20 Best Hotels in Santa Fe, New Mexico

A delightful, affordable, country hacienda that's a 15-minute drive southeast of the Plaza, this adobe bed-and-breakfast sits amid 10 secluded acres of piñon and ponderosa pine, with grand views of the Ortiz Mountains and the area's high-desert mesas. Ryan and Jessica Miller—along with their friendly dogs—warmly welcome guests to this low-key retreat and prepare expansive full breakfasts. Arts and Crafts furniture and Southwest pottery fill the common room, in which a hot breakfast is served and guests can relax throughout the day. The individually decorated rooms are brightened by Talavera tiles, folk art, and colorful blankets and rugs; some have kiva fireplaces. Two of the largest rooms, Eldorado and Luna, have wood-burning fireplaces and private entrances that lead out to a tranquil courtyard with wonderful views of the foothills. Guests have access to El Gancho Health Club nearby.

All the beautiful Southwestern and Mexican furniture in this small, upscale compound is custom-made, and all the art and photography is original. Rooms are spacious and pleasant with fireplaces and separate entrances; some are in their own little buildings. El Farolito has a peaceful Downtown location, just steps from the capitol and about a 10-minute walk to the Plaza. The same owners run the smaller Four Kachinas inn, which is close by and has one handicapped-accessible room (rare among smaller Santa Fe properties). The breakfast here is a real treat, featuring a tempting range of delicious baked goods.

This large, yet inviting, hotel comes with individually decorated rooms and stunning mountain views. Rooms are stylishly furnished with carved Southwestern-style desks, large upholstered club chairs, and art prints; many have terraces or kiva-style fireplaces. The rooftop pool has a bar and food area, as well as a special event space for parties under 100 people. The gym is also a winner; there you can work off your night at the hip Agave restaurant and lounge, one of the most inviting happy-hour and late-night snacking spots in town. A full slate of treatments, from Vichy rain showers to High Mesa salt scrubs, is offered by the hotel's Nidah Spa.

This secluded and stunning luxury compound on a dramatic, sunset-facing bluff in the Sangre de Cristo foothills exemplifies the Four Seasons brand's famously flawless sense of gracious hospitality and efficiency. Amenities include an on-site Adventure Center, through which guests can book everything from guided tours of Taos and O'Keeffe Country to hiking, horseback, snowshoeing, river rafting, fishing, and biking excursions. Taking advantage of Santa Fe's endless supply of sunshine, villa-style casitas are contemporary, airy, and earthy. Kitted with adobe fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, heated bathroom floors and spacious dressing areas, rooms exemplify comfortable cushiness. Detox at the spa with regionally inspired treatments like Mountain Spirit Purification, take a Pilates class in the movement studio, soak in the cool waters of the on-site pool, or work out in the 24-hour fitness center before enjoying a sunset cocktail at the bar and a sumptuous globe-spanning culinary adventure at the restaurant, Terra. Complimentary shuttles run regularly into town and guests have access to Encantado's extensive concierge services.

This locally owned, intimate bed-and-breakfast sits only seven blocks from the Plaza on a piece of land that has been in the Quintana family since long before New Mexico became part of the United States. When the owner Pete is in the lobby, guests are regaled with Santa Fe lore and personal stories about the colorful people and various businesses that have occupied the neighborhood. The twelve rooms have various personal touches such as handmade beds and traditional handicrafts adorning the walls, and some have fireplaces and mountain views. Free on-site parking is a huge plus, especially in the busy summer season.

This classic Santa Fe hacienda is just blocks from the Plaza yet set in a quiet residential area and sheltered from outside noises by thick adobe walls. Southwest decor mixes with French country and Mexican details to create an ambience perfectly suited to this city. Homemade, organic breakfasts are deluxe; afternoon snacks will leave you begging for the recipes (which they'll cheerfully provide). The rooms are extremely comfortable and quiet, with details like plush comforters and sheets, and cozy robes. Several rooms and suites open on to the interior courtyard, which has a kiva fireplace and offers a perfect respite after a long day of exploring, and full-service Absolute Nirvana Spa is across the street at the sister property, the Madeleine Inn. The owners also operate a few nearby vacation rentals well suited to groups or longer stays.

Among the handful of midprice, full-service hotels within a couple of blocks of the Plaza, this attractive, Territorial-style adobe hotel with a mix of spacious standard rooms and even bigger suites is a terrific option, especially given the extensive amenities available in many units—wet bars, kitchenettes, spacious sitting areas. All the rooms are decorated with handcrafted furnishings and Southwestern textiles, and have wood-burning fireplaces and either shared or private patios. You enter some rooms through a charming central courtyard, while others are set down interior hallways. The hotel's main restaurant, Estevan, serves a mix of traditional New Mexican and international fare, and the offbeat Low 'n Slow Lowrider Bar—decked in artfully displayed vintage car parts—is a fun spot for a drink. In an additional nod to the area's low-rider and cruising culture, the hotel owns a 1964 Impala lowrider in which guests can be escorted around the Plaza. The hotel is beside the venerable city library and across the street from the New Mexico History Museum and several good restaurants.

