5 Best Hotels in Caracas, Venezuela

This 20-floor tower in the financial district caters to the needs of business travelers. The soaring atrium, which lets in the Caracas sunlight, is a great place to relax over breakfast. The suites all have separate living rooms, except for 24 new rooms that have balconies instead.

There's no hiding the fact that this hotel needs a serious renovation, but you also can't ignore its central location in a lovely mall with some of the best shopping and dining right nearby. If you can get past the 1980s-style floral bedspreads and the wear-and-tear, you will enjoy staying here—the staff is friendly, the amenities are solid, and the price is right.

The newest and most up-to-date hotel in Caracas is also the most popular, and with good reason: in a city where it can feel like many hotels haven't been renovated or refurbished since the end of the last century, the Marriott, in El Rosal, is shiny and well kept. Rooms are as you'd expect them to be for this hotel chain: business-friendly, clean, and comfortable. Though it doesn't hold a candle to nearby THE Hotel in terms of personality, it certainly is a dependable spot. Request one of the top level rooms away from street noise.

A time-tested beacon of old-school Caracas, this venerable pyramid-shape hotel sits on a bluff above the Las Mercedes neighborhood in the southeastern section of the city. It's the oldest of the city's luxury hotels and still well maintained after all these years. Its most stunning facility, a free-form pool, loops around any which way but rectangularly. You can take a dip after working out at the gym or following a few games of tennis. The bar, El Punto, is a gathering place of choice for the city's elite and influential. For children, there is a playground, a small pool and tennis lessons upon request. Rooms are spacious and comfortable.

The first true boutique hotel in Caracas is hard on the wallet, but easy on the eyes. A Thai- and Buddhism-inspired undertone is accented by modern touches such as gleaming Mac computers in the lobby, Philippe Starck–designed clear acrylic chairs, and a wine bar that will impress oenophiles. Rooms are exeedingly comfortable, with comfy beds, robes, open showers, glass and marble finishes, and iPod-friendly Bose stations. Head up to the lovely rooftop on Thursdays for "Chill Nights," which offer 2-for-1 drinks and a cooler-than-thou atmosphere. Before you reserve a room, be sure to check their website for discounted rooms during low season.