Colombian chic: Staying at the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota

Editor's note: The Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota provided TPG with a complimentary two-night stay so that we could get an inside look at the hotel and its amenities. The opinions expressed below are entirely those of the author and weren't subject to review by the hotel or any external entity.

It's not unusual to see residential units comprising parts of hotels these days. What is unusual, though, is to stay in a former residential building that has been converted into a hotel. This isn't just any hotel — it's one of the most luxurious accommodations in South America.

Originally constructed in the city's upscale Chapinero district by famed architect Santiago Medina Mejia in 1946, Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota feels at once modern yet nostalgic and provides an ideal home base for exploring the Colombian capital.

Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota location

The Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota is in the city's Zona G — where the "g" stands for "gastronomy" since the district is home to many of Bogota's best restaurants. It's the Chapinero district that drapes down the foothills of the Andes on the city's northeast side.

The hotel sits right on one of the area's busiest thoroughfares, Avenida Carrera 7, so there is often traffic outside the front door. If you have one of the rooms facing the inner courtyard or side streets, it's much quieter.

The drive to or from El Dorado International Airport (BOG) takes anywhere from 30 to 75 minutes, depending on the time of day. It should cost between $20 and $35 through a ride-hailing service like Uber, which is widely available and safe to use.

Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota booking details

Rates at the Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota start at around $330 per night, depending on the time of year.

The hotel is part of Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, so folks with The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express who make a booking through AmexTravel.com can enjoy some benefits. These include complimentary daily breakfast for two, room upgrades based on availability, a $100 on-property credit to use during their stay and guaranteed late checkout.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

The hotel is also part of Chase's The Edit. If you have an eligible card and make your booking through Chase Travel, you can expect perks such as daily breakfast for two, availability-based room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout based on availability, a $100 property credit to use during your stay and a welcome gift. Those with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® can redeem Ultimate Rewards points for stays booked at The Edit properties.

Other cards you can use for The Edit bookings include:

• United℠ Explorer Card
• United Club℠ Infinite Card
• United Quest℠ Card
• United℠ Business Card

Standout features

• History is palpable in the architecture, which features elements like stone columns and hand-carved wooden doors salvaged from colonial-era convents.
• The location can't be beat, within walking distance of some of the city's best restaurants and shopping.
• Rooms are spacious and distinct thanks to the building's unique past — no cookie-cutter accommodations here.

Drawbacks

• The windows are soundproof, but some rooms still have to contend with traffic noise from bustling Avenida Carrera 7.
• Due to its historic nature, the building is not wheelchair-friendly. Stairs are required to access many of its spaces and the elevators might not accommodate some devices.
• Dining is limited to a single restaurant (and the speak-easy, Boulevardier), so you'll probably need to venture out for meals.

The vibe

Many hotels these days boast about having a residential-style ambience. However, the Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota actually began its existence as a luxury apartment building when it was built nearly eight decades ago.

It's no wonder, then, that each of the distinctive brick building's 43 guest rooms and 19 suites feels self-contained and unique. That's in part thanks to their idiosyncratic layouts — each room is fairly unique, even within the same category.

The hotel also feels homey because the hotel incorporates lovingly restored architectural elements salvaged from demolished colonial-era convents. These include intricately carved wooden doors, half-timbered ceilings and sculptural stone columns.

That's not to say there's no wow factor, though. Just stroll in the front door, and your eye will be drawn to the dramatic wooden spiral staircase framing a colorful stained-glass window. Equally intriguing is the crowd of Chanel-clad socialites you'll regularly spot celebrating birthday brunches and girls' nights at the restaurant Castanyoles and the sultry speak-easy Boulevardier.

The room

My Premier Queen room was just opposite the elevator on the hotel's second floor overlooking Avenida Carrera 7. It was a wide-open space of about 400 square feet with a work and dining area paneled in dark wood just inside the door. The minibar included a Nespresso machine, complimentary bottles of water (a godsend for staying hydrated at Bogota's high elevation), and snacks like a sweet and salty nut mix.

Beyond that, through a stone-pillared archway, was the bedroom. The signature Four Seasons bed was framed by its own set of rough-hewn stone pillars, wrought-iron hanging bedside lights and steamer trunk-inspired nightstands. (I found electrical outlets and USB-A plugs tucked away on the nightsrands.)

Across from the bed, there was a stone fireplace and a chest holding the 55-inch flat-screen television that resembled a vintage suitcase and a club-style high-backed leather armchair. Wi-Fi was complimentary and fast.

Back toward the front door, the bathroom was clad in beige and brown limestone and marble. It had a single sink and a walk-in shower, both of which featured high-end Colombian brand Loto Del Sur's Acacia del Amazonas line of hair and skin products.

The historical architecture seemed to limit some possibilities for the room — the placement of furniture, for instance, and the size of the bathroom. Still, it lent the space so much unique character that it ended up heightening the sense of luxury.

Food and drink at the Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota

The hotel's restaurant, Castanyoles, is open every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It felt like a festive greenhouse thanks to its glass ceiling and wall of plants in the main dining room and bar area, not to mention the colorful tiling and white chairs.

It was across an inner garden courtyard from the reception area and the concierge's parlor off the main entrance. That said, you had to go up and down a few different small sets of stairs, either through the inner courtyard garden or via some hallways, to get there from the lobby. If you want to avoid stairs, though, take the other entrance via a side street; you'll pass through a casual cafe area on your way.

