Depending on your budget, method of travel and conditioning to the motels or hotels in the U.S. you will make different choices on where to stay in Santa Fe.
The style you see in pictures and film of Santa Fe is much more prevalent in the area near the Plaza. We are talking about the area that is 1 square mile surrounding the Plaza. This is where you will find the older hotels like the La Fonda. This hotel has a history in Santa Fe that dates back to the early 1600s. The Hotel was built at the end of the Santa Fe Trail which was the Plaza at the time. The other older hotel in the area is the St Francis. This was originally another hotel in the earlier 1800s but it is said after someone was experimenting with making their own peach brandy in the cellar the hotel almost entirely went up in flames. It was rebuilt in the 18880 and named the St Francis. The Inn of the Anasazi is another older hotel that is more authentically decorated in Native American style and is walking distance from everywhere.
These three examples of fine hotels in the downtown area are great for those who love history and the culture of Santa Fe. The rooms aren’t as modern or very big. Although features such as internet access etc is available. These types of hotels are also for those who took a plane into Santa Fe or Albuquerque and do not have transportation. If you are in the downtown area you do not need transportation for most everything is walking distance. The many Museums of New Mexico are either walking distance from the plaza area or can be viewed by taking a shuttle to Museum Hill. Great restaurants downtown are also walking distance such as O’Keeffe Café known for their art of wine paring with foods as well as great southwest/European dishes. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is right next door and is a fantastic history and visual of a great American artist. Walking Tours are downtown and take you all over the one of a kind history of the “City Different”. The Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously used government building houses amazing history and info on Santa Fe. It is also the area where every day of the year local Native Americans sit with their wares. These items of jewelry and pottery etc. are the most reasonable and authentic wares to be found.
Some of the other hotels downtown such as the Eldorado Hotel, , Hotel Plaza Real, La Posada Inn and Resort, Hotel Santa Fe and the Inn at Loretto are more modern hotels in the 1 mile radius of the plaza. These are all down in the Santa Fe style to be sure and offer in their restaurants the same style dishes.
Before I go ino pricing I must educate you on high and low season in Santa Fe. This is where the price range can be dramatic. High season is Christmas time and then April thru Nov. Low season is the early part of December and Jan thru end of March. So be very aware of this if price is an issue for lodging.
The other thing about being downtown is the prices are higher. The ranges for room rates are close to $100 a night to suites as high as over $1000 a night. *This is for the Presidential Suite of course)
The one exception downtown for lower rates with all the same services and walking distance from everything is The Inn of the Governors. This Inn is Intimate and yet full service including a free breakfast buffet. Their prices range from under $150 to under $290. They have many occasions for discounts too so check out their site.
There is a cute little motel near downtown called Santa Fe Motel and Inn that is a motel but offers good location and reasonable rates including a complimentary continental breakfast. The rooms here are modestly decorated in Santa fe Style. The rates range from under $90 to under $110.
Now the whole story changes if you have a rental car, want lower prices, and maybe like the regular hotel look more than the quaint Santa fe Style.
Cerrillos Rd. is where you will find Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Courtyard Marriott, and other chain motels and hotels. Here you will find clean efficient rooms for rates from under $70 to under $100. All of them have pools. High speed internet is available at Fairfield and Marriott, and a workout facility is at Holiday Inn and Marriott Free continental breakfast is offered at Fairfield and Days Inn. Holiday Inn and Courtyard Marriott have their own restaurants. So this is where you stay if you have a form of transportation, want lower room rates but still want some of the amenities, and the Santa Fe style is great but does not have to be where you sleep on your visit.
I hope this helps you to plan your next visit to Santa Fe. Come and explore the downtown area when you stay over or on Cerrillos. Rd. It does not matter The City Different will still enchant you!
Eileen Richardson
