Travel

Inside Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena, Latin America’s newest style-led stay

by Mac Fabella

Cartagena in Colombia carries with it all the romance and charm of a port city. It’s a destination awash with colour and personality—from the preserved colonial buildings and plazas, to the picturesque beaches of Bocagrande and the nearby Rosario Islands. And then there’s the culture and atmosphere: this distinctive mix of Afro-Caribbean and Spanish heritage, exemplified by the vibrant music and art on the streets of the Getsemaní neighbourhood.

At the heart of this very district, the newly opened Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena beckons as both a gateway to exploring the city and a destination in its own right. The hotel is housed within a collection of beautifully restored landmarks, including the former Club Cartagena, a 1920s Beaux-Arts masterpiece and haunt for the social elite. Mere steps away stands the UNESCO-listed Walled City, along with other famous spots like the Camellón de los Mártires and the circular-shaped Parque Centenario.

The facade of Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena. Top: The rooftop pool and dining outlet overlooking picturesque Cartagena views.

Woven into the fabric of Getsemaní

The reimagining of the buildings that would become Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena was among the last projects of legendary French designer François Catroux, who died in 2020 while renovations were underway.

Additional design expertise came from globally acclaimed WATG and Wimberly Interiors; French studio SBM Interior Design and internationally renowned AvroKO for the hotel’s original food and beverage concepts; Switzerland’s Enea Garden Design, led by Colombian landscape architect Carolina Jaimes, for the rooftop venues and greenery; and Lang Lighting Design.

Very much in line with its surroundings, the hotel is art-filled. Interiors feature the works of several Colombian artists, including furniture and textiles by Poli Mallarino, sculptural plaster relief elements by Alejandro Hernández, large-scale landscape pieces by Eloin Rivera, and in-room artworks by Miguel Cárdenas.

Still, Catroux’s influence is palpable. There’s a harmonious sense of opulence and order throughout the finished product, which finally opened its doors in April 2026 after a years-long reconstruction.

Left: The staircase in the hotel lobby, which repurposed the atrium of Club Cartagena. Right: Every detail in the architecture was chosen with Catroux’s vision to marry colonial character with modern elegance.

Architectural storytelling

Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena greets guests with a stunning, light-filled atrium and its grand staircase, the same centrepiece that welcomed patrons to Club Cartagena in the 1920s.

The melding of Spanish colonial character with contemporary elegance continues in the 131 guest accommodations, some of which are reached via intriguing passageways and quiet courtyards. A collection of 27 colonial-style rooms and suites occupies the complex’s heritage buildings. Among them: the hotel’s presidential suite—the namesake Catroux Suite—boasts private elevator access and features two bedrooms set within colonial-era architecture. Accents include the furnished terrace with a handcrafted, Moorish-inspired ceramic fountain, created by María Cecilia Franco Berón.

At Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena, circulation spaces are treated with the same intent as the rooms—quiet, considered and rooted in the building’s history.

A limited number of private residences by Rodriguez Valencia Arquitectos are also housed within the hotel. Residents enjoy effortless access to all amenities and a sophisticated lifestyle fully serviced by the Four Seasons.

For buyers and travellers drawn to properties with cultural depth and enduring appeal, this latest Four Seasons address signals Cartagena’s growing stature as a destination for luxury living and investment.

A destination within the destination

Gastronomes are equally delighted. Under the roof of what was formerly Club Cartagena sits The Grand Grill, a modern steakhouse for refined occasions, as well as the more intimate Bar Lelarge, named after original architect Gastón Lelarge. Elsewhere, Café Rialto focuses on Colombian coffee and pastries, while Pizzeria Della Chiesa draws on the site’s layered past—once the Iglesia de la Veracruz, and later the Teatro Cartagena—now reimagined as a relaxed gathering spot for Neapolitan-style pizza.

El Aljibe introduces the city’s first speakeasy concept, a discreet space for craft cocktails and small plates, and El Patio del Limonar anchors the morning with an open-air breakfast courtyard. The rooftop bar, El Palmar, frames panoramic views of Cartagena and the Caribbean Sea beyond, while Atrio serves as the hotel’s social core—a lobby lounge defined by a glass ceiling, marble floors and a steady rhythm of both locals and travellers.

Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena delights with eight distinct dining and drinking venues.

Beyond dining, Umari Spa brings a quiet counterbalance. Inspired by the nourishing qualities of the umari plant, treatments draw on Colombian botanicals and traditional healing practices. A full-service wellness offering includes treatment rooms, a salon, steam facilities and a fitness centre, alongside two rooftop pools overlooking the harbour.

Of course, just outside the doors of the hotel, the walkable streets of Getsemaní remain close at hand. All these create a carefully layered experience that mirrors Cartagena itself: storied, lively and constantly evolving.