Picurís Pueblo has controlling interest in this handsome Pueblo-style three-story hotel on the Railyard District's edge and a 15-minute walk from the Plaza. The light, airy rooms and suites are traditional Southwestern, with locally handmade furniture, wooden blinds, and Pueblo paintings; many have balconies. The hotel gift shop, Santa Fe's only tribally owned store, has lower prices than many nearby retail stores, and the hotel's rooms and common areas are decorated with a museum-quality collection of Native American artworks. The 35 rooms and suites in the posh Hacienda wing have corner fireplaces and the use of a well-trained butler. Amaya is one of the better hotel restaurants in town, and there's a full-service spa offering a nice range of treatments as well as a refreshing garden pool. Informal talks about Native American history and culture are held in the lobby and Native American ceremonial dances take place on the property.

Just one block south of the Plaza, this stately three-story hotel retains a historic vibe but has been given a modern flair—with expansive stone floors, plaster walls, and spare furnishings lit by massive pillar candles at night, the lobby feels a bit like a Tuscan monastery. The simple, elegant rooms with high ceilings and casement windows have rustic Mexican furnishings and an unfussy, streamlined look. If you're looking for more of a splurge, the Cardinal Suite has a private balcony with views over the rooftops of downtown. The steak-house restaurant, Market Steer, is among the best in the city and the cocktail bar, Secreto, serves excellent cocktails. An added bonus is the Gruet Tasting Room, where you can sample still and sparklings from one of New Mexico's best-known wineries.

This plush, oft-photographed, pueblo-inspired property attracts a loyal clientele, many of whom swear by the friendly staff and high decorating standards. The lobby opens up to the gardens and large pool, and leather couches and high-end architectural details make the hotel a pleasure to relax in. Rooms are among the largest of any downtown property and contain vibrantly upholstered, handcrafted furnishings, and sumptuous slate-floor bathrooms—many have large balconies overlooking downtown. Other nice touches include spa robes and slippers. The restaurant, Luminaria, serves creative Southwestern fare and the café and lounge, Crafted, offers a number of specialty cocktails featuring New Mexico spirits, local wines, and coffee. In the spa you can choose from a wide range of both Japanese and more Southwestern-inspired treatments and services and an on-site salon offers everything from blow-outs to balayage. The Inn also now has a partnership with tour company Heritage Inspirations, offering guided tours around the area, including on e-bikes.

This rambling, reasonably priced hotel by the Santa Fe River is staffed by a polite, enthusiastic bunch. The cheerful rooms have a Mexican theme, with bright colors, hand-painted folk art, feather pillows, Southwestern fabrics, and handmade furnishings; deluxe rooms also have balconies and fireplaces. Perks include a complimentary tea-and-sherry social each afternoon and a quite extensive breakfast buffet along with free Wi-Fi and newspapers. New Mexican dishes and lighter fare, including very good green-chile cheese burgers, are served in the very popular and reasonably priced bar-restaurant, Del Charro, which is also a favorite stop on the Santa Fe Margarita Trail.

In the 1920s, poet Witter Bynner played host to an eccentric circle of artists and intellectuals, as well as some wild parties in his mid-19th-century Spanish–Pueblo Revival home, which is now a superb bed-and-breakfast with a great location a few blocks from the capitol; in sum, it's the quintessential Santa Fe inn. Rooms are simple, traditional Southwestern style with carved wood furniture and plush linens. The inn's style preserves the building's historic integrity, starting with the lodge-like lobby and extending throughout the lush, terraced grounds with gardens and comfy seating areas. You might sleep in the room where D. H. Lawrence or Willa Cather slept, or perhaps in Robert Oppenheimer's room.

Within an easy walk of both the Plaza and Canyon Road, this midpriced charmer with spacious Southwest-style rooms is one of the city's best small hotels. Alameda means "tree-lined lane," and this one perfectly complements the inn's location by the gurgling Santa Fe River. The adobe architecture and enclosed courtyards strewn with climbing rose vines combine a relaxed New Mexico country atmosphere with the luxury and amenities of a top-notch hotel, from afternoon wine and cheese to triple-sheeted beds with luxurious Egyptian cotton bedding. Rooms have a Southwestern color scheme, handmade armoires and headboards, and ceramic lamps and tiles—many have patios and kiva fireplaces. While there is no pool, there are two outdoor hot tubs. The Inn also offers a courtesy shuttle to anywhere within a 3-mile radius.

