La Fonda on the Plaza

Location

Food was meh. And not worth the money.

Cozy room

Our room was very loud. Big trucks backing up with a loud noise and people talking.

We had a rough check-in experience with the very unfriendly staff lady but after that it was INCREDIBLE. Our room in The Terrace Inn area was gorgeous and the concierge that was on our floor (Roberta) was exceptional. Daniel who was in parking garage grabbed our bags and showed us to our room and he was so apologetic about our check-in experience but he went above and beyond to be friendly and informative about our room. The complimentary breakfast were amazing especially the pastries that are made in house. What an incredible and luxurious stay at La Fonda.

Absolutely stunning!!! So much beautiful decor and detail.

Under renovations

I stayed at this hotel twice. The location was amazing. The rooms are quaint. It has a great energy. The food options are good. It's easy to walk around the town. I also appreciated the covered garage and had a lot of items in my car both stays, and it was safe. That is why I stayed a second time - for the ease, safety and experience. I also was able to easily have my dog with me. There were not too many other dogs. The hotel was super busy both times, which was a little noisy, but not a problem. The only thing that struck me as odd was that I left a cash tip in the envelope on the desk in my room, I left to go to my car to leave with my belongings, then realized I forgot to take a last look around the bathroom so I went back. Within that 2-3 minute time frame, someone went into the room and took the cash and left. Because when I got back into the room to look around a last time, the cash was gone. That meant someone was very much aware of when I left, and that I had cash in the envelope, or it was a very extreme coincidence...... This was a little unsettling. It made me wonder a lot of things.

Good location right in town. Charming atmosphere, reasonable room (a bit shabby in places), nice meal in the hotel restaurant. Generally nice staff interaction (the valets were great) EXCEPT the check out person who seemingly allowed a tattered homeless man to sit in the corner of the lobby eating out of a filthy fast food cup. When I asked about it the answer was "he isn't doing any harm". I asked is the hotel was caring why wouldn't they get him a lift to the shelter to get a meal. No response. I asked how parents with small children might react. Nothing. Incredible! My otherwise nice experience was ruined by this. I am not a prude, have travelled extensively in less advantaged countries around the world and am compassionate about the homeless plight. But a hotel lobby is NOT an extension of the street nor the place to provide comfort. There are so many better ways to deal with this.

My friend and I spent 4 nights at La Fonda and had the best experience. The staff were super friendly and professional, the room was cozy and well decorated, and the location absolutely can't be beat. We also enjoyed the main restaurant, the bar area and the French bakery. If you are there over the weekend, definitely take the free art and architecture tour (just ask the concierge to sign you up) to learn about the history of the hotel, the hotel's art and some history of Santa Fe. I would 100% stay here again.

Everything was great!

Ultimately, this is a hotel that needs to decide if it offers luxury accommodations with luxury pricing, or a midlevel rooms that are overpriced. I paid the off-season rate for a deluxe double queen room a couple of weeks ago, and that seemed about right. But to charge what this room will cost in May seems really excessive. Yes, the location right on the Plaza is great. But the in-room coffee service had truck stop creamer and sugar packet packages, a total of 3 tea bags, and there was one very thin summer-weight extra blanket for 2 beds. Minimal towels. If you have stayed in hotels that cost upwards of $500 a night, you might feel that something doesn't quite add up.

I have been coming to La Fonda for over 30 years, and love absolutely everything about it. Th eservice is impeccable, the concierge can get you in the best restaurant in town. The museums are in a walking distance. If you ski, it is only 40 minutes away, and the roads are well taken care off even in a snow storm. And the dogs are welcome! What more can one ask for?