Best Hotels in Getsemaní, Cartagena for All Budgets and Types of Travelers

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Looking for the best hotels in Getsemaní, Cartagena’s hip, historic neighborhood, known for its colorful street art, vibrant nightlife, and local vibes?

I lived in Cartagena for over a decade, and I know Getsemaní well.

In fact, it’s my favorite neighborhood in Cartagena to hang out!

It’s also one of the best areas to stay in Cartagena.

In this post, I’ll be using my first knowledge of Getsemaní to bring you a handpicked list of my picks for the best Getsemaní, Cartagena hotels, including picks for all budgets and types of travelers.

Best Hotels in Getsemaní Quick Picks and Tips

If you read my guide to the best areas to stay in Cartagena, you’ll see that I consider Getsemaní the second best area to stay in Cartagena, only after the neighboring Walled City.

Getsemaní offers easy walking access to the Walled City of Cartagena and is home to many great restaurants and nightlife spots. It is generally a bit cheaper and the neighborhood has retained a more local vibe too.

It’s also, for the most part, quite safe.

I’ll go into more detail on the pros and cons of staying at a hotel in Getsemaní and give lots more picks and details on Getsemaní hotel options below, but if you’re in a hurry, here are some quick picks for where to stay in Getsemaní:

• Best Overall and Best Luxury: Hotel Capellán
• Most Unique: Lola Deluxe Gallery
• Best Midrange: Hotel Arsenal
• Best Value: Casa Tere
• Most Family Friendly: Hotel Capellán
• Best Hostel: Viajero Getsemaní

Detailed Guide to the Best Getsemaní, Cartagena Hotels

I’m going to go through some picks for top hotels in Getsemaní based on budget as well as superlatives for different types of travelers below, but first I just want to comment briefly on why I consider picking a hotel in Getsemaní is a good choice for where to stay in Cartagena.

Why Stay in Getsemaní?

As I mentioned in the intro above, Getsemaní is my pick for the second best area to stay in Cartagena.

If you have the budget for it, go for staying in one of the the best hotels in Cartagena’s Walled City.

However, if you want to save a few pesos, choosing a place to stay in Getsemaní can make a great alternative.

Hotels of similar quality here tend to be a less expensive than in the Walled City, and you can walk from Getsemaní to just about anywhere in the Walled City in 20 minutes or less.

So, you still get the benefit of having easy walking access to all the things to do in Cartagena inside the wall.

Moreover, Getsemaní has retained a bit more of a local vibe than the Walled City.

Home to the city’s colonial era artisans, many of them of African and mixed race descent, it has always been considered the cradle of Cartagena’s culture.

There’s neat historic architecture, neat street art, and a decent number of cheaper restaurants, bars, cafes, and other businesses that still cater to locals alongside plenty of nicer places that have opened in recent years.

A lot of the best Cartagena nightlife is also located in Getsemaní.

What About Safety?

If you’re researching and reading up online, you might see Getsemaní described as a bit seedier, an area most appropriate for backpackers, or even outright dangerous.

I remember when I arrived in Cartagena in 2011, there were definitely parts of Getsemaní that felt like I needed to keep my guard up more than in the Walled City.

It was certainly true back then that this was still mostly the haunt of intrepid, often grungy, backpackers, at least as far as tourists went, and most of the places to stay in Getsemaní were hostels.

However, I witnessed Getsemaní change a ton over my years in Cartagena.

As more and more tourists of all stripes and wallet sizes ventured over, nicer restaurants and hotels gradually opened up.

While you’ll still find some backpacker friendly hostels here, you’ll also find Celele, Cartagena’s most acclaimed fine dining establishment, and a handful of luxury hotels too.

The transformation of Getsemaní is perhaps best symbolized by the Four Seasons Cartagena, set to open here in late 2025, which will likely be not only the best hotel in Getsmaní, but the finest hotel in all of Cartagena.

Let’s be honest and call this what it is: gentrification. Well, perhaps touristification is the better word.

Whether that’s good or bad is another issue for another article.

The point is, Getsemaní is no longer on the periphery of the tourist scene but is practically an extension of the Walled City now, and it is plenty safe, even for families.

