FS Bogota - which one?
 

I have an upcoming trip to Bogota and would like to try one of the 2 new FS in the city. Both are situated fairly conveniently to where I need to be so location is not an issue. From photos, I am leaning towards the FS Bogota when it comes to rooms, although I find the common areas of FS Casa Medina to be more charming. Both properties are running third night free and pricing is similar. I am sure both are good, but any recommendations/insight would be much appreciated.

if it matters to you, the FS Casa Medina does not have air conditioning... that would be a deal breaker for me....

FDW

First of all, both are world class properties.

As for CM, You'd THINK it's a deal breaker, but it's actually not a big deal. Let me explain...

I am one of those people who can't live without A/C. As a native Floridian, A/C is as essential as food, water, and shelter.

I leave my A/C on 68 almost 24/7, and at night I drop it as low as it goes. Hotels especially I like to keep as. cold. as. possible.

But, when at Four Seasons Casa Medina, I didn't even realize they didn't have A/C until the day I was checking out when the GM asked me at breakfast, "so, did not having A/C bother you?" My response: "I didn't have A/C??"

Bogota has a very unique climate. And one element of that uniqueness is not really needing A/C.

The way Casa Medina is built lends itself to not needing it. Stone walls keep the rooms exceptionally cool. Light walls, the right type of furniture, and the way the ceilings are built keep the room naturally cool.

The room was so cool at night I found myself scrambling to shut the windows.

So...I'm the king of needing air conditioning, yet at CM, I was beyond comfortable.

As for this hotel v. the newer one, it really depends on your style. Case Medina is one of my top 5 favorite hotels of all time. I love almost everything about it. That said, a good friend of mine just went to both and they prefer the newer one. The latter being a bit more sharp, chic, and cutting edge. Casa Medina is chic, but a different kind.

Will try to post pics of the newer property later, but here are my Casa Medina pics.

Also, worth noting that CM is divided into an 'old wing v. new wing'. I believe the new wing MAY have A/C (again: not really needed), but I prefer the old wing rooms.

I generally agree with Pricesquire...but be careful if you do like or need air con. Bogota normally is cool in the evenings, but I was there this past Feb and it was VERY warm in the rooms at FS Casa Medina when we toured the property--an absolute deal breaker for me. I think most people will find most seasonal daytime temps to be warm enough to make the rooms feel uncomfortably warm unless you luck out. I won't ever risk that. Especially with climate change muddying the waters so often.

That's why I stayed at the W. But the other FS (which wasn't yet open) looks nice and modern...and has air con.

Sorry, I disagree with that statement. You might be a crown prince, but I'd definitely put my money on another very specific poster in these forums as the "King of Needing Air Conditioning" :)

Regards

:D

Thanks for input! We'll go for the FS Bogota as location is slightly favorable. I'll report back.

Just read a review and it looks like they've installed mini split AC units in the rooms! not sure if it's all the rooms but that's great to hear...

FDW

Any updates on this? Considering going next week

I love the Casa Madina. Has a more traditional culture vibe rather than the other one, which is more business.

Finding these rather old posts on FS Bogota and wonder if anyone has an updated opinion on on the Four Seasons Bogota or the Four Seasons Medina Bogota. I will be traveling to Bogota for a long weekend to celebrate a birthday at the end of Jan2023 and contemplating one of these properties. Any recommendations on which property is "better" would greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I just completed a 3-night stay at the Casa Medina. It's a mixed bag, but overall, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. And there is air conditioning.

I booked through the Amex Fine Hotels program. The nightly rate was $350/night, but FS was running a 3rd night free promotion, and that combined with two Amex offers brought my stay to a total of $460. For booking through Amex, I received a $100 credit that I used at the restaurant, room service breakfast each morning and 4PM late check out. This property does that thing where they add a word to the room type and call it a different type of room altogether — I booked a Premier King room and was "upgraded" to a Grand Premier King. The difference? Completely unclear.

Property & neighborhood. The property itself is a historic building (well, two buildings). It has character. It has creaky floors and what I think is a gorgeous design and charm that was well-maintained during renovations. This is a unique hotel, which I think separates it from the few other high-end options in town. The neighborhood (Zona G or Chapinero, to locals) is the best in the city. You're within walking distance of some of the best restaurants and coffee in the city. It felt completely safe day and night and I walked everywhere within a 20-minute radius. The other FS property in town is in Zona T, which I visited a few times and which is also quite nice, though I felt it was a bit louder and more bustling. Traffic seemed worse there too.

Service. This was my first Four Seasons stay. I personally don't care as much about service as other aspects of a hotel — I don't like being walked to my room or having doors opened for me. That said, I was surprised by how gruff the frontline employees were here. Over maybe 20 interactions with the cadre of gentlemen who worked the front desk and front door area, I'd say I received a smile on one occasion. Nobody remembered my name, nobody asked how my stay was going. Like I said, whatever. But I did expect more from the FS brand. On the other hand, the restaurant and bar employees, as well as the employees who brought breakfast each morning were lovely, friendly and affable. Far more polished than the front desk staff, who are likely paid considerably more.

Room. Temperatures ranged from 45-65 Fahrenheit during my stay, so I didn't need air conditioning, but my room did have a wall-mounted Trane AC unit, controlled by thermostat. I'm not sure if all rooms have this, but given this property's reputation for not having AC, it may be worth inquiring if that's a must-have for you. A few other small things — despite having a room that faced the interior courtyard, I had a single window that faced a side street (not the main avenue out front), and I heard a fair bit of street noise in the evening. There were an abundance of windows, which I loved, but the curtains do not block the light and come sunrise, the room was flooded with it. This is also the first 5-star hotel I've stayed in that only had three fixtures in the bathroom (single vanity, toilet and walk-in shower). Toiletries are by a Columbian brand and I loved them — subtle but beautiful. Of course, the bed was ultra comfortable and the linens were fantastic.

Restaurant. There is a gorgeous restaurant and bar in between the two buildings that make up the hotel. Everything I ordered was phenomenal and it seems like some folks come just to eat at the restaurant. Prices were quite reasonable, I felt, relative to the other high-end options nearby. Breakfast is apparently a buffet downstairs, though I ordered room service each morning and loved the variety of Colombian dishes they offered. It always came within 20 minutes of my ordering.

Spa. I did get a 50-minute sports massage that I thought was very well done. Cost was roughly $65. You're looking at about $80 for a 70-minute massage and maybe $95 for a 90-minute. Expensive for Colombia, but well-priced on a global scale for a high quality massage. I will say though, the spa is in the basement and the "relaxation room" that acts as a kind of lobby for the individual massage rooms must be adjacent to the underground parking garage, because as I sat sipping tea mostly naked in my robe, I heard car horns and tires screeching. There's also a steam room and full gym both available 24 hours a day.

Airport transfers. Uber is technically illegal in Colombia and I'd read about folks getting stopped at checkpoints leaving the airport and being stranded roadside with their bags, so I bit the bullet and paid $70 for the Four Seasons to send a driver. Don't make my mistake. I still wouldn't recommend Uber to/from the airport, but you can very easily find private transfer options for laughably less money. I'm happy to send anyone the name and number of the gentleman who drove me back to the airport for $10. And Ubers are more easily accessible in Bogota than they are in NYC, so I highly recommend the service for everywhere other than the airport.