LA FONDA ON THE PLAZA, SANTA FE
A lodging site for more than 400 years, this former Harvey House hotel features 180 luxuriously outfitted guest rooms and suites, as well as one of the best art collections in Santa Fe. Visitors can learn more by joining the free hour-long history tour Wednesday through Saturday. “It gets people rooted in Santa Fe,” says Jenny Kimball, La Fonda ambassador and board chairman emerita. DON’T MISS: Can you find them all? Twelve Gerald Cassidy paintings—commissioned in the 1920s when the hotel was built—are sprinkled throughout the lobby and first floor.
Historic charm is on the menu at the Lodge at Cloudcroft.
Photograph by Riley Russill.
THE LODGE AT CLOUDCROFT, CLOUDCROFT
Built in 1910 after its predecessor burned down, this historic 44-room lodge is as old as the village itself. Climb the five-story tower for a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. A picture frame on the left-hand side of the tower’s staircase marks the spot where Golden Age Hollywood movie stars Judy Garland and Clark Gable etched their names into the wood. DON’T MISS: Although the lodge frequently changes its restaurant menu, the pork hominy with cilantro remains a staple. “It’s based on the old dish that people used to eat back in the day,” says executive chef and director of operations Richard Lepree.
Hotel St. Francis, Santa Fe’s oldest hotel, invites guests to step into history.
Photograph courtesy of Hotel St. Francis.
HOTEL ST. FRANCIS, SANTA FE
Originally built in 1889 as the De Vargas Hotel, the Hotel St. Francis holds the distinction of Santa Fe’s oldest hotel. After suffering a massive fire in 1922, only a brick chimney survived, and the newly rebuilt hotel opened in 1924. The expansive lobby features white Mexican marble, a stone baptismal font, and a wrought iron chandelier in the style of the Franciscan Missionary Order. “It’s so quiet and serene and just very calming,” says Liz Robinson, Heritage Hotels and Resorts branding and marketing manager. DON’T MISS: Duck into the Secreto Lounge, just off the lobby, for a lesson in the centuries-old wine-making traditions of the Franciscan monks or to sip on one of the city’s best craft cocktails.
Read more: Let the past—and plenty of modern luxuries—lift your spirits at Bishop’s Lodge resort.
