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Opinions on Hotel Kokomo in the Rosario Islands

Howdy all, I'm living in Cali now, but will be up in Cartagena in October and would like to spend some time in the Rosario Islands. I sent and email to the Hotel Kokomo to inquire about reservations.

I think someone hacked into the site and put their email address as contact info.

Here is the response to my inquiry. Anyone have a differing opinion?

MY PRESENT RECOMMENDATION IS DO NOT VISIT HOTEL KOKOMO, ONE CLIENTS
EXPERIENCE:

We learned of Kokomo from "The Lonely Planet". It was difficult to make
contact, via both this site, and another that was later discovered. Sra. Paz
would not respond in English, I do not speak Spanish. She required a deposit
of 50% via bank wire directly to her account at Bancolombia, Cartagena, to
reserve two "cabanas", the other 50% 20 days before our arrival, July 10-15.
Total US $2400. I received an e-mail confirming the receipt of the first
transfer. We were informed that someone would pick us up at 3 Banderas at
8:00 July 10 to lead us to the boat for the included transport to Kokomo. No
one came.

******** then went with my brother to the Muelle Touristico to investigate,
where he found a boat to go to Kokomo, but we had to pay 30,000 p.p. If you
have seen Kokomo in recent months you can well imagine our surprise when we
arrived. Everything was swept, but a ruin.. No bedding, holes in the roof,
no beach, no pool, only one cabana, everything moldy. The complete compound
seemed as if it was the scene of a war, or a movie set of an abandoned and
forgotten African outpost. The entire encounter was quite a shock, and we
realized how trusting and foolish we had been.

.BASICALLY Hotel Kokomo can no longer provide food or accomodations. DO NOT
send any money, DO NOT use credit card. This hotel is a fraud

By mosqboy on Sep 4, 2008, 10:55 in Friendly Talkzone.

ozgringo says on Sep 4, 2008, 11:55:

Hard to find anything complimentary about it.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g297476-i4451-k2136586-Islas_del_...

tried to think of something deep to write here.. but couldn't think of anything..

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LilaM says on Sep 4, 2008, 13:56:

I found those guys from Kokomo have a free web page so I called to COTELCO the organization that rule the hotels in Colombia, I think that you have to send a letter to COTELCO to make them put a fine. I´m so sorry of what happened to you, but what I can tell you and other people that reads this, please check first if the place where you are going is member of the organization.
At least bf you make a choice, talk to somebody from a hotel of the place, the owner of a restaurant before you put a coin in the bank.

So theres a link for you to find nice places that can respect the trust that our tourists deserve!
http://www.turismocartagenadeindias.com/es/institucional.htm#

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don´t try" B. Sills

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mosqboy says on Sep 4, 2008, 18:20:

That happened to whoever put their email address on the Kokomo hotel webpage I found.

Pretty sure I won't be staying there, needless to say.

Cheers

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jmbone says on Sep 5, 2008, 11:43:

Hola Mosqboy,

May I suggest you visit our Portal: http://cartagenainfo.net . There you will find more than two dozen Cartagena lodging Home Pages. Each Home Page contains the basics: two fotos, facts, prices, contact info, and if they have one, a LINK to their Home Page.

I'm a gringo, living and working here in Colombia, for the past six years-and enjoying each and every day.

In that time I have known the owner of the business mentioned in your Post. The business is NOT mentioned in our Portal. I know the manager of a "5" star hotel and there is NO WORD of that hotel in our Portal-their "management" IMHO, is immoral and dishonest. As a member in the hotel association (mentioned in the posting of LilaM), they consistently encourage other members to stay away from our Portal. A few members, who are interested in RESULTS, and have have guts, do use our promotion! We want to help all of them, but after six years of trying, I have given up. Our great city is VERY CONSERVATIVE. Some business people are ignorant, and many are just plain STUPID!

My partner is a third generation Cartagenero. A grad of L.S.U. Paul speaks near perfect English. He keeps me appraised as to the sleazebags and the good guys.

Paul is a realty broker: http://cartagenarealty.com, and I am proud to be his Jr. partner. My 30 years of experience as a real estate investor and current Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker has taught me an important lesson: if you are not of the culture, always be CAUTIOUS and if your going in business, find a good, honest partner. Paul's website is current and up-to-date, on a daily basis. It has more than a hundred listings, with COMPLETE info. I know from years of observation and experience, that Paul, like me, has turned down many money "deals" where the people have a history of being immoral and dishonest.

And to beautiful LilaM. I ask you to look at the website you recommend. And visit the LINKS that the site promotes. Sorry to say, but when it comes to RESULTS, these websites: SUCK! I have been promoting on the Internet, first in Venezuela and now in Colombia, for the past thirteen years. In five minutes, I can evaluate a website and offer suggestions that will substantially increase the numbers of interested visitors. I have offered to help, even our competitors, and NO ONE HAS ASKED FOR MY FREE ADVICE.....NO ONE! Our Portals and websites enjoy great stats and Google PR. Our Home Page clients receive positive RESULTS, and our low fees is next-to-nothing. Sorry LilaM, but your beautiful culture and business owners/managers DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE INTERNET. If they did, the Cartagena economy, and improvement of the poor, would easily have tripled over the past ten years.

The universities, and the IT grads who work in Internet design and "promotion" are learning about beautiful design and IMAGE, but NOTHING about SEO. Search Engine Optimization, is the KEY to Home Page placing first page Search Engine RESULTS.

Don't jump to conclusions as I know the answers to my comments and questions I've posed above. I am NOT complaining.

"Culture" is a comfort zone. "Government" can be the driver (the change) of Culture. Look at the Orient. Over the past 25 years many of these governments have led their cultures, and the people, to better health, living, housing, work, education, etc. Economic changes that have advanced twenty times over our Latino economies. One MAJOR REASON: their governments understand the Internet, and they know how to use it!

Don't get me started about the U.S. She is a great country, which over the past thirty years has steadily gone down the toilet....mostly over GREED. My nearly 70 years knows about changes!

Enjoy Cartagena and Colombia-great culture...great people.
I accept it, and enjoy it. Try it...don't fight it, you will love it!

Jim

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LilaM says on Sep 5, 2008, 16:44:

jejejeje Jim, long comment, but that was the best that I could find, but yes here they suck I know... anyway nice to hear that you enjoy Colombia.

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don´t try" B. Sills

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Ctg Bound says on Sep 8, 2008, 07:22:

mosqboy,

The information is correct, just ask around in Cartegena, the Hotel is embargoed and soon to be seized.

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