Yes, I’d probably still avoid the Matuna area between Getsemaní and the Walled City and some of the lonelier streets late at night, and keep in mind that there does tend to be more street noise here.

However, you shouldn’t be afraid of staying at one of the best Getsemaní hotels out of safety concerns.

Just follow common sense precautions, like the ones I suggest in my guide to safety in Cartagena.

Best Hotels in Getsemaní by Budget

I’ll award a few superlatives for the best hotels in Getsemaní for different categories of travelers and experiences below, but let’s talk first about budget, which I think is often top of mind when picking a place to stay for most people.

Everyone’s definition of high end, midrange, and value varies. It’s all a matter of perspective, or perhaps more precisely, a matter of wallet size or credit limit.

For the purposes of this list, I’ve defined high end as upwards of $200 USD a night, midrange in a sweet spot from $100-$200 a night, and value as around $100 a night or less.

I’ve tried to offer something for everyone here though.

Best High End Hotels in Getsemaní

The Four Seasons will definitely be the nicest hotel in Getsemaní once it opens up.

It’s located in several adjacent colonial buildings, including the San Francisco Convent that was among the first buildings in Getsemaní and is directly across from the Clocktower entrance to the Walled City.

It’s tough to beat that location and I suspect this will quickly make a name for itself as the most luxurious hotel in all of Cartagena.

However, at least until the Four Seasons opens up, the Hotel Capellán is definitely the best luxury hotel in Getsemaní.

It’s in a gorgeous corner building, located just on the other side of the Parque Centenario, which puts you within easy walking access to all of the Walled City and Getsemaní.

I appreciate that for families or groups they have two bedroom suites, and there is also a nice rooftop pool. Their restaurant is also good.

I always hear really good things about Osh Hotel too. It’s also located very close to the Walled City and has a gorgeous courtyard area with a small pool and really nicely furnished rooms.

The Lola Deluxe Gallery is a really neat concept that doubles as hotel and art gallery. It’s in a good location and has a really nice decor. For those that want something that is both a boutique and is a bit unique, it’s a good choice.

Best Midrange Getsemaní Hotels

The Hotel Arsenal is my top pick for a midrange hotel in Gesemaní.

It’s located near the start of the Calle del Arsenal, close to the Clocktower and has really nicely furnished rooms. There’s a neat little rooftop with a small but pretty nice pool here too.

It has mix of a boutique and standard hotel feel and is one of the small handful of smaller hotels that has rooms with two beds, meaning it works well for families or non couples better than a lot of the other boutique hotels in Cartagena.

I consider the Casa Jaguar to be a really good value, especially for a charming boutique. It’s in a very pretty colonial home and has a lovely little courtyard with a small pool. Rooms are really nice looking and hit a nice balance of modern comfort and historic charm.

The Casa Pizarro is also one of my picks for the best values in all of Cartagena. It has a nice fusion of colonial and modern decor and a cute little courtyard and pool. It has a charming and intimate feel and if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of creature comforts like fancy TVs, it’s not far off in quality from some of the more expensive boutiques.

Ditto all of the above for the Voilá Getsemaní, also located in a charming colonial home. I especially like some of the old brickwork and tall, vaulted ceilings in their rooms! It’s also located along the Calle de la Media Luna, near lots of great nightlife spots, restaurants, and still just a 5 minute or less walk from the Clocktower.

Best Value Hotels in Getsemaní

I’ve tried not to just pick the cheap hotels in Getsemaní here and looked for places that offer nice accommodations at reasonable prices. I have included a few cheaper places that still look nice too though!

The Casa Isabel is a really pretty property and another great boutique value. I like the colorful decor here, and they have a great view across the inlet of the Castillo San Felipe Fort. The location along the outer edge of the neighborhood would lead me to suggest using some extra caution walking back here late at night.

The Patio de Getsemaní is also located on this street and offers another good value for a colonial boutique hotel in Getsemaní.

The Casa Tere is in a great spot just off the Parque Centenario near where Osh is located, offering you very easy walking access to all of Getsemaní and the Walled City.

