Reader's home of the month
SleepyGirl's Stourbridge Terrace is this month's winner of a £150 Habitat giftcard
La Passion Cartagena
WHY? This 19th-century mansion is the ideal place to soak up the ex-Spanish colony's seductive atmosphere and faded grandeur.
WHERE? In the heart of Cartagena's picturesque Old City, a UNESCO world heritage site, that provided the setting for many of Gabriel García Márquez's novels and the recent film adaptation, Love in the Time of Cholera.
STAYING IN Recline among tropical greenery in the open courtyard, or relax in the lobby lounge's suspended swinging sofa, fashioned from a salvaged timber fishing boat. Take a dip in the azure pool on the rooftop terrace while enjoying a bird's-eye view of the city's architecture.
OUT AND ABOUT Stroll through the enchanting streets of the Old City and experience a riot of colour, from toucans flying above brightly painted buildings and balconies dripping with bougainvillea, to the peach-tinted 16th-century Santo Domingo cathedral. Browse the arts and crafts boutiques of Las Bóvedas, or enjoy a boat trip to the Rosario Islands. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride at dusk, before feasting on fresh seafood in the cafés of Plaza Santa Domingo. Later, join the locals at Quiebra Canto to salsa till sunrise.
STYLE STEAL Deck out your terrace with leafy banana plants in giant terracotta pots, wicker furniture and pieces made from rough-hewn reclaimed wood.
MORE INFO Doubles from £140 per night. +57 5 664 8605, lapassionhotel.com.
More designer hotels on Livingetc
WHERE? In the heart of Cartagena's picturesque Old City, a UNESCO world heritage site, that provided the setting for many of Gabriel García Márquez's novels and the recent film adaptation, Love in the Time of Cholera.
STAYING IN Recline among tropical greenery in the open courtyard, or relax in the lobby lounge's suspended swinging sofa, fashioned from a salvaged timber fishing boat. Take a dip in the azure pool on the rooftop terrace while enjoying a bird's-eye view of the city's architecture.
OUT AND ABOUT Stroll through the enchanting streets of the Old City and experience a riot of colour, from toucans flying above brightly painted buildings and balconies dripping with bougainvillea, to the peach-tinted 16th-century Santo Domingo cathedral. Browse the arts and crafts boutiques of Las Bóvedas, or enjoy a boat trip to the Rosario Islands. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride at dusk, before feasting on fresh seafood in the cafés of Plaza Santa Domingo. Later, join the locals at Quiebra Canto to salsa till sunrise.
STYLE STEAL Deck out your terrace with leafy banana plants in giant terracotta pots, wicker furniture and pieces made from rough-hewn reclaimed wood.
MORE INFO Doubles from £140 per night. +57 5 664 8605, lapassionhotel.com.
More designer hotels on Livingetc