bedroom at W Bogota Hotel in Columbia
(Image credit: Ilan Waisbrod)

The new W isn’t Bogotá’s first contemporary design destination to draw inspiration from the myth of El Dorado and stolen riches, but it has certainly taken the bling quota in the Colombian capital up a notch. Designer Ilan Waisbrod, of New York-based outfit Studio Gaia, took the lead on the interiors, creating a 17-storey treasure hunt comparable to the collection of priceless trinkets on display at the city’s Gold Museum. Black tunnels, which link dazzling spaces and curvaceous hideouts, evoke the quest by Colombia’s Spanish conquerors for the country’s hidden riches, while sustainable furniture, crafted by Waisbrod, earns environmentally friendly brownie points. Jean-Georges Vongerichten has installed a fourth version of his Market restaurant chain, which, decked out in wood panels, has a more organic feel than the gilded lobby – dressed with 1,200 gold butterflies – or the hotel’s destination bar, which features a cosmic intervention by artist Venuz White. 

W Bogota Hotel in Columbia

(Image credit: Ilan Waisbrod)

W Bogota Hotel in Columbia

(Image credit: Ilan Waisbrod)

W Bogota Hotel in Columbia

(Image credit: Ilan Waisbrod)

W Bogota Hotel in Columbia

(Image credit: Ilan Waisbrod)

dining at W Bogota Hotel in Columbia

(Image credit: Ilan Waisbrod)

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

Avenida Carrera 9
#115 – 30
Bogotá
Colombia

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Originally hailing from the UK, Rainbow Blue Nelson first landed in Colombia in search of Tintinesque adventures in 1996. Subsequent forays from his Caribbean base in Cartagena have thrown up a book about Pablo Escobar, and the Wallpaper* City Guides for Santiago, Brasilia, Bogota and Miami. Currently completing a second book about Colombia whilst re-wilding 50 hectares of tropical rainforest on the country's Caribbean coast, he’s interviewed some of South America's most influential figures in art, design and architecture for Wallpaper* and other international publications.