Before traveling down to Bogotá to see what would eventually become the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina, Lauren Rottet, president and founding principal of Houston-based Rottet Studio, did her usual copious research. Still, at the back of her mind lurked another, less traditional association: a snippet from the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Sets simulating Bogotá are drenched in deep, earthy tones, referencing Colombia’s verdant and Spanish Colonial landscape. “The colors came out of Bogotá, so rich and green, and shots from Mr. & Mrs. Smith with fuchsia, light beige—almost sunlight color—then the rich brown of the wood,” says Rottet, who also recently completed sister property Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá for the same owner.
Casa Medina was originally built as an aristocratic private residence in the 1940s and, after an addition, turned into a hotel in the ’80s. In converting it to a Four Seasons, its historical landmark status posed some time- and labor-intensive electrical and approval challenges but only bolstered the aesthetic. To speed up the process and for a truly local feel, many antique pieces were repurposed, most of the new casegoods, drapery, and handwork were sourced in Bogotá, and contemporary artwork is by Colombian artists. “The bones of this building were really quite good,” Rottet explains. “[Conserving] original elements didn’t disrupt us; I would have preserved them anyway. I like to be very respectful of the history.”
The 62 guestrooms (including 18 suites and one penthouse)—which in the original structure are almost all unique, including various ceiling configurations—seamlessly blend the new and old buildings. To achieve this, the team disposed of discordant “contemporary insertions” like out of place stainless steel-clad bathrooms. To enhance existing wood and leather furniture, extensive millwork, and tufted headboards, the design team layered on hand-embroidered pillows, crisp white walls, hand-knotted beige drapery, wood floors, metal lighting topped with white shades, marble in bathrooms, and a diamond-pattern throw rug “chosen to evoke the traditional handcrafted motif,” says Ginny Hightower, project designer for Rottet Studio. “Simple yet strategic upgrades transformed the guestrooms into elegant and luxurious environments befitting the brand.”
Upon entering, guests feel as though they are in a residential foyer, greeted by original plaster walls, brick archways, and a grand wooden staircase, enhanced by a custom candlelit iron chandelier and a colorful throw rug that’s more an art piece. The once tiny tucked-away reception area now opens to reveal views of the existing courtyard, creating an indoor-outdoor feel. (Bogotá—especially this Zona G neighborhood—is known for restaurants featuring cozy courtyards with retractable glass for chilly evenings.) The property “is in a very urban, lovely, busy, historical area deep in the heart of everything,” explains Rottet. “Whatever chaos you’ve been through, you’re now coming into a composed and serene space.”
Maintaining the existing millwork and incorporating pieces by local artisans made sense in a city celebrated for its woodworking. The client made specific introductions and led the team to a nearby craft fair to shop for artworks. The resulting pièce de résistance, a carved wood reception desk designed by Improdema—sculptural in its asymmetry—creates interest, marrying history and modernity and completing a welcoming living room vibe. Behind it, a wall of locally carved wood wraps up to the ceiling and extends overhead. It’s “beautiful and traditional, but not predictable,” Rottet explains.
Along with chalkboard menu café La Bodega, tapas restaurant Castanyoles (conceived by Rottet Studio and designed by Saul Sasson) spills into the courtyard. Here, Spanish tiles, tufted linen sofas, and a wall of rainforest-inspired greenery, a nod to the hotel’s ivy-covered walls, sit beneath a glass atrium. Says Rottet: “My work is very much about bringing the outdoors in, and that was very easy to do here because the windows framed the views so well. The courtyard
is so much a part of what you see when you’re inside the rooms, especially in the corridors.”
