texasgirl

Hi, has anyone stayed in la posada de santa fe since the hotel completed renovations, and if so did you try out the spa there? How does it compare to other New Mexico spas such as Ten Thousand Waves, or to other SF hotels such as Inn of the Governors or Rancho Encantado? Or, failing all that, do you have other favorite resorts or spas in New Mexico? (not just Santa Fe) Trying to plan a fall trip...Thanks, looking forward to your input....

nygirl

Bishops lodge is the greatest & their less exp. rooms are terrific. stay there if you can. SF is great!

Sal

My husband and I stayed at the La Posada a few months ago. We had a wonderful stay. The newly renovated rooms were lovely. Be sure and request a room that is not on the street side. I recommend a spa suite. OUrs was beautiful. They are over the spa and an elevator takes you directly to the facility. . It is not the caliber of 10,000 waves, but I found the services to be very good. Be sure you book in advance. I waited until we arrived and could not get all the services I wanted. Rancho Encantado is very nice. Although it's a bit of a drive into town. I found Bishop's to be nice, but a little dated.

texasgrrl

thanks! think i'm going with la posada. also, i have an extra couple of days and am thinking of going to madrid and cerillos _ anyone have an opinion on whether these are worth an overnight or just a day trip?

Dick

Madrid is an easy day trip and a cute little town...but I don't think there is enough to warrant an overnight stay..unless you want total quiet at night.

Sal

If you're flying into Albequerque, you can go through Madris on your way to or from Sante Fe. My husband and I stopped on the way and spent an hour. Beware--the shops are really cute and you'll be very tempted (they're mostly on the main road through town)--you'll find a much better and bigger selection in Sante Fe. If you like shopping, be sure and visit the flea market near the Opera. We found great things much cheaper than you can buy it in town.

Jessica

My sister and I stayed at the Hotel Santa Fe about 3 years ago and truly enjoyed our experience there. We were only there a few nights and the concierge helped us get plan daily itineraries and get reservations at the wonderful Santa Cafe restaurant - an incredible dining experience!

susan

We had a disappointing visit to Rancho Encantando two summers ago. We ended up staying in a very pleasant room, but
that was after checking out several others when we discovered that our assigned room had a bad mildew smell.
The restaurant was mediocre at best. We had fun riding horses there, and loved
Santa Fe in general, but unless R.E. has
spruced the place up recently, I would not recommend it for the money.

Marcia

La Posada is beautiful! There are fountains, flowers, and sculptures everywhere. While we were there, a wedding took place, and it was so romantic. The outdoor dining terrace was refreshing and relaxing. The newly remodeled rooms are quite nice, and the Satillo tiled floored bathrooms are huge. Go into the old Staab house and look around the bar, library, and other rooms for a sense of history and luxury. It is on the pricey side, but it's location is worth it-walking distance to the Plaza and Canyon Road.

G

We stayed at Rancho Encantado 12 months ago and loved it. We stayed in one of the adobe casitas across the road from the lodge. Our 1-bedroom was large with full kitchen and spacious patio. The pool was a short walk down the dusty driveway. We like somewhat remote locations, away from town, and this was ideal for us. It is expensive,

Beth

If you don't mind being about 20 mins. south of Sante Fe, I highly recommend the 2000 acre Crystal Mesa Farm B&B; it is just a bit north of Cerillos and Madrid. The owners are in their own home on the property, so you have the run of the main house with any other guests who might be there (only two bedrooms in the main house; an apartment over the garage). They have a website, so check it out. I second the Flea Market just past the exit for the Opera as a fun place. I wouldn't plan more than an hour or so for Madrid; it has some nice galleries (art, jewelry and glass) and some good food (stay away from the main bar-my companion said it was filthy) but what I could afford, I was not in the least tempted to buy! There is a foundry off the Turquoise Trail for the works of the deceased Indian sculptor Allan Houser which is open by appointment. There is also a website for this. His work is in the American Indian museum in S.F. If you do a search, I have done a more extensive post on Sante Fe several months ago. Try to get to Chimayo for the church, weaving and the restaurant just north of the town. You can find everything you need on the web by searching the New Mexico sites (and here too of course). I can't wait to get back there.

texasgirl

Thanks all for the replies. you've given me lots of ideas...i'm now looking forward to three nights at la posada and another night or two at a b&b on the turquoise trail _ maybe crystal mesa, if i can get in....

Jeff

Just a brief comment on Bishops Lodge - we just stayed there, in a fairly expensive suite (it was a special occasion) and found that it was very condo-like and severely lacking in amenities. At the price, I would call it a huge waste of money. This was made much more clear by following it with a stay at Casa de las Chimineas in Taos, which was cheaper, had better rooms, better service, and enough amenities to make it feel like heaven.

Beth

Would love to know if you did indeed stay at the Crystal Mesa and if you liked it as much as I did. My companion was amazed that I had stumbled onto such a wonderful place over the web. [Did I mention the male owner is a soap opera star on All My Children.]

texasgirl

nope, sorry, i didn't get in at crystal mesa. instead i found a small, relaxing b&b named open sky, run by two women. it was just south of santa fe at the very northern tip of the turquoise trail. Oh, and thanks to advice here, i did go to chimayo, for lunch, weavings and to see the santuario, which made a nice day trip also.