For lunch and dinner, the menu skews mostly Spanish with specialties like croquettes with Iberico ham ($7) and juicy prawns in savory pil pil sauce ($13). There are three different kinds of paella, including a delicious and hearty traditional Valencia-style one with seafood and chicken ($18) that I tried.

The breakfast spread was pretty lavish as well. It included choices of coffee drinks (this is Colombia, after all), tropical fruit juices and smoothies, fresh fruit, made-to-order eggs and house-baked pastries, including local cheese-filled arepas, among other options.

Just last year, the hotel opened a new speak-easy Boulevardier in a former back-of-house space that is, ironically, toward the front of the building. It is open Tuesday-Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight.

Sure, you can walk in off the street, but it's far more fun to go through the courtyard, down a set of clandestine stairs and through a maintenance area until you reach a golden door. (It's a reference to Colombia's ancient cultures and Bogota's famous, artifacts-filled Museo del Oro.)

Before long, a bar person will appear to show you into the moody, two-story, art deco-inspired space.

Settle in at one of the tables along the green velvet banquette or in the low-slung chairs forming a vignette by a bricked-up fireplace. To keep an eye on the action, though, the bar is the place to sit. You can watch the staff mix up specialties like a tangy but earthy Crimson Coffee Fizz with Macallan 12 Sherry Oak Cask whisky infused with Colombian coffee beans, Amaro and Tonka soda ($12.50).

The bar is also known for its flights of whisky and Cuban cigars. There was an intriguing selection of "finger foods" (basically fancy bar bites), including sweet and sour "bang bang" tempura shrimp with panela sauce, lemongrass and lime ($6), and cute mini beef Wellingtons with serrano ham and bearnaise sauce ($7).

Overall, the atmosphere was quiet but convivial on a Tuesday evening, and it got progressively busier throughout the week.

Amenities and service at the Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota

The hotel had a beautiful inner courtyard with various seating areas, including a covered one with a fireplace for chilly weather. Here, you could sit in the sunshine and get some work done during the day or come for a coffee or a cocktail in the evening. I saw many other guests coworking out here or even eating their meal from Castanyoles outside.

The hotel had a small subterranean spa and gym accessible via an elevator near Castanyoles. The gym had a treadmill, elliptical and recumbent bike, as well as some free weights and a few weight machines.

The spa, meanwhile, had a cute little waiting area and just two treatment rooms. Guests can choose from signature treatments such as a 150-minute, invigorating Colombian Green Coffee body wrap meant to enliven the skin before a massage and a facial. There's also the 150-minute Tropical Escape Ritual, complete with a mango-papaya exfoliation before a nourishing body mask followed by a massage and a facial.

Oddly, the receptionist was unable to price treatments out for me, and there was no menu available. Eventually, they called the hotel's sister property nearby to ask the prices and determined them to be about $185.

At the cafe area opposite Castanyoles, there was a casual corner that functioned as a kind of artisan boutique with handmade handicrafts from around Colombia, including bags, hats and baskets. However, you can probably find many of these items at lower prices around the city.

Service at the hotel was impeccable yet approachable. Everyone I interacted with was congenial, eager to have a conversation in English or Spanish (depending on whether I wanted to practice) and knew me by name after my first night. Several offered helpful suggestions for things to do around Bogota, provided shopping tips or offered to book various tours through partner operators. The staff members were truly one of the best parts of the hotel experience.

Out and about

The hotel is in one of the easiest-to-navigate neighborhoods in Bogota, especially if you want to experience some of the city's best shopping and dining. The surrounding streets are filled with bars, cafes, restaurants and fashion boutiques. Restaurants that routinely rank among the world's best, including Leo and Humo Negro, are short drives away. (You can even walk to Leo.)

One of my favorite stores in the city for purchasing authentic handicrafts from around the country, Artesanias de Colombia, is a 20-minute walk away in the upscale Zona T. This area is home to a lot of restaurants and nightlife as well as several luxury shopping centers.

If you want to get to Bogota's historic center to see the imposing Plaza de Armas or visit the charming nearby neighborhood of Candelaria to see its various museums (including one devoted to Colombian artist Fernando Botero), it takes about a half-hour in a car. The drive costs around $10 through a ride-hailing service. The same is true if you want to take the cable car or funicular up Monserrate for stunning city views.

Accessibility

Unfortunately, due to its historic nature and preservation as a listed landmark, the hotel has limited accessibility for wheelchair users. Many of its public areas are only accessible via stairs, and though guest rooms are accessible via elevator, the elevators themselves are quite small; it would be difficult for wheelchair users to enter and exit.

Checking out

Four Seasons Casa Medina Bogota remains one of the city's most luxurious and original hotels. Thanks to its palpable history, it feels like there is a surprise around every corner, be it a stained-glass portrait or a gorgeously carved doorframe; there are both architectural and decorative features to admire. As you might expect from a flagship Four Seasons outpost, the staff members are extremely polished yet genuinely warm. They do as much as they can to ensure your stay is memorable.

Related reading:

• The Best Four Seasons hotels in the world
• The best hotel credit cards
• Get free breakfast, upgrades and more with the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program
• The best hotel rewards programs in the world
• The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison