Hotel Casa Legado

"Set the scene. A mid-century house that’s nearly incognito from the street. Inside, natural-fiber furniture from emerging Colombian designers sits alongside antiques from the home of the owner’s grandmother, below the watchful eye of family photographs on the wall. The decor toes the line between the curated and slightly whimsical, in a style that would make any Anthropologie fan nod in appreciation. Light and greenery spills in from the courtyard garden. What’s the story? Owner Helena Davilá spent over a decade opening a string of small shops throughout Bogotá before turning her eye to the hotel scene. She soon realized that Colombia’s capital was lacking chic stays. “Most hotels in this city are built for business travelers who fly in every week and go home on Fridays,” Davilá said. “I wanted to give the city a place that would fill with people on the weekends.” It’s pretty clear she hit the nail on the head. What can we expect from our room? Each room at Casa Legado is named after one of Davilá's nieces or nephews, with individual decor to match—the Natalia room is inspired by a niece who loves ballet, with delicate curtains draped over the soaking tub in a corner of the bedroom. Little details, such as herbal bath salts next to the tub or a hand-written note with local recommendations, make it especially personable—the kind of room that makes you want to stay in on a Friday night. Word at the breakfast table was that the Lucho room is another highlight, thanks to its private balcony with a hammock. How about the food and drink? Breakfast is the only meal here—but you probably wouldn't want to stay in for lunch or dinner anyway. Guests swap stories over a feast that includes fresh Colombian coffee, local fruits (make sure to ask for a granadilla) and just-squeezed juice. The communal kitchen is open so you can pop in and steal a snack at any hour of the day. Similarly, the honesty bar is just a nook in the dining room from which you can pour a drink at any time. Anything to say about the service? There’s no check-in counter, just a friendly host and several helpers sitting in the living room or bustling about the kitchen who can call you a taxi or book an in-room yoga class. On arrival you’re given fresh coca tea to counter the high altitude. Who comes here? Seasoned travelers and well-read middle-aged couples from the U.K. and U.S. who knew about this hotel from the minute it opened. How does it fit into the neighborhood? Casa Legado has a great location in the personable Quinta Camacho neighborhood, tucked into a side street. Walk a block from the hotel, though, and you'll find everything from buzzing wine bars with live jazz in the evenings to a fresh bakery that opens bright and early every morning. You will need a taxi—and some patience—to get to main sights in the city, but most folk will be glad to escape the grittier downtown areas to sleep here each night. Anything you'd change? Because this is a restored single-family home, you won't find a gym, all-day restaurant or rooftop pool—but the personality you get instead is well worth it. Anything we missed? Design lovers: Ask for a tour of the common spaces, as many of the elements have a story behind them, especially the furniture and artwork that Davilá borrowed from her family to decorate. Worth it—and why? There's no other place in Bogotá like it." - Megan Spurrell

"In a city of hotels targeted at the business traveller, Bogotá’s new boutique Casa Legado breaks the pattern. Owner Helena Davilá, who spent the past decade opening and running a string of small shops throughout the city, had this exact idea in mind—“I wanted to give the city a hotel for leisure travelers; something that would fill with people on the weekends, rather than emptying out.” The seven-room midcentury home is nearly incognito from the street; inside, a world that feels like a second home, with an eye for curated, subtly whimsical decor that would make any Anthropologie shopper nod in appreciation. Harmoniously mismatched dishware garnishes the breakfast table every morning; in the living room, natural-fiber furniture from budding Colombian designers sits alongside antiques from Davilá’s grandmother’s home, below the watchful eye of family photographs on the wall. Each of the seven rooms, named after Davilá’s nieces and nephews, is unique—the Lucho suite boasts a sunny terrace with a hammock, whereas the Natalia has a dreamy soaking tub right in the bedroom—with four in the main structure of the home, and three in the bright atrium behind it, where sun streams through a tangle of vines hanging from the second-story glass ceiling all the way down to the black-and-white tiled floor below. Casa Legado isn’t the first hotel to call itself your home away from home, but the sentiment here feels more genuine than most. FLASH POINT Give one-day’s notice, and the host can set-up an in-room massage, or a private yoga class in the atrium or garden. +57 300-9108-75, casalegadobogota.com. Doubles starting from about $330." - CNT Editors

"At boutique hotel Casa Legado in Bogotá, Colombia, owner and love guru Helena Davila takes this mission very seriously." - Ashlea Halpern