Movich Hotel Casa del Alférez

It may come as a surprise to those of us with only the vaguest, headline-driven notions of life in Colombia’s third-largest city, but in many ways Cali is something of a party town. Hopelessly enthralled with salsa music, teeming with bars and cafés that spill out onto the sidewalks, home to a sophisticated culinary scene and populated by famously beautiful people, it’s a destination that — despite persistent issues with crime — feels poised for some serious rebranding. And if Cali is a city with two very different faces, the Movich Casa del Alférez is firmly on its good side, a stylish modern hotel in the upscale Granada neighborhood. Five minutes from downtown and within walking distance of San Antonio, the city’s historic center, it’s a convenient base for both business and leisure.

Though they feel at home amidst the neighborhood’s elegant homes and old Colonial buildings, the hotel’s tastefully restrained rooms could stand their own in any of the region’s more crowded hotel markets. They’re airy and bright, with plush king-size beds, deeply grained wood floors and plenty of natural light flooding in through oversized windows. Book well and you’ve got a balcony on the other side of those French doors, perfect for lazing about and watching the street life below.

Come late afternoon, when the daily breeze rolls in and cools the air (the city is warm year-round), you’ll want to head down to the open-air bar. Lit with torches and candles beneath the building’s stone walls and a stand of palm trees, it’s as relaxing as can be — a fine place to unwind, whether after a long day of meetings or a long night on your feet at the neighborhood’s salsatecas.