PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

If you're in the mood to stay in a little New Mexico adobe village, you'll enjoy this luxury hotel just 3 blocks from the plaza. The main building is an odd mix of architecture. The original part was a Victorian mansion built in 1882 by Abraham Staab, a German immigrant, for his bride, Julia. Later it was adobeized -- an adobe structure was literally built around it -- so that now the Victorian presence is only within the charming bar (which was refurbished in 2006) and four rooms, which still maintain the original brick and high ceilings. It is said that Julia Staab, who died in 1896, continues to haunt the place. Mischievous but good-natured, she is Santa Fe's best-known and most frequently witnessed ghost. If you like Victorian interiors more than Santa Fe style, these rooms are a good bet. The rest of the hotel follows in the pueblo-style construction and is quaint; it's especially nice in the summer, when surrounded by acres of green grass. Here, you get to experience squeaky maple floors, vigas and latillas, and, in many rooms, kiva fireplaces. Be aware that unless you've secured a suite, most rooms tend to be fairly small. Fortunately, the hotel benefited from major remodels in recent years, including a $6-million one in 2008, so all the bathrooms are modern and the rooms have fine linens and comfortable beds. Most notable are the Zen-Southwestern-style spa rooms, as well as a few "gallery suites," appointed with original artwork from some of the region's most prestigious artists. Travelers who are reluctant to trust the whims of older adobe construction should reserve one of the spa rooms or any of the other 40 newer rooms. The hotel attracts travelers and a fair number of families, though it is attracting more convention business. Most rooms don't have views but have outdoor patios, and most are tucked back into the quiet compound. The top-notch onsite restaurant, Fuego, serves artfully prepared international cuisine in a romantic, Spanish-colonial dining room. The Rockresorts Spa offers a full range of treatments.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque, 12th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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