After earning its new street cred as one of South America’s coolest cities, Bogotá’s tourism is steady on the rise. New creative culinary concepts are emerging all over the city, and many travelers to the area are discovering just how metropolitan Colombia’s leading city can be.
Part of this new allure is due to the Four Seasons opening two new properties in the capital. After taking over the former Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá, a longtime favorite of international clientele ranging from politicians to musicians, Four Seasons opened the first property as Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá on October 15th, 2015, reintroducing the hotel to the world as a place for the next generation of travelers. “As travel to and within South America for both business and leisure continues to increase among luxury travelers from around the world, we’ve been looking for the right opportunity to enter the Bogotá market,” says Allen Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Food and drink bring people together in Castanyoles Raciones y Tapas.
Marianna Jamadi
Stately in detail, Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá serves as a cultural monument in the Zona G district, home to Bogotá’s burgeoning culinary scene. It’s got old-world opulence, but with steady appeal to a new class of travelers, where luxury is defined by spatial grandeur and details like floor-to-ceiling living walls take precedence over turndown service. This is most evident in the design details of the property, where architect and design trio Milena Vargas, Lauren Rottet, and Saul Sasson preciously preserved details of the original property, which was built in 1946 by Santiago Medina Meija.
During the first build, Meija sourced materials from salvaged architectural treasures, like the San Agustin and Santo Domingo convents. He brought stone columns and hand-carved wooden doors from the recently demolished buildings, incorporating them into the then Casa Medina. The Four Seasons design team enhanced these details, creating a property that nods to the past, but is built for the future.
All mornings should begin with eggs this perfect.
Marianna Jamadi
The property has 62 rooms, 17 suites, and a penthouse suite, perfect for parties and entertaining. Each room is uniquely different, but all feature colonial-style beamed ceilings, intricately carved wooden doors, and large trunks, beckoning a welcome reprieve for travelers to Bogotá. But with the Castanyoles Raciones y Tapas taking up much of the first floor, it’s hard to stay in your room for too long. The property’s Spanish-style restaurant and tapas bar features a plate wall featuring a unique collection of handmade dinner plates by local artist Camila Gomez, mosaic-tiled floors that double as art, and a naturally lit courtyard that has a glass atrium and covered outdoor terrace.
“Food and drink bring us together,” says Luis Argote, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá. “In Castanyoles, we’ve created a beautiful place that invites guests to share the pleasure of delicious Spanish cuisine and drinks with one another.” The property is also a perfect point to explore other lauded restaurants in the Zona G district, like Abasto Quinta Camacho for breakfast and a lunch of empanadas, Masa for coffees and afternoon pastries, and Bruto for Spanish-Colombian fusion and live music.
Inside the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá.
Marianna Jamadi
Four Seasons’ next foray in Bogotá is the soon-to-open Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá in Zona T, the district known for the best nightlife and shopping in the city. Four Seasons transformed the former Hotel Charleston Bogotá into a 64-room contemporary property, with over half of the rooms being suites. Kuru, the hotel’s restaurant concept, will serve authentic Japanese cuisine with a live-action charcoal robata grill and sushi counter, featuring unique sakes and Japanese beers. The property is currently accepting reservations and set to open on April 11th.
