Bogotá is enjoying a remarkable renaissance. The streets winding between skyscrapers and colonial buildings are far safer these days, and there is an ever-increasing array of dining and nightlife. Sleeping Casa Medina. This elegant building is a National Historical Conservation Monument. Wrought-iron railings, carved ceilings and gleaming wood panels join a round-the-clock business center to make this hotel a favorite for our readers. Rooms start at $230. www.hoteles-charleston.com Charleston. Another highly-respected luxury hotel on a quiet residential street at the edge of the Zona Rosa. This sister property to Casa Medina has high-end amenities such as a 24-hour business center, a gym, steam bath and a massage service. The Library is its outstanding restaurant. Rooms start at $230. www.hoteles-charleston.com La Fontana. Surrounded by well-kept landscaped gardens and located away from all the hustle and bustle. With its own cab service to chauffer guests around, this elegant, quiet hotel is worth the distance. Average room rate is $150. www.hotelesestelar.com Radisson Royal Bogotá. Located beside the Trade Center Corporate Complex and close to the popular Usaquen area, this business hotel has all the basics, and then some. There is free espresso, two bars, three restaurants, wireless internet access throughout the hotel, a spa, fitness center and a heated indoor swimming pool. Rooms start at $180. www.radisson.com Hotel de la Ópera. Two beautiful colonial homes have been carefully restored and converted into this intimate hotel across the street from the Foreign Ministry, a short distance from the Botero Museum. It is named after the adjoining Teatro Colón opera house. Rooms are tastefully decorated in Italian style and there is a great spa. Rooms from $122. www.hotelopera.com.co Eating Criterión. Bogota’s elite can be found here dining or sipping dry martinis. This modern and stylish French eatery boasts the most expansive of menus. The Lamb Gigot is exquisite. A great place for Sunday brunch. (Calle 69A No 5-75, Zona G, Tel: 57 1 310 1377 and 57 1 310 1538). Club Colombia. Colombia’s culinary elite has set up shop in an impressive rambling old house set in lush gardens with a Koi pond. Three kitchens turn out corn-based criollo delicacies such as tamales and arepas, plus seafood all-stars like the cazuela de mariscos. (Avenida 82 No. 9-11, Zona G, Tel: 57 1 249 5681 or 321 0704). H Sasson Wok & Satay Bar. Known as Harry Sasson after its well-known owner, this restaurant is a hit with Asian fusion fans. Hot and spicy Langostinos garam-masala (curried) with ginger, garlic, tomato and mint and finished with yogurt are among the dishes. (Calle 83 No. 12-49, Zona G, Tel: 57 1 616 4520). Crivelli. Years of experimenting with exotic fruit and flowers have brought chef Diego Sánchez to this exquisite point. Watch through the open plan kitchen as his culinary chemistry unfolds into beautiful colors. The mouth-watering dessert is mixed flowers with apples (Calle 69 A No. 5-48, Zona G, Tel: 57 1 409 4697). Andrés Carne de Res. This longstanding, iconic and somewhat bonkers spot is a little outside the city, in Chía. It includes a sprawling bar and restaurant with a large outdoor seating area, and plenty of tables to dance on. Serving up all manner of great steaks and good salads plus Colombian staples like ajiaco. The staff is friendly and the decor is old curiosity shop nick-knacks. Go early if you want a table, stay late for the mayhem. (Calle 2, No. 11a-56. Tel: 57-1 863 7880). Drinking
Colombia’s city of eternal spring not only has a perfect climate but is also the center of paisa hospitality and gastronomy. Medellín has also recently gained a reputation as a cultural center, building on the profile of its most famous son, Fernando Botero, whose rotund sculptures punctuate the city’s plazas. Sleeping Hotel Park 10 Near the Parque Lleras and in the heart of the financial and commercial district sits the Park 10, an exclusive all-suite hotel. All 55 suites have wireless internet and some contain jacuzzis in the master bathroom. There is a library, business center and other recreational facilities. This hotel is a hop away from art galleries, restaurants and boutiques. Luxury Rooms start at $110. http://www.hotelpark10.com.co/esp/indexes.php InterContinental Medellín Located on the side of a mountain in the El Poblado district and near the Parque de los Deseos, this business hotel offers all the essentials: business center, outdoor swimming pool, sauna and fitness center, tennis courts and a 9-hole golf-course. Average room rate is $115. www.ichotelgroup.com Dann Carlton Medellín Hotel In the heart of the Golden mile of El Poblado, this business hotel has more than 200 rooms. Facilities include restaurants, coffee shops, bars and nearby shopping centers, as well as other amenities such as swimming pool, gym, jacuzzi and a steam bath. Rooms start at $129. www.danncarlton.com Eating La Cafetiere d’Anita. This higher-end restaurant serves French-inspired food, including róbalo in a sauce of the coconut and lemon or solomillo in a sauce of malbec and portobello mushrooms. The dining room is elegant and the wine list is good. (Cra. 40 No. 10 A-22. Tels: 57 4 311 3103 or 268 3002).
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Bogotá is enjoying a remarkable renaissance. The streets winding between skyscrapers and colonial buildings are far safer these days, and there is an ever-increasing array of dining and nightlife.