Hotel Glorieta Opens in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico, was named the best city in America Travel + Leisure This year readers are often praised for its charming city and fascinating art scene. These outdoor adventure offerings are rarely appreciated as the main draw. The new Hotel Glorietta is set to change that.

“Santa Fe is one of those rich cultural American cities where natural beauty isn’t going to hit you in the face,” says Jeff Burns, a partner at hotel-owning group Bill Whip Capital. “But by the third day, visitors really start to notice it.”

He wanted to open a hotel that would attract others looking for greater connection with the outdoors. Burns and his business partners bought a 128-key Hotel Lodge north of downtown, and have spent the past year giving it a stylish makeover.

I checked in a few weeks after the property reopened. With its north-facing location and a perch on a hill, it also boasts one of the best views of the city. Although vestiges of the building’s original incarnation as the Sheraton circa 1976 remain, it has undergone a top-to-bottom refresh led by boozy local design firm French & French. They kept some of the furnishings and artwork from the lodge, which had been in operation for the past 20 years, but added meaningful upgrades to make the property feel new.

“The previous owners of the hotel had amassed an amazing collection of furniture and art, and we felt it was important to honor that history,” says design principal Heather French. “For example, solid wood Mexican beds are beautifully crafted and timeless, so we chose to retain them and design around them.” Speaking of beds, the plush nautical beauty felt like a cloud, dressed with crisp Italian-made Safra linen.

Newly painted guest rooms feature wall hangings in art and historic black-and-white photographs of local indigenous communities. Luxe Schumacher fabrics add texture and pops of color. Although the bathrooms are a throwback to earlier times, my spacious king suite had a living area with a leather pull-out couch, a desk with a view of the city, and a workspace with a wall-mounted flat-screen television.

I didn’t have a car, which made traveling difficult. The beauty of Hotel Glorietta is that it’s removed from the city, but that means nothing is within walking distance. With my own wheels, I would have ventured out to see nearby Abiyakiui, home to famed artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch, or spent a day in the spring-fed pools at Ojo Santa Fe. To avoid disappointment — or escalating Uber charges — do yourself a favor and rent a car.

Thoughtful touches abound in the hotel’s Glorietta, whose name means “gathering place.” There is a gratis coffee bar in the lobby, stocked with drip coffee, a trio of flavored syrups and takeaway cups. Glass bottles in the room are filled with filtered water to reduce single-use plastics. and a breakfast buffet—with dishes like house-made granola, organic scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes with spicy tart salsa. $10 is a bargain.

One morning, I walked past the back parking lot of the hotel and one of the sand-covered hills rising up at the rear of the property. I had easy access to La Terra’s network of 25 miles of trails. Another afternoon was spent lounging at the property’s kidney-sized pool, thanks to plenty of umbrellas and a friendly bartender-slash-DJ spinning tunes and mixing a first-rate Paloma. Morning yoga is offered several times a week on the grassy central lawn, and for days when the weather isn’t cooperating, the instructor can move the class to the chapel (it also doubles as a venue for events and weddings). The Marigold Room, just off the lobby, is an intimate music venue and listening room for just 150 guests that is already drawing national touring acts.

A few additions are yet to be made to the Hotel Glorietta. With the official grand opening in late October, on-site dining and cocktail bar Lady Duff’s Lounge will debut a new cocktail menu and table service alongside a smaller menu of items like chimichurri fries, oyster ceviche, and Mexican flan with steak with mint berry syrup. The lounge will also host live jazz performances. Additionally, the team will add a barrel sauna to the pool deck, creating a “leisure club” with its existing pool, hot tub, and bar, a seasonal hangout spot.

As the restaurant’s offerings expand, Burns says he plans to offer other services for guests interested in exploring. “We want to be an urban adventure hotel. The whole idea is that you can check in and we’ll ask, ‘Where do you want to go today? What do you want to do?’ And we can pack you a Yeti cooler with sandwiches, drinks, whatever you want, and you can go out and hike or explore.

Rates start at $165 per night and can be booked at HotelGloritasantaf.com.