Holiday Issue 2019

61 Feb19192 Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa : Offering Unforgettable Guest Experiences The Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa is a 5-star luxury hotel in the walled port city of Cartagena. A restored 17th century convent, it impresses with its stylish, contemporary interiors and central location, perfect for tourists to explore the wonders of this historic location. It’s no surprise then that the hotel was recently recognised as ‘Colombia's Best Luxury Hotel’ in LUXlife’s 2019 Global Luxury Hotel & Spa Awards. We spoke with Harry James, Business Intelligence Manager at the hotel, to find out more. A multicultural hub that delights in its old-world traditionalism, Cartagena remains a natural destination for those that want to experience something a little different to the norm. In this wonderful walled city, the Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa remains a stalwart, looming over the Cartagena famous port. As a luxury establishment, the hotel specialises in creating unforgettable experiences for their discerning guests, securing their patronage for the years ahead. Naturally, much of a hotel’s enduring appeal lies in the intangible; most importantly, the customer service and guest experience. Like their peers, the Hotel Charleston recognises the importance of exceeding expectations, as Harry explains further: “We provide the best possible service to our clients by fulfilling our promise of service, in surpassing expectations, and personally attending to our guests’ needs. This goes hand in hand with the high-quality standards that you would expect from a five-star hotel.” Of course, the staff play a key role in delivering this exceptional level of service: “Our staff is a multicultural component that is trained to always offer the best service. In addition to that innate talent to serve, each of our collaborators is an ambassador of service standards, knows the mission of the hotel, knows each guest and above everything is focussed on exceeding expectations.” Over the last few years in particular, the luxury travel and tourism industry has pivoted away from traditionalism - becoming defined, primarily, by the ‘experience economy’. It has been a challenge for hotels the world over to adapt to the changing needs of their guests. Yet, it is a challenge that the Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa has embraced. “The luxury hotel industry has been growing rapidly, realising that opportunities exist to move beyond simply accommodation services – focussing on the experiences that the guest can enjoy during their visit, and not just on what the hotel can offer. The most important challenge has been to keep us constantly up to date through innovation, ensuring that we meet the new tastes of our guests. Adapting to these challenges has been an important process in all aspects: the infrastructure of services, a wider portfolio of facilities and amenities, and a highly trained staff.” In such, the hotel specialises in delivering ‘unforgettable moments, as Harry takes a moment to discuss. “The wish to experience unforgettable things is an important factor in the decision of our guests. In that way, the hotel follows trends, but with a unique and exclusive touch that we seek to make these experiences truly memorable.” Looking forwards, Harry expects the luxury sector to become even more competitive, as new players move to capitalise on new markets and opportunities. The key to success, as always, remains in the hotel’s adaptiveness, its chameleonic ability to evolve to the ever-changing needs of their clientele. “Ultimately, we will continue to focus our efforts on offering complete experiences that attract more travellers.” Finally, Harry comments on the Hotel Charleston’s future, as it continues to forge their own path in South America’s luxury hospitality sector. “Our future success lies in the day to day as we seek to innovate, satisfy needs, learn more from our guests, understand and exceed their needs and continue to offer the best in infrastructure and services.” Company: Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa Contact: Harry James Address: Cra 3 No 31 -23 Historic Center, Cartagena, Bolivar, 80001, Colombia Website: www.hotelcharlestonsantateresa.com Telephone: +57 1317 1525