La Passion Hotel

Passion by name, passion by nature—this hotel is the result of a painstaking two-year renovation by French owner Thierry Forte and his Colombian wife. The building started life as a 19th-century Colonial mansion, but Forte has transformed it into a Republican style boutique hotel with just 8 rooms. You can immediately tell that so much care has gone into this restoration, the original features are stunning—plastered walls have been uncovered, murals repaired by local artisans and traditional rugs are dotted around the tiled floors. The bedrooms are sparsely decorated, with antiques and balconies letting you soak up old Cartagena, but there's Wi-Fi if you want to stay in touch with modern life. You can get to know the city on the ground level by wandering the historic center around the hotel. Alternatively, take a bird's eye view from the rooftop pool. As it's such a small hotel, there's not really a buzzing scene, but it's a nice place for a cocktail, a sit-down and a dip. There's no restaurant or spa, but you're in the prettiest part of the city, so get lost down a winding alleyway and feast with the locals.

Room rates from $270.