Bogota Hotels Development Update

By Maria Gladys Escobar in La Republica

Translated by iGoogle/Hunter Carter

Work Begins on Two Hotels In The Capital

Bogotá. The development of new hotels continues and it shows. The work of two complexes  already started located in exclusive neighborhoods such as Santa Barbara and Business Center in Ciudad Salitre to invest about $ 150,000 million.

 

 These hotels are characterized by the fact that they will be attached to business complexes, as their services are aimed at businessmen.

 

The firm Aldea Proyectos will invest over 216 billion pesos for the Edificio Tierra Firme which is next to Santa Barbara Business Center, which is part of a 5-star hotel that will have 11 floors and 176 rooms.

 

 It is estimated that the hotel alone will cost about COP$100,000 million, due to its luxury finishes.

 

 The Project Manager of the firm, Julian Nieto Bonilla said the company decided to begin construction after completing negotiations with the company that will manage the hotel, but for now there is an agreement not to disclose the brand.

 

 “Much of the building is for offices and we have achieved a good level of pre-sales and 48 percent of the spaces are already sold,” said Bonilla.

 

Edificio Tierra Firme will be a 28-story project comprising 66,805 square meters distributed on 23 floors for offices. The rest of the project will include audience space, the main restaurant, cultural center, concert hall, pool, spa area, gym, medical center, terraces, shops.  Part of this project is a 5-star hotel that has 11 floors and 176 rooms.

 

 The goal of Aldea Proyectos is that the building, located at 9th Avenue and 114th Street, will begin operations in April 2014.  Bonilla explained that this is a work of modern architecture that will use cutting edge technology and apply sustainable design concepts and to allow saving energy and water.

 

 In general, the building will save between 20% and 30% of energy, which achieved with windows that allow natural light into energy avoiding.  Additionally, the glass will control the entry of sunlight, making sure the office environment is not warm and thus optimize the use of air conditioners.

 

 It expects similar savings in water by collecting rainwater to be used in medical offices and treated gray water from showers and sinks out for reuse in toilets.

 

Holiday Inn

 

A Holiday Inn hotel located in Ciudad Salitre, is expected to have a total investment US$22 million (about COP$50,000 million).

 

 “The hotel services take into account the needs of businessmen, who are our target customers,” said Felipe Galeano, manager of Metro Hotels and of the Project.

 

 During a recent visit to Colombia of a large delegation of American executives from Holiday Inn, was seen to be making good progress.

 

 The Hotel will feature 191 rooms, 8 meeting rooms for events and automated Convention Center, all meeting the highest standards of quality, design, construction and technology.  Notably, the hotel will be part of the Centro Empresarial Arrecife [Reef Business Centre], which is located between Avenues El Dorado and the Constitution.

 

 The building is notable for having high safety standards as there are stairs with pressurized injection and extraction of smoke and total substitution of light in case of an emergency.  According to Alvaro Diago, vice president, Latin America and the Caribbean for IHG, “the Bogota Airport Holiday Inn chain icon will be in Latin America because of the importance of Bogota in the regional economy and proximity to the El Dorado airport.”  This Hotel is key part of the expansion strategy of the Holiday Inn brand in Colombia.

 

 It is noteworthy that construction is performed by the firms of Metro Operación Inmobiliaria and Construcciones Arrecife,

 

 Remodeling of the Hotel Estelar La Fontana

 Also notable in the development of the hotel sector is the Hotel Estelar La Fontana, which recently completed renovations that have been proceeding on its premises for a year.  Among the renovations and repairs, representing an investment of COP$3,000 million, were technological renovations, furniture, electrical fittings, air conditioning and wood finishes.  Starting this month, visitors to the hotel can enjoy their new design.