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SABAI

3.5 star property

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February 2025

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Grand Suite, Ocean View, Beachfront | Minibar, in-room safe, cots/infant beds, free WiFi
Exterior

Reviews

8.8 out of 10

Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendly
  • On private beach
  • Room service
  • Bar
  • Pool
  • Housekeeping

Explore the area

Map
Barú Playa, Cartagena, 130017
  • Bendita Beach
    4 min walk
  • Hakuna Matata
  • Marsol Bus Station
  • Cartagena (CTG-Rafael Núñez Intl.)
    99 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Grand Suite, Ocean View, Beachfront

Grand Suite, Ocean View, Beachfront | Minibar, in-room safe, cots/infant beds, free WiFi

Grand Suite, Ocean View, Beachfront

  • 55 sq m
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed

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Front of property

Sofitel Baru Calablanca

On private beach
Pool
Spa
Pet-friendly
4.7 out of 5, Exceptional, (416)
The price is CHF 689
for 1 night
4 Jan - 5 Jan
Sofitel Baru Calablanca

About this property

SABAI

Hotel on the beach, with outdoor pool
At SABAI, relax by an outdoor pool or hit the private white sand beach where you can enjoy volleyball.
SABAI offers 9 accommodations with minibars and laptop-compatible safes. Flat-screen televisions come with cable channels.

Bathrooms include a shower and complimentary toiletries. This Cartagena hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is offered on a daily basis and hairdryers can be requested.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include a private beach and an outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or nearby; fees may apply.

During your stay at SABAI, you're just a quick walk from Bendita Beach. Free WiFi in public areas, 2 poolside bars and an outdoor pool are available.
  • Free WiFi
  • The restaurant, beach bar and 2 poolside bars offer choices for drinking and dining
  • Take a swim in the outdoor pool
  • Amenities include a front desk safe, a meeting room and laundry facilities
  • On-site recreation includes a private beach and volleyball
  • Just a 4-minute walk from Bendita Beach and 11 minutes on foot from Baru Church
  • Airport shuttle service available for a fee
  • Dogs welcome for a fee (restrictions apply)
Simply walk outside to feel the sun on your face at the white sand beach. Hit the beach and work on your tan in the sunloungers (chaise longues) or relax in the shade with free beach club on site and umbrellas.

There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at one of the bars, which include 2 poolside bars, a beach bar and a bar/lounge. Public spaces have free WiFi. This beach hotel also offers an outdoor pool, a garden and a terrace.

SABAI has a restaurant on site.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • No on-site parking available
  • Return airport shuttle (surcharge) from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM at scheduled times and on request

Food and drink

  • 2 poolside bars
  • A bar/lounge
  • A beach bar
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Beach volleyball
  • Books
  • Free beach club
  • Outdoor pool
  • Winery release events

Family friendly

  • Cot (surcharge)
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Meeting room

Outdoors

  • Beach loungers
  • Beach towels
  • Beach umbrellas
  • Dock
  • Garden
  • In a national park
  • On a private beach
  • On the bay
  • Pool loungers
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • No lift

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Cot (surcharge)

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Limited room service
  • Minibar

More

  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Laptop-compatible safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; check-in end time: 5:00 PM
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon

Special check-in instructions

Guests must transfer via boat and shuttle to the property; guests must contact the property at least 72 hours before travel, using the contact information on the confirmation received after booking
This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The front desk is open daily from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 72 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

  • Pets: COP 30000 per pet, per night
  • Only dogs are allowed
  • Maximum 1 (weight limit: 18 lb per pet)
  • Restrictions apply
  • For more information, you can reach out to the property at the number on the booking confirmation

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Cots (infant beds) are available for COP 50000.0 per stay.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • You may be required to pay VAT (19%) at the property. Non-resident travellers who pay using a foreign card or bank transfer and present a valid passport and tourist visa may be exempt from value-added tax (19%) on tourist package bookings (accommodation plus other travel service).

