Santa Fe's historic La Fonda hotel is iconic with its pueblo-style architecture and Spanish Colonial decor. And I love it. So I was thrilled to find that I'd be staying there on my recent trip to New Mexico.
My room was in the La Terraza (concierge) section with a small balcony looking out on the Cathedral. My suite featured beautiful wood floors with woven Indian rugs, colorful tiles and painted furniture.
The wine, fruit and cheese was a lovely surprise.
Both Spanish and Indian themes blended nicely and appeared in creative ways like these cut-outs of corn on the closet door.
The hotel rambles all over the block and it's easy to get lost in the maze of hallways. I took a few unplanned detours myself but enjoyed it because on every wall and around every corner you'll find interesting touches like the stained glass and punched tin light fixture I found in a stairwell.
Of course I had to have huevos rancheros for breakfast -- it's my tradition whenever I'm in New Mexico. And La Plazuela, the La Fonda's charming cafe, made the perfect setting.
I loved my room; I loved my bed; I loved my breakfast but here's what put the La Fonda and its great staff forever in my heart. I was in a hurry to get dressed and packed and took my pearl earrings out of my suitcase. Before I put them on, I stopped to do something else and promptly forgot them. They're small and simple -- not terribly expensive -- but they had a lot of sentimental value to me. I didn't realize until we were in Red River that I didn't have them. I didn't hold out much hope for getting them back. It would have been easy just to sweep them off the table without noticing. I called the hotel -- as did my trip host -- but didn't hear back that day -- or the next. I had given up when I got the message that they had been found and had been put in the mail. They beat me home. Thank you, La Fonda, for a great stay and a happy ending!
