I agree with everthing in the July 13, 2007 review by canigo2, which is incredibly detailed. Nice room, great staff, good breakfast. Although it was a little far from the Plaza, the parking privileges at the El Dorado made up for it. I'd stay there again in a heartbeat!

Just returned from a 5 night stay at Casa Pueblo, sister property to the 4 star El Dorado. My sister and I shared a studio room at an avg. rate less than $150. A prior stay several years ago at Zona Rosa (another El Dorado sister property) and several Trip Advisor reviews helped us make the decision.

Highlights:
* Big, clean, southwest style room inc. electric Kiva-style FP (off for the summer), with safe, frig, microwave, 32" TV w/HBO and coffee maker - and plenty of space for 2 persons

* Reservation experience was simple

* Friendly staff in a safe and welcoming environment

* Free 'outside the door' parking at the inn, and free valet parking at El Dorado Hotel (less tips) - very convenient for parking closer to the action on San Francisco and the plaza.

* Outstanding continental breakfast 7:30 - 10:30 am- healthy, hearty or a bit of both. Limited supply of free local newspapers avail. at breakfast.

* Really nice front patio with great, well kept landscaping, but few tables had any shade at breakfast time and there were no umbrellas.

* I don't smoke, but my sister does so compromise is the name of the game. While our room was non-smoking, there was a nice covered spot where she wasn't entirely isolated and could indulge without inconveniencing anyone.

* Excellent spa experience at Nidah spa at the El Dorado. My sister had the stone version and I enjoyed the standard. Our therapists were first-rate and the spa is luxurious. Though we paid for massages, we were handed a card at the concierge desk that gave us free access to the dressing room, shower and great steam room in the spa, as well as the small 5th flr athletic 'club' and tiny pool and hot tub 10-15 stairs up.

* Walking distance to nearly everything if you've got comfortable shoes and you're in decent shape. Taking advantage of free parking at the El Dorado cuts 2-3 blocks off the distance, which is a huge advantage for anyone with a physical challenge, children, or who is still adjusting to the altitude. FedX and UPS are across the street for shipping all the cool stuff you buy. Can't say enough about the quality and convenience of the fish tacos and shrimp quesadillas at the Bumblebee around the corner. DeVargas Mall is 3 blocks north and has Albertsons, CVS, Starbucks, OfficeMax, movies etc. if you need anything (or need a break from ristras and kokopelli's :)

Improvements Needed:
* Some southwest decor is better to look at than experience - boy oh boy did we wish for an actual 'easy' chair - better yet one for each of us. What we had instead was a single, heavy, narrow, solid wood rustic upright arm chair and a similarly styled desk chair. These chairs were difficult to move and honestly uncomfortable after 10 minutes - and for my sister with arthritis it meant the bed had to do double duty as a 'chair' - definitely not a good situation. I stay in a lot of hotels. A great chair means everything to a relaxing experience. Blows my mind that this isn't a simple no-brainer.

* Twin bed option. We were told there wasn't one. Why not? That's silly and easily accommodated in these big rooms.

* "Have you seen my..?" Nope - couldn't see well in the middle of the day without turning on several lights. The bathroom was impossible with the bar lighting located where ceiling and wall met and no magnifying mirror - lighted or otherwise. The room is dim enough that the simple closet should have an interior light.

* The bathroom was a decent size but crying for a remodel. A cute, painted Mexican sink was set in cracked stone counter with a faucet that barely cleared the rim, and set so low that you had to transfer water from one hand to the other to wash. The tub was small and should be replaced with a walk-in shower. Amenities and towels were nice.

* Pool at the El Dorado Hotel; we used the pool one hot afternoon with only two other guests and it felt great. If you can climb stairs be aware that you have to enter/exit the pool using a ladder - there are no traditional stairs. This is no set-up for anyone with limited mobility.

Food for Thought:
* Our room was a great value - absolutely - but it was also a true 'english basement' style with a 'view' of an old traditional peeled wood fence and (very) small piece of the sky. After two days we were seriously envious of all the above ground and vacant rooms (we were in between festivals).

