Suite Spot: InterContinental Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

Armed rebels and drug cartels have cast long shadows over Colombia, but last year’s peace accord with the largest guerrilla group may finally allow the country’s significant natural and cultural charms a chance to shine.

In the Caribbean port of Cartagena, where the old walled city ranks as one of Colombia’s most beautiful colonial enclaves, the ultramodern InterContinental Cartagena de Indias is a high-rise testimony to the high hopes for tourism here.

The sleek 26-story, 287-room skyscraper has a clean, coastal aesthetic of blues and whites, with walls of windows overlooking the water; large, light-filled rooms with equally large bathrooms; and an impressive infinity-edge pool and deck hovering above the beach.

(The ocean-view Oceanika lounge is another tempting spot for relaxation.) Officially opened in 2016, the hotel recently added a club lounge and gym, with a full-service spa planned for 2018.

At Kanuu, the hotel’s acclaimed Caribbean-inspired restaurant, try executive chef Juan Jimenez’s signature dish of Cartagena rice, loaded with crab, shrimp and spices.

For more tranquillity, and ideal snorkeling, the concierge can arrange a day trip to the Rosario Islands that includes a private, 45-minute boat ride and passes to a beach resort.