There are plenty of luxurious boutique hotels in Cartagena de Indias of Colombia as this is clearly the top destination in the country for upscale travelers. There’s a new kid on the historic blocks of the center now that’s a clear contender: Casa San Agustin Boutique Hotel.

Located in a prime spot in the UNESCO World Heritage walled old city of Cartagena, this 24-room hotel is easy walking distance to all the plazas, bars, shops, and restaurants, as well as the stone walls facing the beach and water.

It’s a conversion of three houses into a hotel, with a cohesive design that pulls them all together in lots of cremes, whites, and earth tones blended with plenty of Colombian touches. It’s all aesthetically spot-on and chic, design-savvy without being ostentatious or uncomfortable. Original walls are blended into the design—one supporting the arches from a centuries-0ld aqueduct—and some exposed frescoes in the library room.

Meal times are a delight here and even if you stay elsewhere, get the hotel’s restaurant on your itinerary sometime.

“The beautifully designed Alma Restaurant lives up to its custom hardwood furniture and Colombian handicrafts with a menu that features local seafood, beef aged on the premises, and delightful desserts using the wealthy of fruits and cacao grown in the country. Presented with international flair and confidence, yet drawing on the homeland for inspiration, the menu here is getting a reputation as one of the best in the city. A fine wine list and inventive cocktails round out the experience here or at the equally attractive bar with tapas menu.”

In a city with stiff competition already, this is nevertheless a great addition to the Cartagena boutique hotel scene. See our full review of Casa San Agustin.

It has been a few years since we first reported on the Azuero Peninsula region of Panama in our real estate section. This area has long been considered a cradle of traditional Panamanian customs and folklore, now one of the fastest-growing regions in an already economically flourishing country. One of the main focal points of this attention now is the ambitious Cubitá Wyndham Grand hotel/residential/commercial project currently under construction in the city of Chitre. The project combines traditional architectural motifs and materials, unique details such as a colonial chapel and museum, and state-of-the-art amenities.

What’s special about Azuero?

According to a recent economic study, the Azuero Peninsula currently outranks neighboring provinces in a number of economic indicators including per capita GDP, the nation’s highest after the province of Panama, surpassing Chiriqui, Coclé and Veraguas. More than 60 large companies with operations at the national level have established branches in Chitre in the past ten years, including retail businesses, service industries, car dealerships, restaurant franchises, health services, higher education institutions, banks, supermarkets and hotels.

Recently the United Nations Development Program gave the district of Chitre the nation’s highest marks in the human development index, a measurement of quality of life based on factors such as the education level of its population and life expectancy.

The Cubitá Wyndham Grand complex encompasses a 100-room luxury hotel scheduled to begin operations in July of this year, 26 single-family residences, 4 condominium complexes with a total of 64 apartments, a shopping plaza with 20 commercial spaces, a colonial chapel that provides the perfect setting for destination weddings, and a museum highlighting the region’s heritage and local artisans. Amenities available to both community residents and hotel guests include a restaurant, event center, pool, gym, sauna, and spa.

The doors of the elegant Tonosi Model Show Home, one of the two models of single-family residences available, opened this past November. See floor plans of the two available styles at the Cubita site.

The four condominium complexes will offer residents an ideal lock-up-and-go lifestyle, with elevators, covered parking, and the option to the apartment in a property rental and management program, earning an income for those who don’t intend to live there all year round.

More than 60 percent of the homes, apartments, and commercial spaces are sold at this point, so sign up to get more info if this coastal retirement or vacation home opportunity looks intriguing. This is a straightforward path to grab a spot in the vibrant yet charmingly laid-back Azuero region, known for the warmth of its people, the pristine beauty of its beaches, and the effervescence of its festivals.

With the opening of new Palacio Astoreca, luxury travelers have another luxury hotel option in Chile’s port city near several wine-producing regions.

Valparaiso has long been a popular destination for those traveling in Chile, but it’s also been lacking in high-end places to spend the night. Astoreca changes all that and let’s hope it’s the start of a trend. (The city could certainly use an influx of visitors to fund the work that needs to be done to keep the remaining aging funiculars running.)

You’ve probably read about this hotel already if you subscribe to any glossy travel magazines. The thing is, they were probably going off a press release and had never stepped inside. We’ve got a person on the scene in Chile, however, so our detailed review is from someone who has stayed there and eaten there.

The “stayed” part is all about the building: a restored 1920′s fairy tale house that looks like it came out of a children’s book drawing. Perched on a hillside—as most of the houses are here—it has terrific views over the rooftops to the harbor.

This is no frumpy B&B, however, as some original elements like parquet floors are combined with sleek interiors worthy of a design magazine shoot.

The “eaten” part is what is bringing curious diners from Santiago in: the chef’s previous posting was at Spain’s famous El Bulli restaurant. How’s that for pedigree? Our reviewer found the presentation and cuisine lived up to the hype.

The pool here is inside, giving our long-running featured Valparaiso hotel Casa Higueras an edge in the outdoor lounging category, but this one does have an outdoor hot tub.

See our full review of Palacio Astoreca boutique hotel in Chile.

We’ve posted our full review of Casa Gangotena hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage historic center of Quito, Ecuador. But if a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video tour should be worth several thousand, right?

Enjoy the tour of the inside and outside, or just follow that link for a description of what the experience is like, including in the restaurant.

As I posted a while back, there are some unique attributes to Quito’s most recent luxury hotel addition. The view of Plaza San Francisco is spectacular and it changes throughout your stay as the sun moves across the sky and then sets. While I was there I took some time to venture out with one of the chefs on a walking gastronomy tour of Quito. That was enlightening and it shed a whole new light on the great lunch we had afterwards. Even if you don’t stay here, try to come by for lunch or dinner as this is a restaurant that gives you traditional Ecuadoran food, but stepped up to a higher (and prettier) level.

The hotel is situated in a historic mansion, one of the city’s most important, though of course it’s been through a lot of changes to turn it into a hotel with modern wiring and plumbing. Even where the walls were gutted and everything replaced, however, the vibe from the 1920s (when a rebuilding took place after a fire) was the cue for room designs and it all feels rich in an bygone days manner—albeit with nice flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi.

You can walk out the door and stroll the old city from here or hop in a cab and be at the best modern restaurants in ten minutes. See more here: Gangotena Quito.

If the opening of new luxury hotels is an indicator of a healthy economy, Chile is certainly doing much better than more-hyped Brazil. We’ve noted several times lately that most of the new and notable hotels opening or about to open in South America are located in Chile and the newest addition to the scene is Lastarria Boutique Hotel in Santiago.

Following in the footsteps of Hotel Aubrey not far away, Lastarria is a 14-room inn that nevertheless has a restaurant, lounge, and swimming pool. It also features spacious rooms that are certainly no B&B step down.

Here you have high quality linens, huge beds, classic antique-looking furniture, big windows, flat screen televisions, iPod docks, and 5-star bathrooms. In some rooms you get your own private balcony with sofas and lounge chairs or a Jacuzzi.

The location is attractive and convenient, close to a big park, the metro, and the nightlife neighborhood of Bellavista—a ten-minute walk away.

If you want a big business chain hotel, there are plenty of those in Santiago like you find in most any capital city. But if two instances is the start of a trend, then Santiago is on its way to  more personality in its upscale lodgings—fitting for a country that boasts so many of them elsewhere. It’ll be a while before this capital is anything close to Buenos Aires in terms of style, but the opening of Lastarria is a positive sign for those who like their hotel to feel intimate and attentive.

See our full review of Lastarria Boutique Hotel.

See other luxury hotels in Chile.