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Where To Stay
Santa Fe provides a wealth of lodging options, with everything from traditional hotels to bed and breakfasts available in the Plaza district, in Greater Santa Fe, and north of the city.
Plaza
For nearly 400 years, travelers to Santa Fe have ended their journey at the Santa Fe Plaza. When the city was first laid out in 1607, the inn, or la fonda, was built on the Southeast corner of the Plaza. Today, a historic palace of accommodation stands on this same corner.
Built in 1922, La Fonda is a monument to the city’s colorful and profound past. Immense adobe walls, some as thick as six feet, support massive wood beams that enfold an ambiance in which you can actually feel the history of the city. The only hotel located directly on the Plaza, La Fonda is an extremely popular destination and pre-booking is just about the only way to obtain a room. Directly behind La Fonda sits Hotel Loretto, which is one of the most recognized modern architectural landmarks in the Southwest. Modeled after the complex dwellings of the Pueblo Villages, Loretto offers modern rooms with the obligatory treatment of intense Santa Fe style.
Nestled behind the impressive St. Francis Cathedral is La Posada De Santa Fe. Formerly a grand mansion erected by a German immigrant in the 1870s, the building is now an intimate spa and resort in the 1930s. You can still see the rich mahogany and cherry wood interior of the original. A few blocks north of the Plaza is Fort Marcy Hotel and Suites where you can enjoy all-suite luxury at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Greater Santa Fe
If you want to visit Santa Fe, but your budget won’t allow for the lavish accommodations of the immediate downtown area, there are dozens of hotels available just a short drive from the Plaza. Santa Fe has a number of options if you are traveling on business. La Quinta Inn Santa Fe is a good option. It offers several two-room suites complete with data ports, and an off-lobby business center that includes computer, fax, copier and work desk. Courtyard Santa Fe is conveniently located near many restaurants and shops, while the selling point of the Inn of the Turquoise Bear remains its celebrity appeal and historic architecture.
North
The rolling pinon and juniper-studded hills to the north of Santa Fe create a setting for one of the area’s most impressive historical getaways. Built in 1871 as a retreat for Santa Fe’s first resident Catholic Bishop, Bishop's Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa is a nationally recognized full-service spa resort. Guests here enjoy a wide range of activities that range from hiking and fishing to tennis, horseback riding and swimming.
If you want the complete spa treatment after a long day of walking the Plaza, skiing the slopes or hiking in the mountains, Ten Thousand Waves is where you want to be. Clinging to a rocky hill at the base of the soaring Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this Japanese bathhouse is the next best thing to being in Japan. Four lavish suites, known as 'The Houses of the Moon' are available, and guests enjoy hot tubs, aquatic massage and every other type of Japanese body pampering you can think of.
The last ten years have seen a boom in the bed and breakfast market in Santa Fe and entrepreneurs scrambled to fill this niche. The ensuing competition has resulted in some incredible offerings in this specialized market. Located on the grounds of the old Union Army post of Fort Marcy is the Adobe Abode Bed and Breakfast. Formerly officer’s quarters, the main house was purchased in 1988 and renovated into the fine bed and breakfast it is today. Six rooms, each with a different theme, all maintain a subtle attachment to Santa Fe style.
An early morning walk to the Plaza from Dancing Ground of the Sun is a magical experience. The shadow of the mountains gradually creeps across the valley floor and the rising sun paints the adobe walls of the ancient city with its golden rays. But it is just as magical to return to these luxurious, individual rooms in the evening for a long soak in the hot tub, or just to sit on your private patio, sip your favorite beverage and watch the world slowly go by.
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Where To Stay