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Airport shuttle fee: COP 600000 per vehicle (return, maximum occupancy 2)
  • Pet fee: COP 30000 per pet, per night
  • Crib (infant bed) fee: COP 50000.0 per stay

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
To get to the property, guests need to transfer by boat and shuttle. Transfers need to be confirmed by contacting the property at least 72 hours before travel on the number on the booking confirmation. SABAI offers transfers from the airport (fees may apply). Please contact the property on the number on the booking confirmation with your arrival details prior to travel. The front desk at this property is open daily from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
To arrange for check-in, guests must contact the property at least 72 hours prior to arrival using the information on the booking confirmation. Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in information. Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation.

We should mention

  • There is no hot water on site.
  • Visitors travelling with a child may be required by the property to present the following documents: at check-in, parents travelling into Colombia with a child under 18 may be obligated to present the child's birth certificate and photo ID (passport for non-Colombian citizens). If a relative or legal guardian is travelling into Colombia with the child, that relative or legal guardian may be obligated to present a notarised consent of travel signed by both parents, along with a copy of both parents' ID. If only one parent is travelling into Colombia with the child, that parent may be required to present a notarised consent of travel signed by the other parent. Visitors planning to travel with children should consult a Colombian consulate office in advance of travel for additional guidance.
  • Registered guests are the only ones allowed to be in guestrooms.
  • To make arrangements to bring your pet, contact the property directly at the number on your booking confirmation (please see the Fees section for related charges).

Property is also known as

Baru Playa Eco Beach Resort Cartagena
Baru Playa Eco Beach Cartagena
SABAI Hotel
SABAI Cartagena
SABAI Hotel Cartagena
Barú Playa Eco Beach Resort

SABAI Reviews

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 40 out of 65 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 12 out of 65 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 9 out of 65 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 65 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 65 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disappointing
We chose SABAI to end our trip for the peace and quiet it advertises. However, on one of the days we stayed here, the hotel accepted an exceptionally large group of really loud partygoers that really ruined the experience. I talked to the manager and explained my discontent, which she understood, and offered a discount. At checkout, the discount was forgotten, and I ended up having to argue with staff who gave us 20% off of one night, which is peanuts. Very disappointing. I hope that management realizes that booking large groups at the expense of the quality of guests is unacceptable and cheap. On the bright side, staff were wonderful and the place is great. Thank you to Miri and Juan and all the other staff members that were lovely.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

2/10 Terrible

SARA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Not recommended
Good location, however the service is lacking especially for the money they charge. I did not assume resort level service but I also expected better service. The host either caters better to day trippers or to non- solo female travelers. Either way, I felt taken advantage of. I am fortunate to have visited dozens of countries, including remote, and from the day I booked the reservation, the ball was dropped. I had to plea at times for communication and had this been a refundable fare, I would have cancelled. Even while on-site, I continued to plea, via written messages for communication. A couple of people onsite did attend to my situation but even that felt like a negotiation and that I wad being scammed. So, yes, I was taken advantage of, perhaps "scammed" - and no, I would never return or recommend this location. Plenty of others around if you do a bit of research. I am in the process of capturing my travels through Colombia in a blog where this experience will be further detailed along with photos. In the meantime, if you have questions, email me: liban0214@gmail.com
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Martha

Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

marcela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a gem 💎
What a gem of a place. I feel super fortunate to have found this beautiful, relaxing, peaceful spot right in the Caribbean…….the perfect getaway from the business of Cartagena. The staff is welcoming and friendly, always available to accommodate. I was solo on this trip and loved it; there were also many families and couples enjoying a romantic getaway. This place if just perfect for anyone looking for tranquility and the beauty of the Caribbean.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gisela, Portland

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great customer service! The staff was very friendly and accommodating.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great views and setting with top notch building amenities. Very stylish
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Esmeralda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Paraíso en Colombia
Nuestra estancia fue espectacular! Las fotos no hacen justicia a ese paraíso. El servicio 10, comida riquísima, una de las mejores experiencias en hoteles que hemos tenido. Pensamos volver en un futuro a Baru para quedarnos allí
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Philippa

