24-Hour Room Service: Hotel Casa de la Botica, Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá and boutique are not two words that normally trip off the tongue in tandem but, surprisingly, tucked away in the old part of the city is Hotel Casa de la Botica, a chic hotel in a former colonial family home.

Opened just 18 months ago following a painstaking and exacting 10-year restoration and reinvention by its owner, architect Hector Calderon-Bozzi, this elegant establishment boasts five sleek suites and a further five ample rooms circled by a pretty, landscaped garden.

Its architecture reflects the best mixture of colonial Spanish architecture touched tastefully with a Moorish brush; an Arabic-style central tiled courtyard features a pool with fountains reminiscent, although on a smaller scale, of one featured in the Alhambra Palace in Spain. A typical blue hue adorns La Botica's façade, with traditional Andalucian-style carpentry reflected in the dark timber balconies on the upper floor and recycled terracotta roof tiles topping the creation off.

Each generously sized suite has been individually designed – many with mezzanine bedrooms suspended above a cosy living area – and dressed with bespoke gleaming dark wood furniture and fine soft furnishings; open fires are a focal point. Exposed brick walls contrast with others painted in cool, neutral tones, which in combination with the dark timber beams gives the space heaps of warmth. Large decorative glass windows geometrically framed with steel allow light to flood into the rooms. Ultra-modern bathrooms fitted with shiny saucer-sized chrome shower-heads shoot high-powered jets of water into mosaic-tiled showers definitely designed for two.

The 350-year-old building has an important and interesting heritage, having been home to editors, journalists and literary figures, including Colombia's first female poet: Silvia Espinosa de los Montero. Her family, who were in residence during the late 18th century, were also responsible for printing Thomas Paine's political writing the Rights of Man, which had a profound influence on the fight for independence from Spain – and was translated in Bogotá in 1794.

This ample, attractive colonial building had been a family home over the centuries until carefully converted into a hotel by Señor Calderon-Bozzi. Today it warmly welcomes an upmarket clientele from arts and business spheres, as well as discerning couples and families seeking a stylish stay in Colombia's capital.

LOCATION

Hotel Casa de la Botica, 6-45 Calle 9, La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia (00 571 281 0811; www.hotelcasadelabotica.com). The hotel is safely situated on a private road in La Candelaria – one of the best-preserved major historical centres in Latin America and heaving with handsome colonial buildings, fine churches and myriad museums. La Botica is five minutes from the city's historical and cultural centre and Plaza de Bolívar – marked out by the city's founders as its heart and home to Bogotá's cathedral. The Museo de Arte Colonial is almost on your doorstep, with the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) five blocks away.

Time from international airport: Just 15 minutes in a taxi from El Dorado International Airport at a price of approximately $8 (£4.20).

COMFORTABLE?

Wander from the lean, mean streets of central Bogotá into the tranquil courtyard of La Botica, unlock your creaky old door and your concept of comfort will be redefined. A stone floor is strewn with rugs beaming with the full spectrum of light. The bed invites you to curl up and revel in the serenity that often seems an endangered species in Bogotá. Slide between the Egyptian cotton sheets, on to a generous feather bed for a dreamy dose of South American slumber.

Freebies: Casa de la Botica's own-brand toiletries line the bathroom shelves.

Keeping in touch: All guest rooms have free broadband connection, direct-dial telephones, and flat-screen televisions with DVD players.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Prices for double rooms start at 330,000 pesos (£95), including breakfast.

I'm not paying that: Also located in La Candelaria is Hostal Fatima (00 571 281 6389; www.hostalfatima.com), a small hostel housed in a pretty, colonial building. Doubles with private bathroom start at $34 (£18) including breakfast.

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