More help on Santa Fe Hotels
 

My husband and I are going to celebrate his 70th in early April. I've seen the reports on The Governor's Inn and it certainly sounds nice. Has anyone stayed at the Hotel St. Francis? I noticed that some of the hotels/inns still have smoking which we want to avoid. We're looking for quiet! One more question: can we do Taos in a day trip or should we plan to stay over? We're both active and it doesn't sound like it's too far from Santa Fe.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Assuming you have a car, yes - Taos can certainly be done as a day trip.

Inn of the Governor's is nice, great location.

Inn of Governor's has some rooms with fireplaces. They offer free breakfast, internet, afternoon sherry, free parking. Their basic rooms are less $$ than St Francis.

I think the Hotel St Francis may be a nicer property, a bit more upscale. Also a great location. Also has free internet,Frette linens, down comforters, parking isn't free.

Yes, I think they charge $9.00/night for parking. Do you think that the Inn of the Governor's will be quiet? And thank you for the advice about Taos. I felt we could do it in a day.

Quiet - during the day or at night?

The parking lot of the Inn of the Governors is outside of many rooms, so there could be noise from cars coming and going. It is set up like a motel motorcourt from the 60's. The bar/restaurant there could also be busy during the night.

I read on tripadvisor that they provide earplugs which tends to lead me to think that noise might be an issue.

Have you read the reviews on Tripadvisor?

I've stayed at the Inn of the Governors 2 times and have not had an issue with noise. Both times I had a street facing room that had a small grassy/patio area and a fence that separated the room entrance from the street. The bar & parking lot were far away enough from my room so neither of those were an issue.

Inn on the Governors might be nice, but not sure if I'd call it quite, as it has an in-house bar and restaurant.

A really nice quite hotel that is also very close to the plaza is Inn on the Alameda. It has a very intimate feeling. Also, they have a nice wine and cheese hour in the afternoons and a great free breakfast in the mornings.

Hotel St. Francis used to be very nice, but I've heard it's been strange lately as I think they've gone under new management. It is also definitely not quiet, at least not if your room will be facing the street (lots of bars right nearby).

Thanks to all. I'm beginning to think we might be better off a little way out of town. Anyone know anything about the Bishop's Lodge...or any other suggestions that aren't right in town. We'll have a car so that won't be a problem. Appreciated the tip about earplugs! Guess that does say alot.

I would pass on Bishop's Lodge - it seems to cater to corporate groups more than travelers.

Hotel Santa Fe or the Hacienda is very nice.
http://www.hotelsantafe.com/

The Inn of the Anasazi is really nice if you're celebrating something special. It was very quiet when we were there, but right on the Plaza so very convenient location.

We just came from a fortnight at The Inn of The Governors, where we always stay. It is almost right in the center of town, has parking, and at 4 p.m. the offer cookies and port or sherry, a nice lounge to visit, great breakfast included, and a restaurant that we used a time or two. We had a huge suite (second floor) and it was magnificantly furnished, the service is great, and you can't go wrong, for sure. We have also stayed at Bishop's Lodge, which is spectacular, and has a grand breakfast. I almost ran directly into Shirley McClaine, who lives around there. She is a beauty, even at her age.

Hope you have a grand time..Part of my heart is buried in New Mexico.

p.s. Skip the La Fonda, in my opinion...sort of 'historical' and they trade much on that, food in the restaurant is nice, the bar ditto, but the rooms are old and funky---at least the one we got, and not cheap either, little personal service, halls dark and not a good feeling.

I've been staying at the Inn of the Governors for years and will be doing so again in a few weeks. Only once has there been a noise problem and that was with members from a wedding party, but even that was taken care of with a call to the front desk. The restaurant is pretty quiet and closes fairly early in the evening, so that's not a problem, and the bar is not close to the rooms and not particarily noisy as bars go. When booking, I'd just ask for their quietest room.

I also think the St. Francis is a bit strange. I believe it used to be very nice but from walking by on numerous occasions, it just doesn't seem to be quite the hotel it was in the past. However, if they advertise Frette linens, they may be making a comeback.:)

Sante Fe has a number of nice hotels, but I wouldn't begin to guess as to which is the quietest.

We really enjoyed our stays at Inn of the Anasazi(lovely room and hotel, great staff, great location) and at Inn on the Alameda (located near Canyon Road; nice room and staff, included breakfast). Stayed at the Bishop's Lodge several years ago, and liked that, too. As mentioned above, Inn of the Anasazi would be more of a splurge.

We most often stay at the Inn of the Anasazi. Love the location, the bar and the restaurant. The rooms are really nice and it is not a huge property. Valet parking. The only down side is the fact that not all rooms have a great view but the rooms are so cozy and we have usually spent the entire day wandering the sites of Sante Fe that we love to just curl up and read, sleep or watch a bit of late night tv.

We have stayed at the Inn of Five Graces which is another lovely place to stay. Most rooms are suites around courtyards. It is just a few short blocks off of the square.

I think either place would be just wonderful for a 70th birthday.

Enjoy
loveyblue

I loved Hotel Santa Fe, a few blocks from the Plaza and Canyon Road, but they have a great on-call shuttle . Rooms not large, but very nice. Ask for one on the pool side of building.

I still think Inn on the Alameda is a good way to go for this, but reading these comments also made me think of La Posada. I haven't stayed there since it was renovated, but it's on Palace Ave, one of my favorite streets. Very close to downtown, but just outside the busy part (as is Inn on the Alameda). Not as close to Canyon Road though.

Inn on the Anasazi may be a good choice also if you don't mind the price- it's very classy, and they do have a great restaurant.

Hotel Santa Fe is also very nice - If you're on the wrong side of the hotel though (by the corner of Paseo and Cerrillos), it can be very noisy - I know because I work right across the street from there and hear cars honking and police sirens constantly. Not a bad part of town, just a busy intersection.

There are a ton of great hotels in Santa Fe. I like Inn on the Alameda because I know the people there, have stayed there very recently, and found it very beautiful and surprisingly intimate. They also have fun packages that you might find convenient for having a birthday in Santa Fe (http://www.innonthealameda.com/packages.html). I hope all this helps and is not overwhelming, and that you two have a great time in Santa Fe during your visit.

Again, just wanted to thank everyone for their help. Inn of the Governors was just offering such a good rate I went for it. I know we won't be in the room all that much, and certainly can use the difference in price at great restaurants and sightseeing. If we had been there before, I probably would have opted for the Inn on the Alameda or the Inn of Five Graces but because we'll be out seeing as much as possible, decided to take advantage of a recommended inn at a great price. This forum is the best!

We stayed at the Old Santa Fe Inn and it was good, especially the breakfast. Plus it had suite rooms, which is nice because we had both of our hobbits in tow and we could escape the little monsters. It's right across the street from the Capitol so it's relatively quiet.

Make sure to get lunch at Tomasita's. We detour there on the way to Taos.

I am sure you will have a wonderful time, granitepoint. If I can help you with anything else [restaurants and places to go] let me know.

Would love your suggestions both for restaurants and what we should try and cover during our time there. We like restaurants that offer innovative food...something I wouldn't make at home and I do love to cook.

If you're ever either in MA or ME let me know...MA was home until we moved to our summer place in Maine. Needless to say, we don't stay there in the winter and are currently in Mill Valley, CA.