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My husband I visited Baru Playa Eco-Beach resort in March and simply could not have been more pleased with our choice. We read all the reviews before booking, found them to be mostly true BUT for us we LOVED LOVED LOVED it. A real piece of heaven! To reach the resort you need to take a boat, we were coming from Catagena and contacted the resort (by whatsapp NOT expedia or phone) and they arranged for pick up by taxi from our hotel. It worked really well and we were in the car for an hour until then in a small boat for 15 mins. Once we got there we did not leave! We ate all our meals there (we had paid full board but it was hard for me to understand the half board). We did read the reviews and took two big bottles of water for cleaning our teeth and some snacks just in case - which honestly I am not sure we needed. The food was exceptional for my husband. He enjoyed extremely fresh fish in some form for most meals. For me, a bit harder as I am a vegetarian, but the chef and everyone there did there best to look after me - and the food I got was very nice but I definately had to be flexible. The place was just what we needed - very quiet, peaceful and so restful. The staff were INCREDIBLY nice. There were a couple of dogs that were very, very friendly - and I fell in love with them! We read books and sat on the beach beds and took the rowing boats out. The boat ride back took us through the mangroves after tearful goodbyes to the staff who were friends now!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stuart

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful Private Beach Paradise
The resort is very cozy and well maintained the beach is immaculate and the ocean is clean. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. I recommend this resort is anyone who is looking to get away to a private quite beautiful beach paradise.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Prabhakar

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Not fancy but very friendly and helpful staff. Excellent food. Great place for a quiet and tranquil get away.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Hidden Gem
This place is truly a hidden gem. If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the more crowded places and are looking for some peace and quiet this is the place. Not too many activities to do, there are kayaks, volleyball and a few other activities (for purchase) but just getting away with no itinerary and not being bothered with vendors trying to sell to you all day, this is the place. I recommend bringing bottled water and snacks to last your stay, although the food here is AMAZING and portions are decent. The water is amazing too, in the early morning it is as smooth as a piece of glass and depending on the weather out in the Gulf, you can have some decent waves. They rake the beach each morning in order to provide a clean start to the day, meaning all of the seaweed that washes ashore gets picked up. Speaking of the beach, it appeared this resort had the biggest beach in the area. I honestly probably won’t come back, just because there is so much more to see and do in Colombia, but I 100% recommend if you want time away from everything and/or spend quality time with your family or alone.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Brian Sun EagleHeart, La Grande

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Calm and peaceful. Great, friendly service. Excellent meals, accommodations. Removed but not isolated. Awesome weekend getaway.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2021

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
The location of Baru Eco Lodge is amazing. Beautiful beach, great staff and service. The food was delicious. However, the rooms and hotel have a lot of deferred maintenance. Overpriced.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Victor, Miami

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing service! Very professional and cordial staff. The food is delicious! Truly a remote paradise and the perfect getaway. I would highly recommend to others, and I will return in the future.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would definitely go again
Amazing place to stay, very relaxing, very clean, amazing food, great and quiet location. Very friendly staff. I hope it stays that way
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Bea, Regina, Sask. Canada

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I thoroughly enjoyed three days of complete relaxation on a nice beach, just what the doctor ordered. (Not a Cancun type of beach where you can go for long walks, but a very nice beach for swimming.) The food was excellent all three days. The transportation from my hotel to the resort and then back to a different hotel in Cartegena was excellent but quite pricy. It would have been nice to know on the website about this added expense which was approx. $500,000 pesos ($250). For the price of this resort, all drinks and water should have been included. We are not big drinkers, but we do like our agua. Threecmeals with one drink for each meal were to be included with our rental. We ended up with an extra tab at the end of our stay and had to correct them as they had added our meals to the bill which were supposed to be included with our stay. We shouldn't have to deal with this. I am giving a very good rating due to the fact that I did relax on this trip. If you are looking for a place with a variety of activities, this is probably not the place for you. If you are looking for tranquility, a chance to get some sun and read a good book while listening to the ocean sounds, then this is the place for you.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lodge for ocean lovers
Friendly staff, very good food. Old building needs remodeling. But warm beautiful ocean and sandy beach made our days.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Adrian, Miami

