Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena

The Sofitel Legend Santa Clara is the most historic of Cartagena's large hotels. The building began in 1621 as a convent of the Poor Clares, and over the following centuries it served as a charity hospital and a medical school and was altered in the Republican style. After years of abandonment it reopened as the Hotel Santa Clara in 1995 and joined Sofitel's Legend collection, reserved for historic properties, in 2012. The MICHELIN Guide, which gives it one Key, describes it as grand, elegant and distinctly European in feel despite its Caribbean setting.

There is a literary link too. Gabriel García Márquez, who appears on the hotel's list of past guests and has a hall named after him, drew on the building for his novel Del amor y otros demonios, according to La República. The old crypt survives as part of the hotel.

The MICHELIN Guide lists 122 rooms, and the hotel offers 14 categories of rooms and suites, from Classic and Superior rooms up to the Presidential Suite named after Fernando Botero. Facilities include an outdoor pool with its own bar, a spa and a fitness centre, a Turkish bath and jacuzzi, a library, a wine cellar, a lounge and a garden. Dining options are a strength: Restaurante 1621 serves tasting menus based on Colombian ingredients, and there are also Jardín Santa Clara, El Coro Lounge Bar and Botika Santa Clara Bar. Michelin also notes daily trips to a sister property's private island, about 45 minutes away.

The hotel suits couples and anyone who wants a full-service base inside the walls. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 13:00. Pets are not allowed, and extra beds and cots cannot be added to rooms, so families should check room types carefully. Michelin notes that Colombian residents pay 19% VAT on the room rate, while foreign visitors may be exempt after verification at check-in.

The hotel is on Calle del Torno in the San Diego neighbourhood of the walled city, a short walk from Las Bóvedas, the walls and the Plaza de San Diego. The airport is about a 20-minute drive away. Valet parking is available. For reservations, the hotel publishes the phone number +57 605 650 4700 and a dedicated reservations email.