Travel Agent - October 15, 2007 - (Page 28)

DESTINATIONS BOUTIQUE HOTELS DURING A RECENT VENTURE TO CARTAGENA, Proexport—Colombia’s tourism board—took us on a tour of boutique hotels in the area, where we were pleasantly surprised to see the array of great products offered. We say they are all are suitable for clients looking to tour the historic city. Here’s a peek at what we saw: The Grand Suite at Charleston Cartagena Claustro de Santa Teresa Cartagena’s CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA BY JOE PIKE Travel Agent toured a series of lovely properties in Colombia’s picturesque seaport Casa La Fe The 14-room Casa La Fe (www.casalafe.com) hotel is in the town square, Plaza Fernandez de Madrid, a busy and somewhat noisy area of Cartagena. The street is a bit congested, so prepare for some New York City-like audio when staying at this otherwise cozy boutique hotel. Like most of the boutique hotels we will be discussing, rooms are relatively cheap, starting at about $130 a night. We toured room 306, which is an upstairs balcony room. There are four rooms with balconies, all recommended because they provide a great view of the city’s houses and other buildings. The roof, which is open to all guests, has a small dipping pool. Agents should contact co-owners Carmen Marrugo and Geoff Chew at +57-5-6640306 or admin@casalafe.com. El Cabildo de Bantú This boutique hotel (www.bantuhotel.com) is similar in design to Casa La Fe but is night and day when it comes to location. This property is on a very quiet side street where you can hear a mouse sneeze. All rooms are between $120 and $200. We particularly liked room 209, a small room with twin beds. We immediately thought it would be great for a girlfriends’ getaway. The rooftop Presidential Suite is unique in that it has access to many of the roof’s picnic tables and lounge chairs, as well as great views of Cartagena. In fact, most of the hotels we visited took a lot of pride in their rooftops, all designed to provide a relaxing setting while enjoying the view. Agents should contact Henry Marteo, hotel manager, at +57-5-6643362. 28 | TravelAgent October 15, 2007 http://www.casalafe.com http://www.bantuhotel.com

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Travel Agent - October 15, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe Central & South America Special Supplement: Ski University Pacific/Asia Las Vegas Caribbean Romantic Getaway and Honeymoon Packages Jamaica’s New Minister of Tourism Talks About the Country’s Future Special Package Deals Cruises Hotels Ski Multi-Generational Travel Tours Cover Story: Luxe Life of the Stewart Clan Business Operations - Agent Profile Technology Transportation The Industry - Agenda Caribbean News PATA Travel Mart ITME Report Latest Cruise and Hotel News Travel Week In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch

Travel Agent - October 15, 2007

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