HOSPITALITY
INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY & REGENERATION IN TOURISM
Hart Hospitality specialises in the design, launch and operation of boutique style hospitality aimed at travellers who seek authentic, off-the-beaten-track experiences in an engaging, well designed setting that also have positive environmental and social impact. ​​
Our team believes that hospitality has the potential to change worlds, minds and futures, by bringing together people from all cultures and backgrounds and simply having a good time.
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Our vision is a world where tourism contributes to solving social and environmental challenges, and our mission is to understand how to achieve this, and then share it far and wide.
PORTIA HART
British-Trini, Portia grew up in the UK, studied in Japan has lived in Cartagena since leaving behind a career in yachting in Monaco in 2015. Since then she has opened four beach clubs, two hotels, two bars and two non-profits.
Portia's focus is to combine excellence, authenticity and sustainability. Under her leadership, The Blue Apple became the first island resort in the world to certify as a B-Corp, and the first in Cartagena to be included in the Michelin Hotel Guide.
A believer in the power of community and the role of entrepreneurship in addressing social challenges, Portia's non-profit, The Green Apple Foundation, is the only glass recycling facility in Cartagena and helps dozens of businesses and thousands of workers to reduce their environmental impact. Her most recent initiative, Nuestra Cartagena, has brought together 20 local hospitality brands to run an international PR campaign for the city.
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As well as operating the brands within Hart Hospitality, Portia is a regular (and passionate) speaker on how to profitably put sustainability into practice.
Portia has been a member of faculty at MAD Academy (Copenhagen) since 2023 and was named by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the people changing the future of travel.
LISTEN TO PORTIA SPEAK ON
SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY
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"Georgina Godwin heads to the Caribbean coast of Colombia to meet Portia Hart, founder of Blue Apple Beach, a boutique hotel and beach club on the island of Tierra Bomba. Hart discusses her regenerative approach to sustainability and explains how aligning best practice in hospitality with environmental and social responsibility is the right thing to do for both business and planet."
Launched by Hart in 2025, Nuestra Cartagena is a collaborative project involving independently owned hospitality businesses brought together by a shared love for the city. ​
Working with PR agencies in London, New York and Mexico City, Nuestra Cartagena aims to showcase the city’s most compelling qualities to the world: its layered history and striking architecture, vibrant music and arts scene, diverse and sustainable gastronomy, the warmth of its people, design talent, natural beauty, and the elegant, understated glamour that makes this one of the most charming places to live and visit in Latin America.
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Founded in 2016 and hidden away just half an hour by boat from central Cartagena, Blue Apple is an internationally inspired beach club, hotel and restaurant.
What differentiates Blue Apple from other island resorts in the area, is its holistically responsible environmental and social approach to operations, without compromising on the provision of outstanding food, a uniquely extensive wine list and excellent service.
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Blue Apple Beach is a certified B-Corp and a member of the Regenerative Travel collection.
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100 lunch covers. 5 bedrooms. 6 beach bungalows.
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Townhouse was created for those who like their boutique hotels with a side of attitude.
Disguised by a traditional Republican façade is a modern, creative art hotel, decorated by young Colombian artists. ​
The atmosphere is creative and vibrant, with a lively rooftop bar. Townhouse is the only hotel of its kind in the historic walled city, offering luxurious accommodation to travellers looking to enjoy a more social environment.
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8 Bedrooms. 3 Suites. Rooftop Bar.
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Enriching tourist experiences are impossible without authentic interaction with local people, and any city aiming for sustainable tourism must have high quality offerings for its own residents.
Members Only opened in August 2018 as a boutique jazz bar that was created for locals, providing them with a sophisticated and, crucially, international entertainment experience.
The house band, MO-Town, was formed specifically for the bar and is the city's only jazz band.​
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The foundation is dedicated to implementing long-lasting change in the way waste and natural resources are managed by the hospitality industry in Cartagena, while creating sustainable, positive employment opportunities for local people.
By March 2020, Green Apple was servicing 15 bars, hotels and restaurants in Cartagena, processing glass and organic waste itself and diverting card, plastic and oil waste to recycling centres.
To date, the foundation has diverted over 100 tons of waste from landfill and created 5 full time jobs, as well as bringing waste management and sustainability to the forefront of hospitality operations in Cartagena.
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Born of the pandemic and a new environment for Cartagena, Amare was conceived for those working in high end tourism and seeking somewhere to enjoy their day off, with the same quality of service as their workplace, within budget.
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We serve simple, fresh food made with local, sustainably sourced ingredients. Our supply chain is vetted and wherever we can serve local bar products, we do.
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Solar powered and off grid, we recycle 70% of grey and black water and divert 90% of our waste from landfill.
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Amare is a registered BIC company and operates according to B-Corp guidelines.
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The island of Tierra Bomba is larger than anyone expects, and much of it is completely untouched and inaccessible. By far the best way to get around is on horseback.
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Tierra Bomba Horse Treks is the closest riding centre to the city, and offers guided riding experiences to people of all levels.
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