This handily situated inn has fairly simple, if in some cases compact, rooms, but they're clean and light, some have hardwood floors, and all have pleasing Southwestern furnishings and color schemes—the best units even have fireplaces and private patios. It's on a busy road, but at least this stretch of Paseo de Peralta is just two lanes wide and is in a semi-residential neighborhood a short walk from the Plaza. The two historic main buildings are joined by a modern lobby with a pitched ceiling, where the continental breakfast is served—in warm weather you can dine on the sundeck.

It's a pleasant 10-minute walk west of the Plaza to reach this group of properties consisting of a few historic, luxurious compounds, one of them Spanish Pueblo–style adobe, another done in the Territorial style, and others ranging from rooms in renovated Victorian houses to contemporary condos with up to three bedrooms. A network of brick paths shaded by mature trees leads through these buildings, connecting them with secluded courtyards and flower gardens. All units have fireplaces, microwaves, and refrigerators (and full kitchens in some cases), and individual art and handcrafted furnishings, and rates include an extensive continental breakfast. It's an elegant alternative to the city's upscale full-service hotels, affording guests a bit more privacy and the feel of a private cottage rental—though it is managed by the Hotel Santa Fe.

This contemporary motor court–style inn looks from the outside like an attractive, if fairly ordinary, adobe motel, but it has stunning and spotless rooms with elegant Southwestern decor. Tile baths, high-quality linens, and upscale furnishings fill every room, along with high-end toiletries; many have kiva fireplaces, or balconies and patios, and in most cases refrigerators and deep Jacuzzi tubs. A small business center and gym are open 24 hours. Most rooms open onto a courtyard parking lot, although chile ristras hanging outside each unit brighten things up. The make-your-own-breakfast-burrito buffet is a nice touch.

This compound consists of clusters of three-story town houses with pitched roofs and tall chimneys. Best bets for families or up to four adults traveling together are the one-room penthouse suites, which each have a loft bedroom and a separate sitting area (with a curtain divider) that has a Murphy bed. All units have wood-burning fireplaces and there is a nice pool on the property. It's right off a major intersection about 3 miles south of the Plaza, but it's set back far enough that there's little regular traffic noise. Ask for one of the second-floor end units for the best mountain views.

This low-slung adobe property significantly transcends the generally sketchy quality of the several other budget motels along Cerrillos Road, thanks to the tireless efforts of its owner. There's a kitschy, Western aspect to the place—rooms are named for icons of the West (Annie Oakley, Wyatt Earp) and contain related plaques with colorful biographies and local cowboy art. Furnishings are decidedly Southwest: Mexican-tile bathrooms, serape tapestries, built-in bancos, and equipale chairs (made of woven wood and leather) are present in most rooms. Enjoy breakfast on the covered ramada picnic area. The popular home-furnishings and gift emporium, Jackalope, is next door.

Devotees appreciate the authentic onsen (Japanese-style baths) atmosphere of this award-winning 20-acre Japanese-inspired spa and boutique resort in the picturesque foothills a few miles northeast of town. The 14 light and airy hillside cottages are settled down a piñon-covered hill below the first-rate spa, which is tremendously popular with day visitors. The sleek, uncluttered accommodations have marble or stone wood-burning fireplaces, fine woodwork, high speed Wi-Fi, low-slung beds or futons, and courtyards or patios; two come with full kitchens, but breakfast is included in the rates. The facility has private and communal indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and overnight guests can use the communal tubs for free. The treatment rooms have a zenlike vibe, and a massage or specialized wellness treatment are great ways to heal sore muscles after a day in the mountains. The hip izakaya-style restaurant, Izanami, serves exceptional Japanese fare.

There isn't another property in Santa Fe to compare to this sumptuous yet relaxed inn with an unmistakable East-meets-West feel. The management and staff at this Relais & Chateaux hotel have created a property that fits right in with the kind of memorable lodgings you hear about in Morocco and Bali. All of the roomy suites have vibrantly colorful Asian and Latin American antiques and art, kilim rugs, and jewel-tone throw pillows. The owners, who have a long history in Santa Fe as importers of antiques and textiles, have a wonderful eye for decorating. All rooms have wood-burning fireplaces, and several have private porches or balconies. Great care has been taken in designing the fabulous bathrooms. Outfitted with bright mosaic tiles, semiprecious-stone inlays, plush Frette linens, and exclusive Bamford bath products, these spacious bathrooms have double sinks and separate showers (and in some cases steam showers). Parties traveling together can book the exclusive 2,000 square foot Luminaria Villa, with two master suites and the most stunning chef's kitchen you're likely to experience in a hotel. The personal service stands out: treats are left on your pillow, refrigerators are stocked, and afternoon margarita and wine-and-cheese spreads, an exquisite breakfast, and even daily walking tours are all available. The gardens, pool, and hot tub areas abound with lush plants, gurgling fountains, and cozy nooks. A spa offers massages, facials, and other wellness treatments.