6 Best Hotels in Santa Fe, New Mexico

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 hip Agave restaurant and lounge, one of the most inviting happy-hour and late-night snacking spots in town. A full slate of treatments, from Vichy rain showers to High Mesa salt scrubs, is offered by the hotel's Nidah Spa.

Among the handful of midprice, full-service hotels within a couple of blocks of the Plaza, this attractive, Territorial-style adobe hotel with a mix of spacious standard rooms and even bigger suites is a terrific option, especially given the extensive amenities available in many units—wet bars, kitchenettes, spacious sitting areas. All the rooms are decorated with handcrafted furnishings and Southwestern textiles, and have wood-burning fireplaces and either shared or private patios. You enter some rooms through a charming central courtyard, while others are set down interior hallways. The hotel's main restaurant, Estevan, serves a mix of traditional New Mexican and international fare, and the offbeat Low 'n Slow Lowrider Bar—decked in artfully displayed vintage car parts—is a fun spot for a drink. In an additional nod to the area's low-rider and cruising culture, the hotel owns a 1964 Impala lowrider in which guests can be escorted around the Plaza. The hotel is beside the venerable city library and across the street from the New Mexico History Museum and several good restaurants.

Just one block south of the Plaza, this stately three-story hotel retains a historic vibe but has been given a modern flair—with expansive stone floors, plaster walls, and spare furnishings lit by massive pillar candles at night, the lobby feels a bit like a Tuscan monastery. The simple, elegant rooms with high ceilings and casement windows have rustic Mexican furnishings and an unfussy, streamlined look. If you're looking for more of a splurge, the Cardinal Suite has a private balcony with views over the rooftops of downtown. The steak-house restaurant, Market Steer, is among the best in the city and the cocktail bar, Secreto, serves excellent cocktails. An added bonus is the Gruet Tasting Room, where you can sample still and sparklings from one of New Mexico's best-known wineries.

This plush, 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 gardens and large pool, and leather couches and high-end architectural details make the hotel a pleasure to relax in. Rooms are among the largest of any 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 both Japanese and more Southwestern-inspired treatments and services and an on-site salon offers everything from blow-outs to balayage. The Inn also now has a partnership with tour company Heritage Inspirations, offering guided tours around the area, including on e-bikes.

This rambling, reasonably priced hotel by the Santa Fe River is staffed by a polite, enthusiastic bunch. The cheerful rooms have a Mexican theme, with bright colors, hand-painted folk art, feather pillows, Southwestern fabrics, and handmade furnishings; deluxe rooms also have balconies and fireplaces. Perks include a complimentary tea-and-sherry social each afternoon and a quite extensive breakfast buffet along with free Wi-Fi and newspapers. New Mexican dishes and lighter fare, including very good green-chile cheese burgers, are served in the very popular and reasonably priced bar-restaurant, Del Charro, which is also a favorite stop on the Santa Fe Margarita Trail.

This handily situated inn has fairly simple, if in some cases compact, rooms, but they're clean and light, some have hardwood floors, and all have pleasing Southwestern furnishings and color schemes—the best units even have fireplaces and private patios. It's on a busy road, but at least this stretch of Paseo de Peralta is just two lanes wide and is in a semi-residential neighborhood a short walk from the Plaza. The two historic main buildings are joined by a modern lobby with a pitched ceiling, where the continental breakfast is served—in warm weather you can dine on the sundeck.