We could have asked to move and now realize we should have. I wasn't prepared to pay more, wasn't keen on repacking everything, and definitely had the feeling a move would only have come with a price tag. But - you don't know iif you don't ask. Having stayed at Zona Rosa with a patio, there is absolutely no comparison. In Santa Fe where hot days yield to totally cool nights, and with views to die for - outside space (or at least a ground level window) is an absolute must.

I would stay here again in a flash - but only in an above-ground room.

* At certain times of the year and with advance planning (not our forte) I would bet that you can stay slightly closer to the plaza for the same or only slightly higher cost (maybe even in the El Dorado Hotel) - though I'm guessing you might have to sacrifice free parking. If you're only in town for a 2-3 night stay and you have any physical limitations it may be better to be closer. On the other hand, the few blocks diffference means a great value for the price, and you're perfectly positioned to head off for the High Road to Taos, up the mountain to ski, or off to Ghost Ranch for the full Georgia O'Keefe experience.

Stayed here after reading the other trip advisor comments.

The room was immaculate and the skylights added to the overall atmosphere. Breakfast was quite good and started the day nicely. The "swamp cooler" (the New Mexican term for an evaporative cooler) worked quitely and well by cooling the room down to about 70 degrees in 5 minutes at night. Loved the owl that sang to us about 8 pm each evening.

There's a supermarket about 3 blocks away if you want to stock up for daily hikes and the Whole Foods market is about 3 minutes drive away.

The person at the front desk had great suggestions --that seemed well tailored for each person that asked-- about places to eat, etc.

The only drawback is the locaiton by the dingy Guadalupe St. (in appearance and sometimes a very narrow sidewalk) that had to be traversed to get to the plaza; you take a slightly longer walk down Park St. and avoid most of the grunge, if you wanted to.

First a disclaimer--I was attending a meeting at the El Dorado, and when I registered, I reserved a room there and recieved a confirmation saying "thank you for choosing the El Dorado". When I arrived, I was surprised and dismayed to find we were actually booked
into Casa Pueblo, owned by El Dorado, but a 7 minute walk away. I was traveling with my 83 year old mother who lives at sea level, and we got a second floor room (no elevator). She was virtually captive there. Had we been at the hotel, she could have used the spa, restaurant, and shopped the nearby stores. So I may not be entirely objective. And since this is the second time this year that I've been
switched by a meeting agency to a hotel other than the one I'd selected, I'll be vigilant in the future about ensuring I have the accomodations I need.

The continental breakfast is one of the best I've had in any hotel, and the gal running the show in the mornings is delightful. The room was very "Santa Fe", and even included a kiva fireplace that you could fire up with the flip of a switch. We had two balconies with table and chairs. Only one bed (I'd specifically requested two), but it was very comfortable. I really like that the windows open--so many
hotel rooms have windows that don't. There was a nicely equipped kitchen, so we loaded up with snacks and drinks for Mom. We were there 5 nights, and they never did change the sheets. They'd posted a sign using the old "water shortage" routine, saying they'd change sheets and towels only every 4 days. They did change the towels more frequently, and I really don't care about the sheets, but if you're into daily clean linens, this is not the place for you. Also, the first morning I reported several problems: the safe didn't work, the sink was very slow to drain, the front door was very hard to close, and a light bulb over the bathroom mirror was burned out. They replaced the bulb, but did not address the other problems. There were three of us, and, as I've pointed out, only one bed. "No problem", I was assured," there is a sofa bed." She gave it two nights, but after enduring what she called the torture chamber, my daughter (25) resorted to just sleeping on the couch.

There is free parking--a real plus. I think the El Dorado charges guests $18/day for the use of their garage. Parking is a problem all over town, but you can see the entire plaza area from one parking spot, Canyon Road from another.

This is a great place if you want to get away from it all, terrible if you want to be in the thick of things. Good if you like to walk, bad if you aren't fit or have any health issues. (Remember that Santa Fe is at an altitude of 7000 feet.) Couples and families will be pleased, singles will be disappointed. The one thing that would bring me back is if I were traveling with my dog--dog friendly places
are hard to find.