There’s a cute little rooftop pool here with a great view. Rooms are a bit more basically furnished but still manage to hit that balance of modern comfort and colonial, historic digs. Maybe most importantly, it’s a really nice value!

To close out this list, the Casa Cytia, located a bit further away at the edge of Getsemaní but with rooms at a great price, and the Hotel La Magdelena, located on a busy street but closer to the Walled City and even cheaper, both make options that are even more budget friendly but still nice.

Best Hostels in Getsemaní

Of course, if you’re looking for the cheapest places to stay in Getsemaní, a hostel might be your top choice.

This was the OG Cartagena backpacker neighborhood after all.

For something cheaper, look to the Media Luna Hostel, one of the first backpacker and party hostels to open in Cartagena or the Casa Mama Waldy, located just down the street from the Plaza de la Trinidad.

For something a tad nicer, check out the El Viajero Getsemaní (formerly Selina), which has a sweet rooftop pool and view of the bay or the Santuario Hostel, which has a cool set up with its dorm beds in mini-cubicles that offer a bit more privacy than your traditional dorm bunkbeds.

Best Getsemaní Hotels Superlatives

In this section, I’ll award some best hotels in Getsemaní awards for different categories.

Hotel Capellan: Best Overall, Best for Families, and Best Luxury

The Hotel Capellán is an easy choice for these three categories, at least until the Four Seasons opens and steals the crown for the best luxury hotel in Getsemaní.

For the time being, it’s by far the nicest hotel in Getsemaní.

While definitely pricey, it really isn’t all that outrageously priced, at least compared to some of the top luxury hotels in the Walled City, and the location is terrific.

I think it can work really well for families too due to the 2 bedroom suite available here.

So few of the nicer boutiques offer rooms with multiple beds (they actually have those too!) or connecting rooms, so having this option to keep everyone together is a really nice touch. Plus it’s set up as a duplex, so everyone can get a bit of privacy too.

Of course, their regular suites and even regular rooms are really nice too, making this a great choice for couples on a romantic getaway or even solo travelers too.

Hotel Casa Lola Deluxe Gallery: Most Uniqe Hotel in Getsemaní

This Getsemaní hotel is so neat!

Besides being in a great location in Getsemaní, the entire Casa Lola is meant to be an art gallery.

Each room has different theme. Many feature paintings, but others feature neat and eclectic sculpted decorations.

If you wanted to stay somewhere that felt a bit different but still captures Cartagena’s colonial charm and is close to everything, this is a really nice choice.

Oh yea, there’s a nice little rooftop splash pool with a view too!

Hotel Casa Tere: Best Overall Value

While there are other boutiques that are a bit more elegantly furnished and still at reasonable prices like the Casa Jaguar and Casa Pizarro, the Hotel Casa Tere offers the overall best bang for your peso in Getsemaní, in my opinion.

You get the charm of an old colonial building, nice and comfortable rooms, a small rooftop pool, and well regarded service, all in an amazing location just next to the Parque Centenario offering easy walking access to the heart of Getsemaní and the Walled City.

I think it would work well for just about any kind of traveler too, from solo travelers, to couples on a romantic getaway, to families.

Best Hostel in Getsemaní: Viajero Getsemaní

This used to be Selina Hostel. However, Selina recently closed down entirely, and Viajero, who also operates a well regarded hostel in the Walled City took it over and has branded it as Viajero Getsemaní.

It’s in a great location at the start of the Calle Larga, right by the convention center and just a short walk from the Clocktower.

There’s also a terrific rooftop pool and bar here, one that we’ve enjoyed ourselves for drinks on a number of occasions.

There’s also a coworking space and private rooms.

Selina was a bit more of an upscale, boutique style hostel, but Viajero’s main property is more backpacker friendly, so I expect there to be a good, happy medium here that should check just about every box for people looking for a good hostel in Getsemaní.

Where will you stay in Getsemaní?

Hopefully after reading over this post, you’ve got the perfect place for where to stay in Getsemaní. No matter your budget or what kind of traveler you are, there was hopefully a great option for you here.

I do help you found it useful, and no matter which hotel in Getsmaní you choose, I hope you have a great trip!

I would love to hear where you stayed and what you thought in the comments below.

Cheers and Happy Exploring!