Casa Pestagua

Style

Noble character

Setting

On-point Old Town

Casa Pestagua is a 17th-century mansion and former home of one-time mayor of Cartagena, the Count of Pestagua. He was clearly a man of taste: graceful arches stretch over restaurant tables and fan out above windows, and high ceilings are ribbed with thick-set beams. The centrepiece is the magical courtyard, with its statuesque palms, serene pool and parasol-shaded tables. When sleep calls, fit-for-a-king(-size) beds dressed in luxury linens will have you out for the count in no time.

Facilities

Rooms

16, including 11 suites.

Checkout

Noon; earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates include an à la carte breakfast at AniMare Restaurant, where you can fill up on pastries, fresh fruit, green juice, arepas, eggs and more.

Also

Unfortunately this historic hotel is not adapted for wheelchair users or guests with limited mobility.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Paid laundry service; 24-hour concierge; gym, outdoor relaxation area, bikes to rent and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: smart TV, Bose radio, air-conditioning, Nespresso coffee machines, tea-making kit, minibar, free bottled water, bathrobes and slippers, and Ortigia Sicilia bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Colonial grandeur with contemporary polish threads through every glamorous room at Casa Pestagua. You can upgrade to Suite Madariaga for a bit more space and a charming street-view balcony, but the cherry on top of these dignified digs is certainly the Suite del Condé de Pestagua. Ascend in the private lift to 139 square metres of living and sleeping space, featuring a private terrace, Jacuzzi tub, and ocean and Old Town views.

Poolside

There’s an unheated, chlorinated pool picturesquely sited in the courtyard and bordered with sunloungers and parasols. It’s open from 7am to 6pm.

Spa

Casa Pestagua doesn’t have its own spa, but you can indulge in treatments aplenty at sister property, Hotel Casa San Agustín, just a few minutes’ walk away: Aurum Spa offers massages, facials, reflexology sessions, mani-pedis and hammam therapies, from Monday to Saturday (9am to 7pm).

Packing Tips

Cobble-friendly footwear for daytime forays; your floatiest partywear to keep up with Cartagena’s exuberant nightlife scene.

Also

You can learn to recreate the fantastic Colombian-Caribbean flavours you’ve sampled at the hotel restaurant at a cookery class. Or if you’d prefer just to taste rather than create, ask about the coffee- and rum-tasting sessions.

Children

Families are welcome at Casa Pestagua. An extra bed can be added to Junior Suites and upwards, and under-12s are charged as children. There’s no creche or kids’ club, but staff are happy to arrange babysitting with enough notice (prices on enquiry).

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Pick a spot in the courtyard, parasol-shaded by day, or star-topped by night, for maximum romance.

Dress Code

Casual is fine for day; strive for tropics-inspired glamour for evenings.

Hotel Restaurant

You’ll have a choice of dining spots at Casa Pestagua’s AniMare Restaurant: the grand dining room with its iron chandeliers, tables nestled under the mansion’s signature arches, or out in the courtyard flanked by thick palm trunks. Chef Heberto Eljach’s menu takes its cue from traditional local cooking techniques and flavours influenced by the Caribbean, the Colombian Pacific coast, and wider Colombia’s rich larder. Expect sophisticated dishes full of flavour, skewed towards fish and seafood: try warm mixed seafood ceviche or pork belly mini burgers, followed by truffled oxtail cannelloni or sea bass fillet in shellfish broth. Breakfast is served exclusively for hotel guests here from 6.30am to 10.30am, with lunch and dinner open to all from noon until 11pm.

Hotel Bar

Bid Casa Pestagua’s high ceilings goodbye for a cosy interlude at the inviting AniMare Bar. It has a sultry feel, decorated in deep reds and topped with sturdy, dark-wood beams. The bar serves a petite but tasty menu of snacks, such as Cartagenian snail and shrimp cocktail, and artisan blood sausage, to accompany its selection of beers, wine and spirits.

Room Service

In-room dining from a dedicated menu of snacks, light bites and a selection of mains is available from 6.30am until 10.30pm daily.

Planes

The nearest airport is Rafael Núñez International Airport, which is a 45-minute drive from Casa Pestagua. You can book an airport transfer through the hotel.

Automobiles

There’s no car park at the hotel. If you’re bringing your own wheels, speak to staff about local parking options

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

As if the tranquil pool, top-notch onsite dining and charming Old Town co-ords weren’t enough of a draw, Casa Pestagua also offers access to a private beach on nearby Baru Island. You can join a boat excursion out to its white sands and glittering waters, just 45 minutes away. You can even tack on a couple of nights in an eco cabin to really soak up the island surroundings. Explore Cartagena’s colourful colonial buildings on a guided walking tour, sign up for coffee or rum tasting (or indeed both), or tie an apron on and get stuck into a Colombian cookery class.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .