Santa Fe
New Mexico


The Experience

Since only locally sourced natural materials were used to create this 1990 paean to Southwestern style in the heart of Santa Fe, you'd swear it was the handiwork of a Pueblo tribe from the last century. Through massive hand-carved doors are textiles hanging on sandstone walls, baskets on shelves and cacti in terra-cotta pots. If the vibe feels good there's a reason: A Franciscan priest and a Pueblo medicine man both blessed the site.

The Rooms

Size isn't the reason to stay here: The smallest "traditional" rooms start at a snug 300 square feet, and even deluxe rooms top out at 500 square feet, though all include a king-size bed and a gas-lit kiva fireplace. In fact, every element is designed to create a homey mood, making a stay here the next best thing to owning your own hacienda. The four-poster beds are handcrafted, the fabrics handwoven, the rugs indigenous, the artwork authentic. Ceilings of traditional vigas and latilla (a herringbonelike mix of woods) add more warmth -- as do those fireplaces, of course. In the bathroom are products made locally from -- what else -- organic native cedar.

The Service

The relaxed and warm staff prides itself on the individual attention you'd hope for from a property this small. Everyone is enthusiastic about Santa Fe and its culture: You'll meet local historians and archaeologists who give fireside talks, and if you come with the family, you can park the kids with the Native American storyteller (or a babysitter) while Fido munches on special biscuits from the pastry chef.

The Highlights

This isn't the kind of place where you relax out by the pool before going for a spa treatment -- there's neither. Rather, grab a book from the library's collection on Southwestern art, history or culture and settle into the leather couch under the wood-beamed ceiling. Then head to the Anasazi restaurant, where chef Martin Rios combines Southwestern cuisine with Asian and French influences. It's a unique combination for Santa Fe, but he makes it work using organic local produce and serving his creations on hand-hewn tables.

-- Kathleen Beckett

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