Four Seasons’ Cartagena Opening Rebuilds a Historic District Into One Hotel
The 131-key hotel links restored heritage buildings steps from Cartagena’s walled city.
Photos: Courtesy of Four Seasons
Four Seasons has opened its long-awaited Cartagena hotel, bringing 131 rooms (and a residential offering) into a cluster of restored heritage buildings in the Getsemaní district, just outside the city’s walled core.
The project, in development for several years, is one of the more complex adaptive reuse plays in the Caribbean market, blending multiple historic structures, including the former Club Cartagena, into a single footprint.
Getsemaní has shifted over the past decade from a local, arts-driven neighborhood into one of Cartagena’s most active hotel and F&B corridors, sitting steps from the UNESCO-listed old town but with a more contemporary mix of galleries, cafés, and nightlife. The hotel also sits adjacent to the convention center, giving it direct access to group and event demand.
The physical product relies heavily on existing architecture, integrating colonial-era buildings with newer construction, resulting in a layout that moves through courtyards, passageways, and internal plazas rather than a single unified structure. Of the 131 accommodations, 27 are set within preserved heritage spaces, with original architectural details. The remainder are contemporary rooms accessed through newly built sections that connect the historic footprint.
The late François Catroux led key interior concepts, one of his final hospitality projects, along with WATG, Wimberly Interiors, AvroKO, and Enea Garden Design. Local artists and Colombian designers contributed across furniture, artwork, and sculptural elements.
Food and beverage is a major part of the positioning, with eight venues on site. The headline concept is the Grand Grill, developed with Major Food Group, alongside Bar Lelarge in the former club building. Other outlets include a rooftop bar (El Palmar), a coffee-led café, a pizzeria set within a former church site, and a speakeasy-style cocktail bar.
Wellness is centered around the Umari Spa, built into a restored cloister, with six treatment rooms and programming tied to Colombian botanicals. Two rooftop pools and a full-service fitness center round out the leisure offering. Event infrastructure includes a 300-person ballroom within a restored historic hall, plus smaller meeting rooms and outdoor terraces.
