Guides · Guest experience
Power and water cuts in Cartagena: how to prepare guests and still get 5 stars
How often does it happen?
In the walled city and Getsemaní, most cables run above ground and the old buildings have no alternative supply. In our three apartments, whole-neighborhood power cuts happen several times a month. They usually last between 30 minutes and 3 hours. Heavy rain, the Christmas lights that load the grid in December, and plain accidents are the usual causes. It happens in the most expensive areas too.
Water outages are announced by the water company a few times a month and usually last a few hours.
What should you install?
- Water tanks so taps and showers keep working during an outage.
- Hot water tanks that heat quickly. Tell guests which shower gets hot fastest and that hot water is not unlimited.
- Emergency lights in the kitchen and hallway, charged and easy to find.
- Battery-powered code locks on the street door and the apartment door, so guests can always get in and out.
- A backup network name for the wifi, and a router on a small UPS if you want to go further.
What should you tell guests?
The review depends on whether guests knew in advance. Put a short, calm section in your welcome guide. This is roughly what ours says:
In Cartagena the power still goes out now and then, in the whole neighborhood. It usually comes back within 30 minutes to 3 hours. It happens with rain, around Christmas, or at random because the cables run above ground. Consider it part of the Cartagena experience. There is an emergency light in the kitchen, and the door locks and your codes keep working.
Mention it briefly in the listing too, in the house rules or "other things to note". A guest who reads it before booking cannot claim surprise.
What should the local team do?
When a guest reports a power cut, the team checks whether it is the whole street or only your apartment. If it is the street, they reassure the guest and give an estimate. If it is only your unit, they come over. Either way, you get a one-line update.
What should you not do?
Do not promise what you cannot control. Do not hide it. And do not offer compensation for every outage; a warm message and a working emergency light are usually enough. Keep gestures for long outages that really affected the stay.
Want this in your guide?
We write welcome guides that cover exactly these realities for your property. See welcome guides.
FAQ
How long do power cuts last in Getsemaní?
In our experience usually 30 minutes to 3 hours. They are more frequent with heavy rain and around Christmas.
Do code locks work during a power cut?
Battery-powered code locks do. Choose those, and check the batteries at every cleaning.
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Rules change. Confirm with a local lawyer or accountant before you act.