A meticulously restored, 16^th-century colonial mansion tucked within Cartagena, Colombia’s, Walled City has been transformed into a 15-room boutique hotel. This intimate property, Casa Carolina, sits on the site of the city’s first cathedral presbytery and Café de la Nueva Granada.

© Casa Carolina

Guests can expect original Coralina stone architecture, hand-painted frescoes, high ceilings, private balconies and artisanal finishes. In fact, during the building’s restoration, the original frescoes and murals were uncovered, some dating back more than 400 years ago. Suites include direct access to the colonial lounge, two bathrooms and a balcony with a view.

In addition to 15 guestrooms and suites, the hotel boasts a spa with ancestral and Ayurvedic treatments, a rooftop yoga shala and solarium, and a wellness café serving an organic menu. The spa offers body massages, facial treatments and more.

© Casa Carolina

A New rooftop bar also graces the building, with a menu developed in collaboration with El Barón, one of The World’s 100 Best Bars and an acclaimed bar in Cartagena. Signature cocktails draw inspiration from the city’s heritage, including Baile y Fuego, a tribute to Gabriel García Márquez, and Petrona, a drink honoring the legacy of Afro-Colombia women preserving the tradition of oral storytelling through music.

© Casa Carolina

The rooftop also serves dishes like arroz de mar y cambo, a bisque broth rice with seasonal mushrooms and grilled prawns with parsley gremolata, as well as rosemary Creole potatoes; alquimia marina, a grilled catch of the day with ghee, served with coconut and cauliflower purée, roasted palm hearts and coastal whey emulsion; and frijoles guajiros, a dish of black-eyed peas, hogao with smoked achiote oil, rice and crispy yucca.