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Exceeded expectations in every way. It was a magical place tucked away from it all. Pricey? Sure, a bit. Worth it? Unequivocally. The food was particularly yummy and noteworthy.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018

6/10 Okay

emm, usa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
overpriced rooms but nice low key beach
Rooms were OK, 30-40% more in price than they should have been. Only 1 bedside table in the room, you have to pay for water for brushing teeth (at these prices, they should give a bottle per guest per day). I foolishly paid extra for the Atlantico room- both the Atlantico & Indico rooms are below other rooms & have slatted doors that RATTLE LOUDLY every time the guest upstairs, ahem, have marital relations.... & the guests above our room had them OFTEN teach night we were there- we were woken up with a jolt each time. Get the cheaper cabana rooms, or the upstairs rooms, so that you can sleep or at least make eye contact with the couple 'honeymooning' above your room. The "eco" part means you have to put your toilet paper in the waste basket (not a deal breaker for us- they clean the rooms 2 times a day), they collect rain water for showers, so they advise you limit wasting water, totally fine with us. The food was incredible, however! The staff is truly great, and there are 2 very awesome and sweet dogs there who will be your friends if you like or will eave you alone if you're not into them. They did offer to book us a trip to Isla Rosario for snorkeling, but at $150 for the 2 of us for a 3 hour trip, we passed. There's a free kayak to use, the grounds could have a few more hammocks around. There's a lovely open air living room to hang out in. Water was very calm & safe for kids, but parts of it are squishy with seaweed. Great for a night or 2 if you have the money.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2018

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Beware of dog
There are three dogs at the property. One of the bit a guest and tried to bite me. Hotel Staff refused to remove the dog from the event . Other than that sweet place,
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Sarah , Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing Deserted Paradise
Ever dreamed of going to a deserted island? This is the place for you! The hotel is listed as a 3.5 star but we would rate it higher. The staff is AMAZING. They couldn't do enough for us. 5* service all the way. Not much English, but they try. Managers seem to speak English. Tips welcome. The rooms: very clean and comfortable (we stayed in the newly opened building). The beds - not back-breaking. Lots of storage. VERY spacious. Separated (door) toilet and shower. The only drawback of the room was the lack of hot water, but we knew this prior to our arrival. Take a shower during the middle of the day, it's tepid;). Small fridge in the room (stocked with beer/water/soft drinks for a low cost). Good air conditioning. 3.5* You are not in NYC or London - adjust your thinking. The beach: lovely, quiet and isolated. It is a natural beach. Not Cancun. Expect a little coral and seaweed in spots. You can swim. Lots of comfortable loungers and shade (trees and umbrellas). Note there are friendly dogs loose around the property for security -- they didn't bother us. 4* Now the food: simple, fresh Columbian style. It was FANTASTIC. Meal plan selection is limited but fine. There are other selections for an additional cost. Beer/water included with meals but other drinks extra (low cost). Don't bother with wine. 5* The resort is tricky to get to -- Maurico will arrange for you if you contact him through Expedia. $ a bit expensive & boat ride a bit rough/wet, but safe & easy.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

6/10 Okay

Sarah, New York

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The hotel staff were unbelievably friendly and sweet, which is the first thing to note. But, on a larger scale, the hotel was pretty disappointing upon arrival. The beach is very unclean and unkempt and tiiiiny, at that. There are some beach chairs but so much seaweed that it's hard to even see the clear blue water, and just feet from the main lounge area of 4 chairs is a completely unmaintained area with broken trees that have fallen down and mounds and mounds of seaweed. At a pretty high price, we expected a lot more and were really sort of surprised once we arrived. Also, little things like charging for a disposable razor and toothbrush are surprising considering the substantially high rate that you pay for a room. Tons of ants in the bathroom sinks, as well. In hindsight, we'd have looked at other resorts sooner and would have put the combined cost towards something much nicer.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Tim.A, new hampshire

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome
Great people ... great spot. Perfect location Can’t miss getaway
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2018