La Posada de Santa Fe: A Pet-Friendly Resort

Some hotels and resorts are frequented year after year by generations of families. It becomes a legacy that families pass down to their kids and grandkids. Thus the traditional of frequenting a specific hotel or resort continues. Like families, pets who accompany their owners can have generations visit a particular hotel, especially if the resort is located in a pet-friendly town like Santa Fe. I am fond of the La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa and over almost 20 years have loved staying at this hotel multiple times. Often my Salukis have joined me. Three generations of my dogs have enjoyed the grounds and amenities of the pet-friendly La Posada.

Pet-Friendly La Posada

It began in 2010 when I visited with Lexi and Zoe, a mother and daughter team that were very close. This past summer, I enjoyed La Posada with Chloe, the daughter of Zoe. Like her mother and grandmother, Chloe found a relaxing atmosphere that included daily strolls through the sculpture filled grounds. Due to an end of the summer heatwave, I think Chloe spent more time in the room than I. Upon leaving, Chloe sprawled out on the bed, and when I returned, I found her in almost the same position.

Always leaving my cell number with the front desk, I trusted I would receive a phone call if a problem occurred, but the need never occurred since Chloe is a well-behaved couch potato.

Resort Architecture and Rooms

The La Posada is made up of adobe bungalows, created in Pueblo revival architecture, making them the ideal pet-friendly accommodations. What I liked most about these guest suites is many have privately enclosed patios. In my room, French doors opened up to the patio from the bedroom. Some rooms have high walls surrounding the patio. This set up allows one to leave their dog in the room unattended, knowing they would be safe having access to both the indoor and outdoor areas. My room this time had a shorter wall, which allowed me to let Chloe in and out when I was inside. The patio also is perfect for morning coffee or a sunset cocktail if you so choose.

The ambiance is comfortable rustic southwestern. My suite included a kiva styled fireplace and viga ceilings. The room includes a refrigerator and wi-fi. Chloe loved the comfy bed as she hogged the pillows.

Resort Artwork

One of the unique features of the La Posada is their art program. Known as an art hotel, all public spaces, including the lobby, library, restaurants, and bar, are set up as an art gallery. An in house curator represents many local artists. Since one of Santa Fe’s emphases is southwestern art, the hotel’s art program exemplifies the reason many visit Santa Fe.

Resort Grounds

The grounds are landscaped beautifully and adorned with sculptures making strolling the perfect way for you and your pet to either begin or end your day. If the grounds are not enough for your daily walk with your dog, just minutes away is the center of Santa Fe and the historic Plaza. There are nice grassy spots just adjacent to the La Posada too.

The Restaurants

La Posada’s restaurants are fabulous. Executive Chef Tom Kerpon’s motto is to balance heat with sweet and savory. From the main dining room know as Julia’s Restaurant because it pays tribute to the original owner, Julia Staab, to the more leisurely café and outside patio, one will enjoy Santa Fe cuisine. A bonus is enjoying breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Patio restaurant as you sit outside on a glorious summer or fall day.

Amenities

La Posada amenities include a fitness room, pool, hot tub, and spa. There are daily activities offered, such as art talks and tours, wine tastings, and yoga classes.

La Posada History

The history of La Posada is an interesting one. Initially, the main public areas housed a 3-story Victorian mansion built by the Staab family Abraham and Julia, in the 1880s. After several ownerships and a fire where the house became a two-story and more colonial in style, the Nasons’ purchased the home and adjacent lands in 1936. The Nasons’ conceived turning the property into a hotel. They constructed a series of traditional adobe casitas, which today are the adobe bungalows. It was the Nasons who named the hotel the La Posada, a Spanish term for inn or resting place.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the La Posada housed resident artists and writers as Santa Fe developed into an artists and writers colony that rivaled Taos. From this period through the fifties, Santa Fe equated to what Paris was to artists and writers in the 1920s.

Today the La Posada is a Tribute Hotel and a part of Marriott Bonvoy Hotels. The resort has gone through many ownership changes since I first started visiting in the 1980s, but each one has improved the quality of the resort, making it more desirable to return for another visit.

La Posada’s Green Programs

To enhance the visitor’s environmental experience, La Posada established its “Green Rooms” protocol. This program includes a recycling program, energy-efficient lighting, and electronics, low flow fixtures in the baths, Naturally formulated, essential oil-based amenities in the room and spa, environmentally safer and sustainable cleaning products, and a smoke-free environment.

In addition, the newly established Pure Wellness Guestrooms allows guests to promote their wellness in Pure Rooms.  These rooms offer purified air, a hypoallergenic environment, and allergy-friendly bedding. The rooms assigned to the Pure Wellness program are located above the spa.

For those staying in this pet-friendly hotel with pets, there is a one-time $150 non-refundable pet fee.

While pets can enjoy the amenities of La Posada, the resort also caters to generations that have a long-standing history. In my case, three generations of my family have enjoyed the marvelously inviting atmosphere of the La Posada de Santa Fe.

For more information:

La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa
330 East Palace Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501
855-278-5276

Note: Common to the travel industry, this writer was hosted to the accommodations. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure.