La Casona

One of Bolivia's few boutique offerings: a quirky, atmospheric hotel which uses the colonial structure of an original historic mansion as a springboard to imaginative design ideas.

One of La Paz's first 'boutique' offerings, La Casona is a quirky, atmospheric place bursting with design ideas based on its original colonial structure of terraces and towers rambling across multiple levels that curl around cool, calm patios.

Wooden floors, gabled ceilings, brick arches and brightly painted columns convey the historic ambience that has been preserved in the building's careful renovation. The décor in the individual rooms, all different shapes and sizes, is more minimalist, with box beds, plain walls and contemporary marble-effect bathrooms. Each has a private balcony, and the apartments have fitted kitchenettes and dining areas.

The restaurant, specialising in Mediterranean dishes, has an excellent reputation in the city and, in common with the ethos of boutique hotels, the management and staff take good service very seriously. A further selling point is the hotel's excellent central location, within strolling distance of the colonial central core of cobbled streets, the huge indigenous markets and the modern commercial district.