After walking down the airplane stairs onto the tarmac of Cartagena’s airport, I waited to wish someone who I connected with luck on their adventure ahead. We sprinted together from gates D3 to D74 in Miami to make it onto our connecting flight. I never saw her again, and in the process, I let every other plane passenger ahead of me, forgetting that I also needed to wait in line at Passport Control.

Picking up my luggage, I must’ve looked like I needed help because a man immediately came to help me. I assumed this was an airport worker wanting to be helpful; I didn’t have pesos to give him when he demanded a tip after placing my luggage into the Uber. Same with the woman who guided me to my Uber, which was directly in front of me. This was the first of many instances where I had been swindled.  

The drive to Getsemaní featured views of vibrantly colored historical buildings, lively cafés, and impressive street art. As my Uber slowed down at my destination, I noticed two buildings across the street from each other, each with a neon Selina sign. A security guard motioned for me to come across the cobbled street.

Embraced with cheerful workers and a multiple-story skylight lite lobby, I was excited to see the rest of the hotel I’d be calling home for the next 10 days. 

I arrived a day before the Remote Babes group members joined me for our remote working trip to Cartagena, Colombia. I usually arrive the same day, but this time I wanted to scope out the area; in hopes of being a better guide for the women arriving the following day.

Rooms

Once I got my room key, I felt the anticipation of maybe having a room in the building with beautiful natural light, but I was sent back to the building across the street. This building had a historical apartment-like ambiance – it was darker and not much attention was paid to the lobby. 

I booked the Standard Room and to my shock, it looked almost nothing like the images I saw online. It appeared much smaller, had no windows, and no space to open my luggage. Despite these disappointments, I focused on the positives: a room to myself, a private bathroom, an AC, and a decently sized bed. 

While you may be thinking, shouldn’t that be standard in all hotel rooms? Selina has unique living arrangements to accommodate all their guests from budget to luxury travelers, people who come to party, work remotely, solo travel, or vacation, and those who want to stay for long or short periods. You never know what to expect and the room experience can vary from location to location. 

Relaxing in my room for the night, I savored the calm before the storm of the week ahead. To my dismay, I saw a little bug on my remote. Unsure if it was a bed bug or not, I took no chances, went to the front desk, and sent emails with pictures of it. After further investigation, I do not believe it was a bed bug, but Selina still changed my room to allow me peace of mind. For the night I experienced the spacious Family Room, and the next day, I was moved into a much nicer room. I believe it was the Suite +. I breathed a sigh of relief walking into this room. On top of the amenities mentioned earlier, this room had double the space, a hanging rack, and a mini fridge. 

Rooftop & Pools

Having two buildings at Selina Cartagena came with an amazing benefit: two rooftop pools and bars to choose from. 

I rode the elevator to the third floor and climbed the decorative staircase to reach the first building’s rooftop. To my right were colorful wire chairs and wooden tables, and to my left was a plunge pool, more seating, and a view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I drank a mint lemonade that came blended with ice in a large wine glass while sending important details and learnings to the women joining me. 

I could see the other rooftop and it appeared more lively. I made my way up there shortly after settling into my room. The pool was bigger and felt more relaxing. I also started to feel the community aspect that Selina prides itself on. People came and spoke to me but they were mostly men, and mostly looking for a date. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait for my girls trip to begin!

Coworking Space & Nearby Coffee Shops

The main reason why I continue to choose Selina for Remote Babes accommodations is because of the proximity to their coworking space. Selina Cartagena’s coworking space is known to have the best wifi in the area – a note relayed to me by a photographer who spends half his time here and the other half working in NYC. 

The coworking space spanned three floors with an outdoor terrace. They have amenities like private phone booths, bookable meeting rooms, communal desks, and cozy booths – everything you need to effectively work remotely. Selina also has a coffee shop right at the entrance of the coworking space. Although, you might want to get coffee somewhere else if you’re looking for taste over convenience.  

The power went out while we were there, but they have a generator to keep the wifi on. Unfortunately, the air-conditioning went out making the space unbearably hot to work in.

I’m not one to enjoy working in a coworking space every day so I walked to find coffee shops with wifi in the area: Manna Café Bar, Libertario Coffee Roaster, and Café Central Traveler’s Coffee.

Breakfast

Breakfast was included with my stay at Selina, so I tried to eat at Xibalba, Selina’s rooftop restaurant, every morning. I cherished my calm mornings drinking an iced coffee with almond milk on the rooftop. One morning I watched the rain roll over the city from the rooftop and I didn’t have to escape because of the roof coverage. That was a calming experience. A not-so-calming experience was fighting the birds to stay away from my food. I briefly left my food to set up a tripod and a bird snatched an entire piece of cheese off my plate. I felt unsettled after that. 

The breakfast options were pretty tasty. Each day I aimed to try a different item on the menu and luckily, I only repeated twice due to some options just not being a part of my breakfast preferences. I ordered the huevos shakshuka and granola twice – so yummy!

For alternative breakfast options, we went to Pascal or if you want an authentically Cartagenian breakfast, head to La Esquina del Pandebono for pan de bonos and orzo juice – pure deliciousness!

At the end of our 10-day workcation, it felt bittersweet to go home. I skipped my rooftop breakfast for La Esquina del Pandebono, perused through the walled city, listened to a saxophonist in a plaza, stopped at a bookstore, and made it back to Selina just in time to head to the airport. 

My biggest takeaway from this Selina location is its convenience and central location. While exploring the area, you can find plazas, restaurants, and shopping all within walking distance. You can expect to see locals walking around, filling the restaurants, and enjoying everyday life; especially after 9 PM. Finally, if you’re looking to stay at Selina for an extended period of time, book the Suite+! You won’t regret it.