are located on the roof (WHAAAAAA!?) and has incredible views of the bay and the old city! There is definitely a party atmosphere at night on the weekends, but not so much around the actual bar as it is around the event going on. Selina always does a great job at providing activities for guests and travelers and this hostel in Cartagena is no different! From rooftop dancing lessons to old school reggaeton parties, there is something to keep you moving every day! Plus, the drinks and food are top notch! I had the chicken curry like 3 times in two days because it was so good!

BATHROOMS

The bathroom in my room was pretty small and seemed to have no real ventilation, so after showers it got superrr muggy and had a little stank to it. It definitely got the job done, but definitely wasn’t the best Selina bathroom I’ve experienced.

STORAGE

Selina typically does a good job at providing some sort of storage, however in my room the storage lockers were either too small to fit anything or already broken. The others staying in my room and myself agreed to always lock the door when we left to ensure no randos came into our room to take anything. I highly suggest bringing tiny locks for suitcases and backpacks and don’t plan on storing anything in a cubby.

NOTES

Selina Cartagena is located super close to the old city of Cartagena, maybe only a 5-minute walk. The old city has so much to do at night from ceviche restaurants, to Cuban bars, to outdoor street shows. It’s in a great place with a lot of culture to experience! One thing to note is that since this Selina hosts a lot of events on the rooftop, there is loud music late into the night. They provide ear plugs for guests which is super considerate but it’s just something to be aware of. I didn’t have any issue sleeping at all but I know not everybody is quite as heavy of a sleeper as I am.

VALUE

Selina always ranks pretty high on my personal internal value scale. While I’ve stayed at nicer hostels in terms of rooms or bathrooms or bars, the value here is the amount of activities and proximity to the action. There’s ALWAYS something to do here and in the old city so it’s a perfect set-up at a great price!

What else would you like to know about this hostel?! Leave a note in the comments and I’ll add it to the page!

Visit here for booking!