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You’ll be greeted at Inn of the Governors with a welcome sherry, sweet or dry, and New Mexico’s state cookie the biscochito, it’s a homey welcome at a long-established hotel in the heart of Santa Fe, representative of the welcoming atmosphere of this 50+ years hotel that is an obvious favorite among both guests and locals.
In the evenings the hotel’s bar, which is accessible from the street, welcomes residents and tourists alike to try one of their dozen or so margaritas (the Santa Fe Trail Margarita or the Spicy Margarita for a taste of the local) and their famous hamburger around a burning hearth. The friendly ambiance might have something to do with the fact that a single family has owned the hotel since it opened in 1965 and most of the employees have 10 or more years under their belts working there (with some employed for over 20 years).
The superior wing is in the main building of the hotel, accessible from the hotel’s cozy lobby, with 216 sq ft superior rooms with double queens or single kings, fireplaces, and full bathrooms with bathtubs. If you visit in the winter, evenings are perfumed with the wood-burning kiva fireplaces that grace these rooms and you’ll walk past the hallway wood niche where you can pick up your nightly stash of kindling. These rooms are spacious without being grandiose, and if you really want to spread out, upgrade to one of the Deluxe fireplace rooms, that span 280 sq ft with a full-size sleeper sofa and a king bed. Or one of the Mini-Suite Fireplace Rooms with a sitting area and balcony, that at 392 sq ft have queen sleeper sofas and king beds.
Both higher categories are accessible in the hotel’s annexed building across the main parking lot. These categories include a mini bar, fireplace, and stand-alone sink outside of the main bathroom.
The hotel’s final collection of rooms is their traditional category in the lodge-like building in the back, each with its own outdoor patio space, and one of the rooms dedicated full-time to storage for active visitors who bring mountain bikes, skis, and snowboards to take advantage of the area’s year-round nature attractions. These rooms are 192 sq ft and have either two queens or one king-size bed.
Inn of the Governors does its best to make your stay as low-stress as possible with a complimentary mountain breakfast, free wi-fi, and free parking all included in the rate — no nickel and diming guests like some of Santa Fe’s other large hotels. If you book directly with the hotel they will even throw in a 15-dollar food and drink voucher. All rooms include bathrobes (that you can purchase), coffee makers, hair dryers, lockboxes, and TVs. Rooms run from $169 to $369 depending on the season and category. See the official site here and you can also check Booking.com, Hotels.com, or your favorite hotel booking site to see if you can get a better rate.
The mid-century lodge layout gives the hotel an older feel. Half-done puzzles on an antique desk, potted plants soaking in the New Mexico sun, and a collection of comfy sofas gathered around an indoor fireplace do their job in drawing guests to the lobby to sip a glass of wine or debrief from a day of adventures. If there was anything negative I could say about our stay there it was that the internet signal was weak in my room and not much better in the lobby, possibly a result of older architecture.
Located right in the heart of Santa Fe, many of the museums, shops, cafes, and bookstores that make downtown a delight are within walking distance. Staff at the front desk can help you do everything from making dinner reservations to mailing a postcard to starting a fire in your room. The heated pool, which I didn’t take advantage of in January, is open all year round if you can weather the chilly walk from indoors to out in the winter.
Overall Inn of the Governors is a charming stay in Santa Fe with an incredible location whose many amenities folded into the price made life a little easier in a town which is can be pricey for visitors. It’s evident that they are customer-focused and that the staff are dedicated to the hotel, which speaks well to the management of one of the city’s longest-running establishments.
*The author was hosted at this hotel but her opinions are her own, photos courtesy of Inn of the Governors
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