Sonesta Collection Opens 118-room Sonesta Hotel Cartagena in Colombia, South America; Managed by GHL Hoteles

Sonesta Collection announced the opening of its fourth hotel in Colombia, the 118-room Sonesta Hotel Cartagena. Located in Northern Colombia, the city is just 68 miles/115km from Barranquilla, a 1 hour flight from Bogota and 2 ½ hours from Miami. The climate offers a temperature of ~84°F with refreshing ocean breezes. This hotel, and its sister properties in Bogota, Barranquilla and Valledupar, Colombia; Peru; and Chile are all branded Sonesta Hotels and managed by Colombia based GHL Hoteles.

"We are excited to bring another exciting full-service upscale hotel to our collection in South America," said Stephanie Sonnabend, president and chief executive officer for Sonesta. "This hotel offers spectacular views of the Caribbean and as our first beach resort in Latin America, it is a wonderful addition to our collection."

The hotel is located in La Boquilla, a new neighborhood in the northern zone of Cartagena, close to the historic downtown. Most of the guest rooms at the Sonesta Hotel Cartagena offer water views, as the hotel is situated along Colombia's Caribbean coast. This is a tropical city that blends modern with Old World seamlessly. The hotel offers a restaurant, lounge, poolside dining, a beach bar and room service. The hotel's health club offers state-of-the-art exercise equipment, three swimming pools, whirlpool, and tennis court. The hotel can be found online at www.sonesta.com/cartagena and can also be booked in the GDS at:

• Sabre: Chain code is SO and Cartagena Property code is 141502
• Amadeus: Chain code is SN and Cartagena Property code is CTGSOC
• Galileo: Chain code is SN and Cartagena Property code is 16554
• Worldspan: Chain code is SN and Cartagena Property code is CTGSC

Cartagena features a rich culinary palate offering a fusion of Caribbean, European, African and Asian cuisines and haute nightlife. Music includes cumbia, vallenato, merengue, salsa and Caribbean rhythms and live music in the streets, squares, restaurants and clubs. The historic walled city of Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering 300 year old Spanish colonial buildings and medieval streets encircled by two miles of stone walls. Some of tourist destinations in Cartagena include the Castillo de San Filipe, a 17th century fort, the Gold Museum and the Inquisition Palace, the Church and Monastery of San Pedro Claver and the Museum of Modern Art. Tourists also enjoy day trips to the rustic off-shore islands.

GHL Hoteles, who has managed Sonesta Hotels in Peru since 2005, owns and operates hotels throughout South America. With more than 40 years of experience in the hotel industry, GHL currently, operates 40 hotels in Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Panama; including 14 Sonesta Hotels located in Peru, Chile and Colombia.