The Best Hotels to Book in Colombia for Every Traveler

Party animals will feel at home at the Charlee, where a howler monkey (not King Kong) is painted scaling up the hotel’s 18-storey side. This mural is a nod to the Comuna 13 neighbourhood on the other side of Medellín, famous for its vibrant street art. The rooms – one of which includes a teppanyaki grill and private chef to whip up your favorite Japanese meals – all face Parque Lleras, a small square that’s a chilled hangout during the day, and clubbing hotspot at night.

History lovers can’t miss a stay at the Casa San Agustin, which is actually three casitas – little houses – from Cartagena’s colonial period. Nestled into the Old Town, Casa San Agustin has kept its history intact, from the antique wood beam ceilings to the old aqueduct cutting across the pool. If you’re looking to get away, the hotel offers a 45-minute boat ride to a private beach on Baru, a tiny island south of the city.

The luxurious B.O.G Hotel is inspired by Colombia’s natural treasures – gold and emeralds. Bronze and white rooms echo the lush greenery outside. Nearby are Parque Japón, a newly renovated play paradise for kids, and Museo Chicó, an hacienda-turned-museum, which features pre-Columbian pottery and Catholic art from the colonial period. When the Colombian heat becomes too much, take a dip in the rooftop pool.

For a Colombia stay with a difference, commune with nature in the Tayrona National Park off Colombia’s northern coast, known for its shady coves and hidden lagoons. At Ecohabs Tayrona, palm-roofed cabins (inspired by those built by the indigenous Tairona people centuries ago) sit just steps away from Cañaveral beach. Deeper into the forest, you’ll land in the ruins of the Ciudad Perdida, or the Lost City, a terraced town built some 600 years earlier than Machu Picchu.

While technically still part of Colombia, the tiny island of San Andrés lies almost 750km away from the mainland, and locals speak an English-based Creole. If you’re truly looking to disconnect, a stay at Casa Harb completes the getaway experience with nautical touches, like bamboo beds and lobster-cage-like wrought-iron chairs throughout the six suites, which are a stone’s throw from the beach.

You don’t have to be a saint to stay at Hotel Boutique Don Pepe, built where the first Dominican rectory in South America once stood. Gluttony and sloth will tempt you though, as you give in to the Santa Marta mint chocolate massage in the spa or the French wines and dry-aged steaks in the restaurant. You may feel the siren’s call too, with the Santa Marta bay and its sailboat-stacked dock just a block away.

From the outside, Alko Hotel Casa Níspero blends in with its surroundings in Cali’s lively San Antonio neighbourhood. The inside will surprise you though, with historic touches such as century-old wooden doors and carved stonework from Jaipur, India. Once you step foot outside the hotel, the neighborhood’s energy will suck you in, whether that’s a street dancer dragging you out to salsa or the hike up to the Iglesia San Antonio taking your breath away (it’s the altitude, we swear).

Most who pass through Salento, a tiny mountain town near the Valle del Cocora, are backpackers who don’t mind sharing a room with a dozen others every night. At the Terasu Hotel, you won’t have to worry about that. At this Colombia hotel, you’ll get all the benefits of staying in Salento – mountain biking, coffee tours and ecohikes – with the comforts of your own bed and bath. Book a second-floor suite for some mind-blowing views, right from the hammock on your private balcony.

Described as a Hobbit hut hideaway, One Santuario Natural is a secluded sanctuary set along the Palomino River, just minutes from the Caribbean-facing shores. This retreat offers direct access to the Palomino, where you can dip your toes in the flowing water and catch a glance of the local monkeys swinging through the trees, or crack open an ice-cold beer while tubing down to the sea with a trained guide.