Hotel Santa Fe

Description:

• About a 10-minute walk south of the plaza you'll find this newer three-story establishment, the only Native American-owned hotel in Santa Fe. It is a good choice for consistent, well-planned lodgings. Picuris Pueblo is the majority stockholder here, and part of the pleasure of staying here is the culture the Picuris bring to your visit. This is not to say that you'll get any sense of the rusticity of a pueblo in your accommodations -- this sophisticated hotel, built in the late 1980s, is decorated in Southwestern style, with a few novel aspects such as an Allan Houser bronze buffalo dancer watching over the front desk and a fireplace surrounded by comfortable furniture in the lobby. The rooms are medium size, with clean lines and comfortable beds, the decor accented with pine Taos-style furniture. Rooms on the north side get less street noise from Cerrillos Road and have better views of the mountains, but they don't have the sun shining onto their balconies. You will get a strong sense of the Native American presence on the patio during the summer, when Picuris dancers come to perform and bread bakers uncover the horno (oven) and prepare loaves for sale.

  Opened in October 2001, the Hacienda at Hotel Santa Fe is a unique addition and features 35 luxurious rooms and suites, all with cozy fireplaces, 10-foot ceilings, handcrafted Southwestern furnishings, and plush duvets to snuggle under on chilly nights. The Amaya restaurant serves a standard breakfast, but for lunch and dinner you can dine on what they call "native" cuisine from all over the Americas. Expect elk and game hen instead of beef and chicken. Wireless Internet access is available in the lobby.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010