A design-forward, 87 room hotel tucked within the former convent of Santa Teresa.

Out of touch. Sure, the hotel inhabits a colonial building once home to the reformed Carmelite Sisters. But today it’s anything but spare, including in-room Nespresso coffee machines and 42-inch LCD TVs the nuns wouldn’t recognize.

The food and beverage program here is run by chef Harry Sasson, purported to be among the best chefs in all of Latin America. So is it any wonder the rest of the property is so delicious? The second story spa is a haven of calm, complete with a Turkish bath, solarium-topped swimming pool and unforgettable massages. Curated on-site experiences include rum tasting, coffee tasting, and (le duh) salsa lessons. And we love that the rooms are fitted with unexpected touches, from the lavender-washed walls to the sculptural wooden headboards. It’s clearly not a chain hotel, and blessedly so.

The hotel maintains a fleet of loaner bikes, and there’s no better way to explore this town than with the wind in your hair.

Sitting below an eye-popping spiral staircase at Harry’s Bar, set in an alfresco courtyard, you find yourself growing obsessed with Cartagena, and the omnipresent beauty that takes your breath away. But it’s not until you take a bite of your grilled corvina fish with wine and cream that seals the deal: you’re coming back next year.

Harry Sasson Restaurant - Unique flavors and amazing ambiance mark a new era in gastronomy for Cartagena

La Terraza - With a varied menu where the flavors of the Caribbean and the specialties of the chef stand out

Plaza Santa Teresa - A magnificent place to enjoy some excellent pizza, as well as a variety of typical dishes