| The Experience |

Behind unassuming doors in Cartagena’s Old Town near the Caribbean shore lives an enchanting paradise of old-world architecture and contemporary chic furnishings. Upon entry through massive brass doors, a white marble entry hall greets guests along with a vertical garden made up of 3,000 plants and inviting pool nearby. Miami-based fashion designer Silvia Tcherassi is responsible for this dreamworld and took her talents from South Beach to Cartagena by remodeling this seven bedroom mansion with over 250 years of history in its walls. The strong link between fashion and travel lives on in Tcherassi’s rich fabrics, creating a holiday haven as chic and cutting-edge as her clothing.

| The Room |

Forget the bags, shoes and jewels. The seven oversized guest rooms at Tcherassi Hotel + Spa are dripping in luxury and oozing with their own style, each one named after the fashion icon’s fabrics used in her collections. I lucked out with ‘Ziberline,’ a 625 sq sf balcony suite facing the colonial streets of colorful Cartagena, a posh place to sit with a Colombian coffee and people watch until the caffeine hits and you feel an urge to go shopping…or perhaps that’s just me.

Dramatic 30 ft ceilings lead your eye upwards to see the fine detail in which you’re surrounded – restored brick walls, crystal chandeliers and gold detailing. If the glittered in gold duvet doesn’t catch your eye next, it would be the open-style bathroom with luxurious tub. My obsession with soaking tubs runs deep, so it’s no shocker I made a mini-photo shoot in here. I do believe you could spend an entire morning in the lap of bathroom luxury moving between the tub and rain shower and back again. It’s a hard life at Tcherassi Hotel + Spa.

The design of each room is done so that the expansive closets are behind the beds, hidden in their own private section. There aren’t any jutting closets in the corners or eye-sore obstructions many hotels only wish they could cover up. An added bonus: hanging in each closet is yet another fine detail Mrs. Tcherassi seamlessly integrated into her hotel – private label ‘his and hers’ bathrobes that I would have purchased had I remembered upon check-out. Guess I’ll have to go back…hate that.

| VERA Restaurant |

A taste of Italy can be found within the old colonial walls of Tcherassi as the 40-seat VERA restaurant and lounge tempts guests to indulge in fine cuisine such as Risotto Pescatore and Pollo al Peppe. Dare I say even more impressive than Chef Daniel Castaño’s dishes is the decor and atmosphere in which guests dine. A combination of influences come together with Italian cuisine, Australian imported floors and wooden beams from rescued Colombian trees. The space seamlessly flows into the outdoor lounge where flowing water curtains and dramatic archways make for a perfect framework under the stars.

| Amenities: Pool + Spa |

If I’m being honest, I tried utilizing the rooftop pool, but the rain during my visit made it a wee bit difficult. In any case, the menacing clouds overhead made for great pictures while the 360 degree view of the city and Caribbean sea made me not want to leave, even when the nimbostratus above released its anger. With more space for relaxation and rejuvenation, the full-service spa below makes for a great indoor retreat, especially if you go for the Deluxe Colombian Coffee treatment: An energizing body wrap from an exquisite blend of coffee which pacifies the senses and firms the body. When in Colombia…

| Logistics |

Tcherassi Hotel + Spa is count ’em: 2 miles away from Cartagena’s Rafael Nuñez International Airport (CTG). You can’t even finish a Beyonce song in that amount of time. Shocking. All guest rooms and public areas are equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi.

For a detailed itinerary of what to do in Cartagena, visit my 48 Hours in Cartagena post.

Rates range from $295 – $895 per night.

See more photos from my stay at Tcherassi Hotel + Spa below!