by Scott Laird
Last updated: 10:00 AM ET, Sat March 17, 2018
The Conrad Cartagena has only been open to guest arrivals since late 2017, and the brand's first hotel in Colombia is already offering guests unusual, hyper-local experiences.
Perhaps unique to Cartagena among any suite of hotel activities is the opportunity for guests to dine inside a women's prison.
As part of the brand's 1/3/5 program, which curates local experiences and encourages guests to "Stay Inspired" with itineraries lasting one, three, or five hours, the hotel has partnered with Interno, a restaurant located within the women's prison in the neighborhood of San Diego. Conceived, designed, and operated by the female inmates at the prison, who also comprise the kitchen and front-of-house service team, Interno's objective is to empower women in prison and prepare them to reintegrate back into society outside of prison once their terms are completed.
The proceeds earned at the restaurant are donated directly to improve the quality of life for inmates and their families.
The menu reads like an ode to rehabilitation with each menu section themed for empowerment and dignity for the inmates. The cuisine is modern Colombian with starters featuring fresh Caribbean seafood or a parcel of fried yucca with beef, sour cream, and mint salsa. Main dishes ("To Enjoy The Taste of Reconciliation") include Cartagena-style sliced beef, catch of the day or grilled eggplant; desserts ("To Sweeten Up Life") lean heavily on local fruits and specialties like rice pudding, and there's a fine selection of gussied up fruit juices ("To Refresh De Moment") like Coconut Lemonade or Pineapple with mint.
The hotel's "Stay Inspired" program describes the cuisine as "Colombian grandmother comfort food" but prepared and presented under the direction of a local chef, who adds gastronomic twists.
There's also a selection of wines by the bottle or half-bottle ("To Toast and Celebrate Second Chances"). A set meal including one starter, main dish, dessert, and fruit juice is available for $90,000 Colombian Pesos, around $32 USD at press time.
The restaurant is cheerfully decorated in black and white tile with lovingly painted bright green murals of tropical jungle foliage on the walls. Women serving guests in the dining room wear Interno-themed "key" logo uniforms and colorful head wraps. The restaurant is located a short cab ride from the hotel, and advance reservations are recommended; Interno is also popular with local residents and last-minute bookings can be difficult to obtain.
Dining at Interno is in the three hour Stay Inspired category, which is shared with several other hot tables in the city's burgeoning restaurant scene, a rum crawl at some of the city's top bars, shopping with local artisans and other curated outings.
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