Hotels with History: Lodgings That Were Once Convents, Prisons and Hospitals in Cartagena

Origins

Cartagena de Indias is not explored with the eyes alone. Here the walls speak, the balconies remember and the courtyards hold centuries of silence. And in that logic, few phenomena are as fascinating as that of those buildings that were born to enclose —convents, prisons, hospitals— and today open their doors as hotels. The city, squeezed within its belt of walls, learned to recycle its heritage instead of demolishing it. From that need came a hotel tradition that today is a hallmark of identity.

The most emblematic case is the Hotel Santa Clara (Sofitel Legend Santa Clara), in the San Diego neighborhood. Its history goes back to 1621, when the convent of the Clarisas nuns was founded. For almost four centuries, the cloister functioned as a world apart: an architectural treatise designed for invisibility and enclosure, with a gatehouse, sacristy, parlor, refectory, infirmary, cells for professed nuns and novices, and even punishment cells. In 2021 the Sofitel Legend chain celebrated the 400th anniversary of this cloister, which today is one of the most photographed hotels in the city.

Alongside Santa Clara coexist other equally curious conversions: the Hotel Bantu, which according to oral tradition occupied the old public prison of Getsemaní, and the Hotel Capilla del Mar, built on land that belonged to an old hospital. Prayer, punishment and healing: three different forms of enclosure that ended up under the same roof, that of hospitality. Price ranges in October 2026 go from boutique options at $350,000 COP per night to historic suites above $1,800,000 COP; it is advisable to verify rates directly because they change by season.

Timeline or historical milestones

To understand how we got from cloisters to suites, it is worth ordering the milestones that marked this transformation. It is not an official chronology of the city, but rather the sequence that helps me explain the phenomenon when I walk with visitors through San Diego and Getsemaní.

• 1621: founding of the convent of the Clarisas in San Diego, the seed of the current Hotel Santa Clara. The order imposed a rigorous model of cloister that defined the building's layout for centuries.
• 17th–19th centuries: the convent functions as a space of religious seclusion. The architecture adapts to the rules of invisibility: interior courtyards, high windows, grilled parlors for communication with the outside.
• Republican era: many convents and religious buildings in Cartagena change use after the disentailment processes and the reforms of the 19th century. Some become barracks, schools or public offices. This is the moment when heritage begins to be recycled out of necessity.
• 20th century: the historic center is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, which drives the restoration of mansions and cloisters. The boutique hotel boom begins.
• 1990s–2000s: the Santa Clara is transformed into a luxury hotel after a careful restoration process. Arches, courtyards and the original chapel are preserved. At the same time, in Getsemaní, the old public prison is converted into the Hotel Bantu.
• 2021: the Cloister of the Clarisas turns 400 years old and Sofitel Legend celebrates it with cultural events and storytelling tours for guests and visitors.
• October 2026: the segment of hotels with history is consolidated as one of the main attractions of lodging in Cartagena, with rates that reflect both the location and the heritage value.

Key figures or events

Behind every building there are people. In the case of the Santa Clara, the protagonists are the Clarisas nuns who inhabited the cloister for generations. Their life was governed by enclosure: they did not go out, they did not receive visits without authorization and they communicated with the outside through the parlor. That discipline left its mark on the architecture and also on the popular imagination. Cartagena oral tradition speaks of a nun whose spirit roams the hotel's corridors; it is a legend that the establishment itself has turned into part of its tourist narrative, with storytelling tours offered to guests. It should not be taken as documented history, but rather as part of the folklore that makes the place unique.

In Getsemaní, the Hotel Bantu represents another type of character: the neighborhood itself. Getsemaní was for decades the outskirts of Cartagena, the space of artisans, musicians and popular struggles. The old public prison was a building feared by locals. Its transformation into a boutique hotel is also a symbol of the neighborhood's gentrification, a process that generates debate among residents and that is worth knowing before booking. The Bantu preserves original walls and has integrated elements of the old cells into its contemporary design, with a result that mixes the prison-like and the sophisticated.

The Hotel Capilla del Mar has a less documented history in detail, but its name refers to the chapel that was part of the old hospital. The Bocagrande area, where it is located, grew as a modern beach resort in the mid-20th century, and the hotel became part of that landscape of towers and beach. Its historical value is different from that of Santa Clara or the Bantu: here the heritage mixes with the modern, and the guest seeking pure history might prefer the center.

Hotel Santa Clara (Sofitel Legend Santa Clara)

Entering the Santa Clara is entering a building that smells of old wood and jasmine. The interior courtyards, with their stone arches and fountains, preserve the conventual layout. The original chapel still stands and is used for events; the long, cool corridors are the same ones the nuns walked. The hotel offers storytelling tours —the legend of the nun included— that can be booked even if you are not staying there, although it is advisable to confirm availability and schedules directly with the establishment. It is the most expensive of the three options, but also the most loaded with history. Ideal for travelers who want to sleep inside a monument and don't mind paying for it.

Convent and Cloister of Santa Clara

Beyond the hotel, the convent complex is an architectural document. The arrangement of gatehouse, sacristy, parlor, refectory, infirmary and cells responds to a classic model of cloister. If you are interested in religious architecture, pay attention to the openings and grilles: each element had a function of control and isolation. The cloister, carefully restored, allows you to imagine the cloistered life of the Clarisas. There are no visitable vaults or secret tunnels: that is urban myth. What does exist is the Cuartel de Las Bóvedas, in the Las Bóvedas sector, which has nothing to do with Santa Clara and is sometimes confused in tourist accounts.

Hotel Bantu

The Bantu proves that a prison can become a welcoming place. Located in Getsemaní, the hotel preserves the structure of the old public prison and reinterprets it with contemporary design: stone, wood and steel walls coexist with the cells converted into rooms. The atmosphere is more relaxed than that of the Santa Clara, with a bar and a pool that invite you to stay. It is a mid-to-high price option, very popular among young travelers and budget backpackers. Note: Getsemaní is a vibrant but noisy neighborhood, and safety varies depending on the time. It is advisable to inform yourself about the area before booking.

Hotel Capilla del Mar

In Bocagrande, the Capilla del Mar occupies land that belonged to an old hospital. The current building is modern, with a beach facing the sea and resort services. The historical connection is more tenuous than in the other two cases, but the name and the chapel refer to that sanitary past. It is a good option if you are looking for comfort, beach and more accessible prices, although not so much if your priority is to sleep between colonial walls. Verify rates and availability directly, because the area has a lot of supply and prices fluctuate.

Current status

As of October 2026, the three hotels continue to operate and interest in lodging with history has not declined. The Santa Clara maintains its status as an icon and its storytelling tours are part of the cultural offering of the historic center. The Bantu has consolidated itself as a reference in Getsemaní, and the Capilla del Mar competes in the beach segment. The pandemic hit tourism hard, but the recovery has been solid and prices have returned to high levels.

If you want to visit the Santa Clara without staying there, ask about guided tours at reception or check the hotel's website. They are not always available for non-guests, but when they are, they are worth it. For the Bantu, the best way to learn about its history is to book a night or at least have a drink at its bar. And for the Capilla del Mar, the beach and the pool are the main attraction; history is a plus, not the focus.

Book in advance, especially in high season (December–January and Holy Week). The reference prices for this month range from $350,000 COP in boutique options to more than $1,800,000 COP in historic suites, but they vary depending on the date and how far in advance you book. And if you stay at the Santa Clara, ask about the nun's cell and the original cloister: it is the best way to close a trip that began as a convent and ends as an unforgettable memory.