Although it's only the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Colombia, with a population of about 2 million, the Caribbean port city of Barranquilla is one of the region's most important industrial and trade centers and a major logistics hub.
The nation's major port, Barranquilla is also noted for constant growth in its manufacturing sector - which includes building materials, pharmaceuticals and chemicals - and an ongoing ability to attract foreign investment. And, it is gaining a reputation as a destination for "medical tourism," with a growing number of specialized clinics and private hospitals that provide a wide range of services to those in search of affordably-priced medical procedures.
The city is well served by a constantly increasing inventory of five- and four-star hotels. Most, whether locally owned or bearing the name of national or international brands, are well prepared to serve the needs of visiting business executives.
Latin Business Traveler spoke with members of the staff of two Barranquilla hotels to gain a better understanding of how to make a business trip to this important city successful in every regard.
The Best Business Meal
Erika Gutierrez, a sales executive at the city's Hotel Atrium Plaza, shared her recommendations for the perfect business lunch or dinner, with an emphasis on exceptional cuisine, service and setting. In addition to her hotel's restaurant, Gutierrez recommends Varadero (Carrera 51B, No. 79-97, 575), a seafood eatery that is consistently ranked as one of Barranquilla's best.
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La Cueva Restaurant
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Another top option is the historic, one-of-a-kind La Cueva (Calle 59). Featuring a menu of traditional regional Creole (Caribbean, French and African influences) fare, it was once the favored watering hole of famed Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia M�rquez and a group of friends who were counted among the country's leading intellectuals of the 1940s and 1950s. La Cueva is so important that it has its own foundation, which publishes books on local culture.
Gutierrez's final recommendation is Cachao (Carrera 52, No. 80-10), a popular new Cuban-style restaurant with live music.
A Don't-Miss Museum and Historical District
Travelers who have a couple of hours without any meetings scheduled should not miss the city's recently constructed Museo del Caribe (Calle 36, No. 46-66), Gutierrez notes. This six-story museum chronicles the history and contributions of the region's diverse ethnic communities, including indigenous, African, European and Middle Eastern. It makes creative use of interactive audio and video features, immersing the visitor in a swirl of images, music and native linguistic traditions. The museum's state-of-the-art layout and lighting, plus its inventory of singular artifacts, make it one of the very best of its kind in the Caribbean.
Magdalena Triana, events executive at the city's Hotel El Prado, also recommends a worthwhile diversion from business. "La Aduana is a large, preserved historic sector, which includes the old customs house," she says. The area also includes the Museo Romantico, a small museum in an old mansion dedicated to the city's history (Carrera 54 No. 59-199), and the Casa del Carnaval (Carrera 54 No. 49B-39), a museum that documents the city's colorful annual carnival, which is second only to Rio de Janeiro in size and importance.
Hotels, New and Historic
Of course, for hotel and meeting needs, Gutierrez recommends her own property, the futuristic, three-year-old Hotel Atrium Plaza. The 77-room property offers as many as nine reconfigurable meeting rooms, which have a total capacity of 450. If a larger space is required for an event, she recommends the Salon Jumbo at the nearby Barranquilla Country Club. A full-service facility, the club offers a theater-style room large enough to accommodate more than 1,000, with banquet and bar services as well.
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El Prado Hotel
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On the other end of the hotel age spectrum is the iconic Hotel
El Prado, a well-preserved relic of 1930- era luxury - a place where one can easily imagine the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth or the King of Spain sauntering through one of its black and white-tiled salons. Triana says rumors that the 200-room facility has fallen on hard times since it was taken over by the government (it is considered a national cultural monument) are largely overblown. On our visit there, the level of service remained high. Although in some ways - out-of-date bathrooms in some rooms, for instance - the hotel's five star rating seems a bit of a stretch, for the most part the hotel still reflects a relaxed and elegant tropical hospitality. "We have it all here - a great restaurant, 20 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 600, an Olympic size pool, and a spa," brags Triana.
Security and Transportation
Triana and Gutierrez both note that personal security isn't a big problem in Barranquilla. There, crime is much less of a concern than in some other Colombian cities. And getting from one place to another securely is as easy as hailing any one of the 12,000 or so yellow taxis that are everywhere and at all hours of the day and night.
La Cueva Restaurant by Mark Holston; El Prado Hotel by Mark Holston