El Monte Sagrado Resort & Spa

We checked into the El Monte on Jan 9th. I have both good things to say and also some things that need improvement. Upon arrival we were greeted by the valet. I asked if by chance we could check in early if our room was ready. I was told that yes, it was ready and that we were all set. On check in we were told that we were being upgraded to a room different than what was booked. We booked a Casita. I really wanted the Southwest Vibe, whether that was something Native American, Old West, etc. With the "upgrade" we got the Bali Suite. Somehow Bali, Indonesia and the Southwest of the USA don't even come close. I appreciated the larger space but truly missed the Vibe I was going for. The rooms are adobe with timber beams. The clash in the two cultures was weird to say the least. I wish I had declined the upgrade. Also, the pool area was closed for "maintenence" and looked like there was some "significant" work happening in that area. It would have been nice to know that the pool was going to be closed when the reservation was booked. This didn't look like something that was not planned. We had booked massages prior to our arrival. They called to see if we wanted to move our appointments up due to cancelations. We agreed. The check in process was seamless. Locker rooms and waiting area was nice. The massage rooms themselves were nice. There was an atrium area that was quite cold on the way to the massage rooms. All areas of the resort were clean and neat. It didn't seem like there were very many guests present while we were there so there were absolutely no noise issues during our stay. Those are the high points. Some things that definitely need worked on are the price for value aspect. I was disappointed in the overall service for price. The El Monte needs to work on customer service. Due to a significant amount of snow, we decided to eat at the restaurant on property instead of venturing out. Would not do that again. There was only 1 other couple in the restaurant at the time we showed up. I peeked around the corner and stated something like "we don't have a reservation, but it doesn't look like that will be a problem." She had to go ask someone if it would be ok for us to dine since they had another reservation for someone in like another 10 minutes. Mind you there was only one other couple. One waitress working but only 3 tables for a total of 6 people seemed to be too much. We were advised that since it "could be busy on Saturday nights, that we would need reservations in the future." There were only 6 people the whole time we were there! I ordered the lamb shank, $54. My husband had the Steak Frites, $48. His fries and steak were good. My lamb and mashed potatoes were cold. Did not send back. Didn't need them just sticking my plate in a microwave. I had seen others mention the fish tank in the bar area on previous reviews; all pointing out issues. So, I decided to check it out. Water was cloudy and there was a fairly large dead plecostomus in the tank. Looked like it might have been there for a bit. Consistent with previous reviews. Overall, it was an average experience in a hotel that seems to be trying to be a high-end destination (based on price). Very much underwhelmed in value for price for this stay.

We already wrote a TA review last spring. Why is TA asking us to write another review in an email received today? This was probably once a nice resort, but it was being run terribly by a new owner last spring.

We had a massive issue with this hotel recently and were unable to stay due to a reservation error. The story: we had originally booked a global 2-bedroom suite for our family Jan 1, 2026-Jan 4, 2026. In October before our stay, we called reservations to add an extra day, we wanted to come December 31st. When reservations changed our booking, they moved our check in to Dec. 31 *2026* —- 1 year later! Fortunately the manager caught this the night before our arrival, and we’re giving an extra star for Amy who tried her best to inform and accommodate us. She was able to give us two separate rooms in the hotel, much inferior to what we had booked. We were not offered any financial compensation for the reservation mishap, however, we were told reservations would be reprimanded. We were able to find an Airbnb elsewhere, and so decided not to stay with El Monte Sagrado. Bummer. We were really looking forward to this trip.

Front desk staff were cordial and welcoming. The room is a bit old but functional and in generally good condition. The property is generally well-maintained. For Taos, this is very well-located just off the center of town, in a quiet wooded area. By accident, I hit the fall foliage just right, with New Mexico cottonwoods all in brilliant yellow.

I am a professional hotelier and owner of a 5-star resort in Asia, Plantation Bay, “a Real Resort with a Real Spa”, currently touring the American Southwest to look at what hotels in the region offer. Honestly, I am somewhat shocked at how loosely some establishments bandy the term “resort & spa”. If you want to see a real resort with a real spa, look at my website, plantationbay, dot, com. (I can say this without breaching ethics because we’re not in any sense in competition with El Monte Sagrado.) Mind you, it’s no better in Asia, where everyone with a swimming pool calls themselves a resort, and everyone with a masseuse calls themselves a spa. El Monte Sagrado is a lovely property with sufficient land. The owners should invest in more facilities, based on the likely markets which would be neighboring parts of New Mexico as well as Coloradans looking for a change in scenery and resorts at a lower price point than Colorado Springs or Breckenridge. I don’t know what those resort facilities might be, but a common lodge-like room with a fireplace and lots of comfortable leather chairs and complimentary coffee would be a start.