I stayed at the Four Seasons Santa Fe for an early Christmas trip with my partner and his parents, and we had an absolutely lovely time. This property definitely lives up to the Four Seasons name, and was a really relaxing and beautiful place to unwind for a few days in the high desert of New Mexico. The sunsets from the bar's terrace are breathtaking. The resort is a short drive (about 15-20 minutes) to downtown Santa Fe, and its about a 45 minute drive to Bandelier National Monument which was surprisingly cool as a self-guided day trip.
My partner and I stayed in a Rancho Suite, which was AMAZING, and my parents-in-law stayed in a Vista Casita. All of the rooms are recently renovated, and feel fresh, and have a modern, chic, and sophisticated style with a distinctly New Mexican touch. The Rancho Suite was incredibly spacious - huge, really - with a large living room, large bedroom, gigantic full bathroom / dressing area, and a separate powder room. And the signature Four Seasons mattress and bedding - honestly its my favorite part of staying at a Four Seasons! The Suite also had a large outdoor patio, and two fireplaces, one indoor and outdoor. I would highly recommend upgrading to the Suite, if possible to feel like you're really treating yourself. The Vista Casita, which my parents-in-law stayed in, was also incredibly tasteful and thoughtful in its interior design and furnishings - but I was just blown away by the suite! The difference between the Rancho Suite and Encantado Suite is apparently the view, with the Encantado Suite having one, and the Rancho Suite not. The view from the Rancho Suite was terrestrial, not too bad, with desert landscaping and such. It is worth calling and speaking to someone at the resort after booking if you are particular about your view - I was surprised to see the resort's layout after arriving, which isn't easy to understand from the online photos - some of the casitas look like they have views more directly onto the parking area, or are nearer to other casitas - while other casitas look like they are naturally positioned to be facing a more private direction.
Two other great, and complementary, amenities of the resort are - you can reserve a private hot tub area via the spa - which we took advantage of each day - this might be harder to reserve when the resort is busy. And, there is a really scenic hiking trail that starts right from the resort, and has great views of the surrounding landscape, local plants, and wasn't too challenging for a novice (it had some steep bits, so at times a workout!) But, it was nice to do a hike without having to drive to a trailhead.
The service was superb, with all of the team being friendly, and making us feel welcome. Each night we had the "fire butler" come and light our fireplaces. The hotel also provides complementary s'more kits / marshmallow roasting kits, which was a really cute touch. The staff in the main lobby area were always kind and friendly, asking if we needed anything to help with our stay. The bar and restaurant staff were amazing, and were so friendly, remembering us day-to-day during our stay, etc. When we were greeted at arrival, one of the guest services managers met us personally, offered us sparkling wine, and after speaking with my mother-in-law about her interest in stargazing, offered to arrange a stargazing session with a local professor (which she did, and my mother-in-law loved it, but I have to note, we weren't told a price when reserving, and we didn't find it listed in the activity guide, and on our bill I saw that we were billed nearly $300. So, that was a bit of a surprise!). One thing we found hit or miss was the housekeeping service, especially in comparison with other Four Seasons hotels and resorts we've stayed at - during our four nights, a couple of the days the room cleaning and servicing was fine; but a couple days it felt lackluster or perhaps rushed - blankets not refolded and put away, outdoor furniture left a mess, living room furniture not resituated - just nothing "special" like at other Four Seasons' housekeeping where you get back to your room and think "oh how lovely!" or "what a lovely touch" or "I can't believe they even tidied my charging cables!". This is a small complaint and of course, the rooms were always clean, beds made, etc - you just expect a little bit "extra" touch with daily housekeeping or turndown when you're in this level of luxury hotel.
And last, a note on the restaurant and bar - the food and beverage is truly delicious at both - but it's worth noting, the prices, especially at the restaurant are sky high, which did make me question the price/value proposition of the restaurant and bar. For example, my father-in-law ordered a martini at dinner, and it cost $38. It wasn't uncommon for cocktails to be priced over $30 on the menu. Breakfast for two each morning easily cost my partner and me $100. That felt exorbitant - this isn't London or Paris, it's New Mexico... The food and beverage is priced higher than the Four Seasons Lanai in Hawaii for crying out loud lol! And unlike other Four Seasons, this resort didn't a offer more "casual" grab-and-go or cafe-style option that's more reasonably priced when you're not looking for fine dining. Even the bar menu was really pricey for what it was. That being said, there is a "happy hour" with a few "affordable" items to snack and drink on as you're watching the sunset, but just - well, be prepared to spend a lot on food and drink if you stay on property! And, you'll want to stay on property because it's so lovely!
Overall, we really enjoyed our time staying at Rancho Encantado - and would highly recommend it to someone looking for a luxury stay in the Santa Fe area. Despite a few small quibbles, it surpassed my expectations in almost every way!
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