When Don Pedro de Heredia officially founded the city of Cartagena de Indias on 1st June 1533, giving it the name of Cartagena de Poniente in order to distinguish it from Cartagena de Levante in Spain, he could never have imagined that centuries later this place would acquire such importance, and even less that this place that had once been the land of seasoned and brave Carib Indians, would have been transformed into the city that it is today.

This is where, in the eighteenth century, the mansion was built that now houses the Merced Boutique Hotel, located on Don Sancho street facing the classical Plaza of La Merced, where so many fine people of Cartagena were shot at the time of Independence, in the historical heart of the city, next to the Heredia Theater and the ancient convent of La Merced. The mansion was built inside the oldest walled part of the city where the splendid breakers of the Caribbean Sea crash against the walls, and the salty tang of the sea breezes permeates every corner.

More recently, in 1897 the Pretelt Martínez family purchased and restored the property, incorporating decorative architectural elements from the late colonial and republican periods. Ever since, the atmosphere of the place has reflected the good taste and behavior of the exemplary citizens and fine people who have always lived there. This is why each of the hotel’s eight guest rooms, (costing between US$250 and US$750 including breakfast in the Salon Doña Carmen) and function rooms bear the name of a famous family member, thereby paying tribute to these ancestors who wander through the Hotel’s light, high ceiling rooms, gardens and balconies.

In the year 2004 the property underwent restyling, with the objective of ensuring that each area was equipped to meet the comfort standards of a first class hotel, but without forgetting the style and use of space of the original house; each of the rooms has its own air conditioning, ceiling fan, mini bar, safety deposit box, cable TV and wireless Internet.

The result is a happy marriage between modernity and comfort, and the luxury of the Colonial and Republican periods which we sometimes think has been lost to us, a world whose lime and pebbled walls offered a cool refuge and a safe oasis far from the sun and the bustle of the paved streets. On the first floor we find the “Don Sabas” room, decorated specifically with meetings in mind, equipped with the highest quality technology and electronics; on the balcony of the “Don Jaime” suite you can enjoy the sun in the jacuzzi or simply relax as you let your gaze wander to the horizon of the Caribbean sea; alternatively you can enjoy the magnificent swimming pool in the “Doña Carmen” garden, incredibly beauty in a private and friendly environment.

If you prefer a more active holiday, the Hotel can arrange cycle tours and, thanks to arrangements with a variety of local operators, your can enjoy tours of the city or trips by yacht, sailing boat or motor launch, enjoy windsurfing or diving. If you enjoy nightlife you must take in a visit to the

Heróica after sunset where colors and reflections turn this into the most beautiful city in the Americas. Marvel at its streets, squares, churches, forts, walls and ramparts by star light; this is a luxury not to be missed.

When your stay comes to an end and if your heart is heavy with the prospect of having to leave or you have been enchanted by the Hotel’s atmosphere, don’t forget that everything, down to the tiniest detail, is available for purchase and can be shipped to your home, thereby satisfying the desire to take away something of the charming atmosphere that embraced you during your stay.