TrendGirl

Feedback please. We are thinking about a short trip to visit Santa Fe. We are interested in convenience and being in the center of town. We are watching our budget on hotel, but will be looking forward to spending our money eating "great!"
Which hotel seems like a better choice for 2 city girls visiting Santa Fe for a few days?

Marianna

The La Fonda is right at the Plaza. It is a funky historical place. We never stayed in a room there, but did attend an event there. If I recall correctly, the Eldorado is a short distance (maybe several blocks)away from the Plaza. It had a totally different atmosphere(more elegant?) than the La Fonda. We stayed at the St. Francis several times and enjoyed it. We had one of their large rooms, top floor facing the park across the street It is a little further from the Plaza than the La Fonda but not as far as the Eldorado.

Enjoy SF!

TrendGirl

Thanks for the feedback Marianna. Were you able to walk to most everything from the St. Francis? I will have to look into that hotel and check rates, etc. Which hotel do you think would be the best choice out of the three for 2 hip women from NYC for a fun experience?
We will be interested in eating great food, seeing art, enjoying walking around the town, and of course the sport of POWER SHOPPING!

TrendGirl

One more question please: What is the story with "INN OF THE TURQUOISE BEAR?" I had asked on a different post for information, but thought I may get a response here instead.
I have not been able to find much about this hotel.

Jayne1973

If I were you, I'd stay at LaFonda... I think the hip and funky would fit right in and it's so close to everything. To me, it just has good vibes, with a bustling lobby and shops inside, etc. There are sometimes eclectic events going on there, too. The only reason I've never stayed there is my friend and I always have at least a couple of teens with us and the prices are higher and we need more room. But as soon as it's just us girls, LaFonda here we come!

Marianna

The St. Francis is a block away from the Plaza but certainly close enough to walk. Of the 3 hotels, I would say that the La Fonda may be more fun to stay in. Jayne is right, there seemed to be a lot of activity there all the time.

I mentioned the St. Francis because the rooms on the top floor right over the lobby are large and spacious. We peeked in a room at La Fonda and the one we saw seemed small but decorated in a very attractive SW style. We also stayed at the Inn at Loretto which was very nice.

You will find many great restaurants and lots of shops to check out while you are there.

Now I want to go back myself!

obxgirl

You can walk to everything from any of the hotels you've mentioned. Downtown SF is pretty compact and easy to navigate. I really love the St. Francis and that would be my first choice...probably go for La Fonda second. Nothing wrong with the Eldorado though.

Make sure you check out Todos Santos (125 E. Palace Ave), a gourmet chocolate shop. Very high on the funky scale (imagine chocolate shaped miliagros whose wrappins are a thin veneer of real gold or silver). Heavenly truffles. Pricey...but that will keep you from overindulging!

Don't know why no one has any info on the Inn of the Turq. Bear (I think I was the one who made the earlier comment). For that matter I'm surprised how little mention SF gets here...it's a fantastic place. One of my favorites.

TrendGirl

Thank you Jayne and Marianna so much for your opinions, this was just the type of information I was looking for. Anyone that I know who has gone to Santa Fe, was into entirely different interests then me and were staying at more of a "romantic couple venue."

obxgirl-Thanks for the hot tip about the Truffle Shop, that sounds terrific.

Jayne1973

TrendGirl, when are you going? I can tell you about an awesome flea market during the summer months that is absolutley not to be missed.

Tandoori_Girl

I stayed at the St. Francis years ago with my husband and loved it. It has old world elegance and charm. La Fonda has that wild west Santa Fe feel to it. If I were not wanting romance, I'd go for La Fonda. It has a great location. If there's a major difference in price between the two, take the cheaper one. They're both nice.

obxgirl

Jayne1973, Is that the Tesuque Flea Market? Agreed, it's great.

Jayne1973

Yes obx girl-- the Tesuque market. Look forward to it every year. I like to have an Indian taco and a cup of watermelon juice when I'm done shopping!

annieladd

You really can't beat La Fonda for convenience and SF charm. We've stayed at most of the places listed, and have enjoyed them all. Some are even nicer than La Fonda, but if it was my first time to Santa Fe, I'd definitely stay at La Fonda. Be sure to just sit in the lobby and watch all the interesting folks walk by, including many celebrities. For dining, have Mexican at El Shed, and great meals at Geronimo and Santa Cafe. Enjoy!

seniormsuedu

check out the many posts on santa fe. the flea market, not to be missed, with a panoramic view of the sangre de cristo mts., is every fri. and sat. canyon drive, walking distance from the small downtown, is all shops, art galleries and restaurants. you will have fun, city girls.

Marianna

Hello TrendGirl, try to get a chance to take the trolley tour. You can get it at the Loretto. It is a great way to get a sense and history of the area and the views from above Santa Fe are wonderful.

Evenings in Santa Fe are magical. The dining suggestions already mentioned here are great - I will add two more - Ristra and La Casa Sena. We haven't been there for two years so I hope these places are still in business and are still good.

Someone suggested people watching at the La Fonda - we saw Mohammed Ali while we were eating breakfast while staying at the St. Francis (he was staying there also along with his family) and Ali McGraw (am I showing my age?) while having lunch at the La Casa Sena. Do you know that Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith have a home in Tesuque? Maybe you will see them at the Flea Market!

Have a great time in Santa Fe! I'm missing it right now.

Jayne1973

I have to put in a plug for the good old Plaza Cafe, right on the square. It's a great place to have lunch. Although I don't normally recognize celebrities off the screen, my friend pointed out Naomi Judd sitting right in the Plaza's front window one afternoon.

Marianna

Love that place also!

TrendGirl

Thanks for the cool feedback everyone. Well.....we are booked for La Fonda at the end of August, and I now I am excited. I am going to have to starve myself from now until I leave so I can enjoy all that wonderful food when in Santa Fe. I am sure we will check out the Tesuque Market, Georgia O'Kiefe, and basically enjoy Santa Fe which has been on our "TO DO LIST" for a while now. This should be a fun short trip to take with "the girls."

TrendGirl

Next project is to put together an amazing restaurant list for the trip to Santa Fe. I will need an assortment of places to hit all the highlights not to be missed. Suggestions will be appreciated. Breakfast, Lunches, Dinners, places to have drinks----the mission is to have fun, terrific food in Santa Fe.

Jayne1973

You'll probably get more ideas than you can ever explore within a couple of days. But if you like SF as much as I do, you will be back for more! You've already got several suggestions, and I'd add Maria's to the list. It's famous for fabulous margaritas and from the menu, I personally recommend the taco plate. If you are mainly interested in staying in the general plaza area, Guadalupe Cafe is right down Santa Fe Trail from La Fonda. Green Chili items are their speciality and they have some good salads. Upper Crust Pizza is also nearby and always good. Pick up a Santa Fe Reporter (free local tabloid newspaper)for lots of info on restaurants and happenings.