Casa Pestagua Cartagena Hotel Review | Hotels Above Par

"Set within Cartagena’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, this thoughtfully restored 17th-century mansion—the only Relais & Châteaux property in Colombia—keeps its colonial bones intact with double-height ceilings, Baroque details, oversized chandeliers, Moorish-inspired arches around a lush inner courtyard and garden, imposing stone columns, wooden beams, ornate stonework, and arched windows. The 16 distinctive rooms and apartment-like suites stylishly blend the hotel’s colonial past with contemporary Colombian energy, featuring antique and custom-made furniture, contemporary Colombian art, colorful textiles, locally sourced decorative pieces, and large bathrooms with oversize open showers, roomy vanities, and cabinets with stunning inlay stonework; only the toiletries (from Italian brand Ortigia Sicilia) veer from a sense of place, but they smell so divine I don’t consider that a flaw. For a hotel this small it offers more amenities than expected—swimming pool, gym, 24-hour room service and concierge, bikes, access to Aurum Spa at sister property Casa Agustín a five-minute walk away, and arranged access to ACASI, a private beach on Barú Island—while the living-in-history ambiance is lovingly tended by staff who make you feel like you’re their only guest. Five-star, 16 rooms, starting around $585 USD for a deluxe room; roughly a five-mile, 20-minute drive from Rafael Núñez International Airport." - Shivani Vora