The 4 Best Medellin Luxury Hotels (and a Great One Nearby)

For much of the time we’ve run Luxury Latin America, which is getting close to two decades now, we’ve not had much to report on for Medellin. For most of that time we only featured one hotel in that Colombian city because that was the only one we could recommend. Thankfully the city is finally catching up to the other cities in the country and we can now talk about four properties when mentioning the best Medellin luxury hotels.

We’re not sure why it took Medellin so long to start hosting a few luxury hotels. Cartegena is flooded with them and Bogota has long had a good selection, including two Four Seasons properties in one city even. While Medellin got more and more popular each year, however, most of the investment seemed to go into short-term rentals instead of full-service places you would stay for just a few nights. Here’s what you have to choose from now though:

Hotel Binn

The most baffling problem has been that, in a city known for its views, most of the Medellin hotels don’t have one. I got a better view from a Hampton Inn I paid for with points that I got from the luxury hotel I moved to after that. We’re happy to say that we’re now able to recommend an upscale hotel with a view though and that photo at the top is the view from their roof deck. .

That would be Hotel Binn, which is no newcomer, but it is trying to shed its old business class reputation so it can attract more luxury leisure travelers. Our reviewer (who lives in Medellin) says it’s still a work in progress, but in the public areas at least, it doesn’t feel like a place just for people making deals anymore, especially at the rooftop restaurant and bar.

Etro offers a full lunch and dinner menu, but is a favorite for drinks at sunset, a time-honored tradition for the west-facing rooftop terrace. Etro somehow gets even better at night; its glowing red bar sets the scene, but the twinkling lights of the city below are the icing on the cake, creating a space that feels so special that tables book up entirely almost every night of the week.

There’s also a full spa on site, a pool with a view, and another restaurant closer to the lobby. The rooms still feel corporate here, but the view you get out your window will make up for it. See our full review of Binn Hotel in Medellin.

Wake Biohotel

Also offering a good view of the city and offering newer rooms that debuted in 2025, Wake Biohotel is in many respects at the top of the list for Medellin luxury hotels. If you’re into wellness, fitness, and eating right, you shouldn’t even think about staying anywhere else.

This property is part of the long-running Design Hotels portfolio, which focuses more on aesthetics and uniqueness than most other aspects. That group is now part of the giant 34-brand Marriott blob — which will hopefully not kill it — but the positive aspect of that is that you’ll earn Marriott Bonvoy points if you book here.

Public areas include a health-conscious restaurant on the sixth floor that will definitely accommodate your gluten-free requests, a gym, and a rectangular pool that looks out on the city. Get a quality Colombian coffee in the cafe off the lobby and soon you can enjoy more dining outlets that are on the way. Nine “biorooms” take the wellness u pa notch, but there are plenty of more standard choices.

There are 109 rooms and suites, plus a collection of 40 apartment-style residences in 1- to 3-bedroom configurations, each with a full kitchen and living space. The hotel’s primary demographic skews toward stylish jet-set couples or health-conscious solo travelers, but families with slightly older children would be comfortable in the residences.

See our full review of Wake Biohotel.

Intercontinental Medellin

If you want to lounge by a big pull and have the kind of services at your fingertips that you’d expect from an international luxury hotel brand, then the Medellin Intercontinental is a reliable choice. The building went up way before the others on this list and it has a decadent amount of real estate compared to the others, enabling it to have a huge swimming pool complex with expansive restaurants next to it.

They didn’t just coast on that when they designed this Intercontinental though and as you can see from this video, there are plenty of interesting design elements that take advantage of Colombia’s rich artisan heritage.

Since this Medellin hotel is part of the international IHG Group, you can earn or use loyalty points from that company when you stay here, a big plus in a city where there are not many chain hotels. Rooms are spacious and are easy to get to if you have mobility issues, situated on four floors in several buildings.

The two downsides here are that the views are nothing to get excited about and although you’re in El Poblado, you can’t really walk to anything from this mountainside location. I tried when I was staying there and made it back, but I think the trip could have qualified as a mountain trek in most countries. After that I took taxis.

See our detailed review of Intercontinental Medellin Hotel.

Charlee Hotel

For a good decade this was the only Medellin luxury hotel we recommended and even then it felt like it needed an asterisk because it’s certainly not for everyone. It’s an artsy boutique hotel close to the nightlife area, with a mix of industrial and street art influences, and there’s definitely not an army of staffers around to take care of your needs.

Many of the guests who stay here repeatedly love it, however, and for walkable convenience, you can’t beat the location. You can get to dozens of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars by walking in almost any direction.

Some of the rooms do have a view from their cool balconies though, so pick a high floor when booking. Unless you’re an early bird light sleeper that is, because there’s a hopping roof terrace that has a DJ pumping the tunes at night sometimes.

During the day it’s more mellow and you can relax by the rooftop pool. The view from up there will make you feel the Medellin vibe no matter what time you’re looking out on the city.

See our review of Charlee Hotel in Medellin.

Bonus: Take a Trip to Guatape

Back to Marriott options again with a wonderful place to stay on the lake that’s the most popular close getaway spot for Medellin residents with money. That would be Guatape, actually spelled Guatapé in Spanish, the accent on the last syllable. For most visitors it is normally a quick day trip tour to see the rock monolith and maybe take a quick boat trip, but then too many end up saying, “Wouldn’t it be nice to stay out here for a few days?”

Until a few years ago, that meant renting a villa from someone willing to give it up for a weekend, but then The Brown Guatapé opened, offering international-standard service and facilities with a killer view of the lake. It’s a Marriott Autograph Collection member, which means it has a sense of place, but you get staffers who understand English and can get you what you need.

That photo above should be enough to get you to extend your Medellin trip for a few days, but for more reasons why you should stay here, check out our full review of The Brown Guatape Autograph Collection Hotel outside of Medellin.

Have you stayed in one of these Medellin luxury hotels when you were traveling in Colombia? Tell us how it went in the comments! If you’re searching and they’re all sold out on your dates, check for alternatives here on Expedia.

Article and all photos by Luxury Latin America except rooftop Charlee shot courtesy of the hotel.