Cartagena hotels vary from name brand high-rises to quirky one-floor lofts. Besides the larger, more generic options available in neighborhoods like Boca Grande, Cartagena has put itself on the map for the historic district's 5-30 room boutique concepts. Perhaps no better city in Central or South America has perfected the art of the boutique hotel as has this one. What Costa Rica has done for the eco-chic, Cartagena has done for the historically-elegant. A small handful (and we’re talking around twenty quality digs) of boutique Cartagena hotels offer intimate alternatives to the traditional chain or branded accommodations with personalized services and each a decidedly unique personality.

Travelers to Colombia expect more than just comfort and convenience, they anticipate the unpredictable and the surprise. The majority of boutique Cartagena hotels are up-scale ranging from $100-$400/night but in comparison rank amidst some of the best in the world. Inimitable design, immaculate décor/furnishings, high-tech fixtures: consider the standards set by Hotel Agua, constantly reinvented by Hotel LM, and totally thrown on their head by any one of Cartagena’s dozens of renovated homes.

For the perhaps less-adventurous, old-town Cartagena offers two large hotels, the Sofitel Santa Clara and the Santa Teresa, which tend to lack intimacy and personalized service. Their location, however, along with amenities like spa, concierge, and large pool can be useful to particular guests. Cartagena hotels run the gamut from inexpensive and low-key, to simply spectacular: enough to impress any world traveler into staying just one more night. If you're a real traveler, you'll opt for a boutique: something off the beaten path worth exploring before its revealed to the masses.