9 Best Hotels in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Although this historic resort is just a 10-minute drive from the Plaza, its setting in a bucolic valley at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains makes it feel worlds apart. Guests can revel in seasonal activities including hiking, swimming, yoga, art classes, and fly-fishing in an on-site trout habitat. Bishop Lodge's popular stables offer scenic trail rides in the Santa Fe National Forest. History runs deep here with the nearly 150-year-old chapel built by Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy—a figure lionized by writer Willa Cather—at the resort's center. Rooms are luxurious and feature tasteful, contemporary Southwest decor, many with balconies or patios with spectacular mountain vistas. Special accommodations for families or large groups include a 12-room Bunk House and indoor and outdoor event spaces. The Stream Dance Spa offers massages, facials, shamanic healing, yoga, and meditation, and the on-site restaurant, SkyFire, offers an expansive terrace with stunning views of Tesuque Valley.

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 eye-catching, 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 pretty garden, pool, and outdoor event area. Inside, leather couches and high-end architectural details make the hotel perfect for a relaxing happy hour. Rooms are among the largest of 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 treatments and services and an on-site salon offers everything from blow-outs to balayage. The Inn also offers guided tours around the area.

This sumptuous yet relaxed Relais & Chateaux hotel has an unmistakable East-meets-West feel, fitting 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 woodburning 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 and minibar items are complimentary as are afternoon drinks and breakfast. 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.

This intimate and artfully designed boutique hotel steps from the Plaza has superb architectural detail, top-notch service, and a much-celebrated restaurant, bar, and lounge. The inn is part of the prestigious Rosewood Hotel group, and the sumptuous linens and elegant furnishings reflect that brand's ultra-luxe standards. Each room has a beamed viga-and-latilla ceiling, kiva-style gas fireplace, handwoven fabrics, and organic toiletries. Five of the inn's junior suites have balconies overlooking Downtown. Additional amenities include twice-daily housekeeping service and a stunning library.

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 Agave restaurant and lounge, one of the most popular happy-hour and late-night snacking spots in downtown Santa Fe. A full slate of treatments, from chakra rebalancing to prenatal and couples massages, is offered by the hotel's Nidah Spa.

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.

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.

Rooms on the beautiful, quiet grounds of this Tribute Portfolio resort and spa vary greatly in size and configuration, but the level of luxury befits the somewhat steep rates, especially given the considerable amenities and appealing East Side location. Many rooms and suites have fireplaces, and all have flat-screen TVs, leather couches, marble bathrooms, and Navajo-inspired rugs. The main building contains a handful of luxurious, high-ceilinged Victorian rooms. The property boasts excellent bar, spa, and common areas, including the breezy and charming Patio Restaurant, the atmospheric Staab House Lounge, and the upscale Julia restaurant and bar, named for the resident ghost. Guests are offered numerous complimentary events throughout the week, like Margarita Monday, wine-and-cheese pairings on Wednesday, and chef's receptions on Friday. History lovers should grab a copy of the book, American Ghost: A Family's Extraordinary History on the Desert Frontier by Hannah Nordhaus, for a fascinating look into the life, and ghostly legends, of the Staab family, who first built the mansion.