Venezuela

Caracas
Although politics are taking center stage in Venezuela these days, corporate travelers have plenty of reasons to visit Caracas, where loads of nightlife options and eye candy await the road weary.
 

Readers’ Choice JW Marriott. The city’s newest luxury hotel won over LatinFinance readers with its location in the upscale El Rosal neighborhood and extensive facilities. The executive suites on the upper floors have good views of Mount Ávila and the city, although there’s an even better vista from the lounge on the top floor. Rooms start at $199. http://www.marriott.com/

Sleeping
InterContinental Tamanaco. For decades, this venerable hotel has been the place to stay in Caracas. The recently refurbished Tamanaco remains popular for its prime location in the lively Las Mercedes neighborhood. With over 500 rooms, four restaurants, three bars, a pool, tennis courts, barbers, cash machines, airline and car rental desks, the Tamanaco seems more like a small city than a hotel. Rooms start at $179.
www.ichotelsgroup.com

Embassy Suites. Perks, perks and more perks. Located in the central commercial district, this hotel offers spacious two-room suites, complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast and free evening cocktails. The Embassy Suites has all the business essentials, and even rents out cell phones. Rooms start at $115.
www.embassysuites.com

Hotel Centro Lido. This 102-room boutique-style hotel in the El Rosal neighborhood is an intimate alternative to the large luxury hotels. Rooms start at $155.
www.worldhotels.com

Relaxing
Posada Casa Sol. An hour by plane from Caracas is the Andes town of Mérida. With its snow-capped Pico Bolívar, trout-filled streams and little villages turning out homemade bread and cheese, Mérida is a mini-Switzerland in a country with a Caribbean attitude. Casa Sol, a newly restored colonial house, is one of the most charming posadas, or guesthouses, in Mérida. Suites from $45 (Tel: 58 274 252 4164
www.andes.net/posadacasasol).

Eating
Catar. At this hip, new restaurant – an extension of the Atar deli – the atmosphere is homey and patrons can chow down on an outdoor terrace (Miranda 6a Transversal, Los Palos Grandes, Tel: 58 212 285 0649).

Café Atlantique. Serves up creative dishes that combine Caribbean and Mediterranean flavors in the lobby of a 1950s building. Café Atlantique makes for a lively lunch or dinner locale (Avenida Andrés Bello, Edificio Atlantic, Los Palos Grandes, Tel: 58 212 515 8842).

Limoncello. Atop the long-running Juan Sebastián jazz club, this modern eatery serves up Mediterranean food from an open kitchen. Trivia Note: Former US president Jimmy Carter was forced to flee Limoncello a few years ago by pot-banging anti-Chavistas (Avenida Venezuela, El Rosal, Tel: 58 212 951 5575). 

Shayará. Oddball menu options like pizza lollipops steal the spotlight at this trendy concept restaurant, where risotto is served in martini glasses. Regardless of your selection, Shayará’s experimental menu is a sure-fire cure for boredom (1a. Avenida con 1a. Transversal, Los Palos Grandes, Tel: 58 212 285 0395).

Drinking
Get ready to rumba! The Centro Comercial San Ignacio, in the La Castellana neighborhood, is a one-stop shop for some serious nightlife. The music kicking at the Suka Bar & Café changes every night, with DJs spinning hip-hop, jazz, bossa nova and even mellow electronica, all in a dazzling Arabian Nights setting. In the same shopping center, merengue lovers can dance under the stars at Loft, which has a retractable roof. Elsewhere, in the upscale Las Mercedes neighborhood, minimalist Malabar – which bills itself as “a temple to the spirit of good living” – brims with designer-clad beauties lounging on vibrant sofas amid lush tropical plants (Avenida Orinoco). For hot salsa dancing well into the wee hours, try El Maní es Asi (Calle El Cristo, Sabana Grande).

Shopping
Wow the boss with a bottle of fine aged Venezuelan rum, like Santa Teresa’s Ron Antiguo de Solera 1796 or Cacique’s Ron Añejo Diplomático Reserva. There’s also Pampero, which packages its distinctive Ron Añejo Aniversário in a handcrafted leather pouch. To splurge, Santa Teresa offers its Bodega Privada label at $8,000 a bottle.

Downtime Glide To The Beach. The mountains ringing Venezuela’s capital are the perfect launching pad for a paraglide adventure. Ojos del Cielo specializes in half-day trips that include an early morning pick-up at your hotel, digital photos of the experience on a CD and – of course – an adrenaline pumping 2000-meter descent from the El Ávila mountain. A 40-minute plunge down to the beach, where a picnic meal awaits, costs about $110 (Tel: 58 416 829 2161, http://www.ojosdelcielo.com/).