21 Best Hotels in The Caribbean Coast, Colombia

This intimate and luxurious boutique's distinctive rooms are scattered throughout the white-washed, beautifully decorated former residence in Cartagena's UNESCO-protected Old Town, separated by flower-filled terraces and cozy, book-lined lounges. Because of the setup, each room has a different layout and view (street or garden); some have shared gardens, private plunge pools, or original elements like wood-beamed ceilings or frescoes, while a couple suites are duplexes. All come with free Wi-Fi, Frette linens, Ortigia bath products, HDTVs, and on-request iPads. A small swimming pool beckons in the main courtyard below an ancient aqueduct, as do a few white couch-lined nooks for alfresco refreshments. Staff are professional and genuinely caring, making visitors feel at home, avoiding airs and graces that can so often mar similarly establishments. Offering both indoor and outdoor seating, the Alma restaurant highlights local seafood. Along with the sexy vibe and relaxed-luxury style, the hotel's biggest plus is the central location in the vibrant Old Town.

The magnificent Santa Clara—a former 17th-century monastery—deserves its position in Sofitel's Legends category, reserved for properties with true historic status. Beautiful arched walkways, atmospheric plant-filled courtyards, and original details from confessionals to water wells abound, adding character and making the place more romantic than its Clarist nun founders could ever have intended. Guest rooms are spread out over an original Colonial wing and a more modern Republican one; all have Caribbean views, wood ceilings and floors, and elegant, muted contemporary decor, plus all the expected upscale technology and amenities. The nuns' former dining room is now the highly rated Restaurante1621, featuring superb French fare fused with New World ingredients and an outstanding wine list. A pool and vast terrace help the place feel like a resort in spite of its central location, while the So Spa has a hammam and locally influenced treatments.

There's simply no friendlier place to stay in this city, and the warm welcome extends to comfortable decor and affordable room rates. Rooms are cool, inside thick Republican-era walls, with a few artisanal touches like hand-molded cement basins and rustic wood towel rails in the bathroom. The central patio is welcoming and green, with a small jet pool and scattered hammocks that encourage guests to unwind and slip into the gentler local pace of life. The owner offers customized tours that beat the local operators.

At this hotel on the tip of the Bocagrande peninsula, the spacious, airy guests rooms can provide wide views of the city or sea, but the unattractive surroundings that lie far from the old city may disappoint. White-tile floors, pastel hues, and light wood, as well as updated baths with a rain shower, add a soothing vibe. Some rooms have great views of the terrace and its gardens and four pools, including one for kids. The beach past the impressive pool area has essentially been claimed by the hotel and is less populous than others on the peninsula, but despite touches of green remains a rather drab, gray-sand affair. Guests may feel far removed from the bustle of the old town, so decide your priorities in advance.

Occupying the historic Convento de Santa Teresa, this 16th-century showplace inside the walled town combines colonial and republican architectural styles with colorful attention to detail, preserving the building's character from the plant-laden multistory interior courtyard to local design touches in guest rooms. Rooms and suites, sumptuously appointed with rich fabrics, some antique furnishings, and modern pieces, look out onto the ocean or the walled town. The best views are from the rooftop pool (overlooking San Pedro Claver church) and restaurant.