Eldorado Hotel & Spa

The Eldorado is a strong presence -- a five-story, multi-tiered stucco exterior featuring extruded wood beams and gold lettering above the front entrance. Stepping inside, the lobby stretches upwards for two stories to reveal an intricate ceiling of Southwestern vigas and heavy dark wood beams. The hardwood floors, carved wood furniture, and many works of Southwestern art complete the attractive setting. Hallways and public areas throughout the hotel feature more Native American artwork.

With over 23,000 square feet of meeting and wedding space, the hotel is a popular spot for conventions and large events. The sizable facilities for dining, lounging, wellbeing, and meetings/parties, however, are at odds with the rooftop pool, which is surprisingly small by comparison. Squeezed into a cramped area and sporting a tired tile deck, the pool would not be out of place in an older chain motel. There are other blips: some furnishings are a bit worse for wear, rooms can feel quite dark (even with the lights on), and there are reports of impersonal service in the restaurant and bar. Despite these setbacks, Eldorado remains a well-equipped option with an indisputably fantastic downtown location.

The Eldorado has one of the best locations in town -- only two blocks away from all of the major shopping, dining, and other attractions near the Plaza. Situated on San Francisco Street near Guadalupe, the Eldorado puts guests within easy walking distance to such must-sees as the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, the New Mexico Museum of Art, and the St. Francis Cathedral.

Santa Fe means "Holy Faith" in Spanish and is home to about 85,000 people of varying cultural backgrounds including Hispanics, Native Americans, and Anglos. New Mexico's fourth-largest city is also the nation's highest capital and its oldest: It was founded in 1607. It sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet at the southern edge of the Rockies, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, halfway between Taos and Albuquerque.

Hiking in summer and skiing in winter are great reasons to visit, but Santa Fe is also renowned for its local art. In addition to the many galleries at the Plaza and along Canyon Road, several museums including the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O'Keefe Museum (showcasing the painter's long relationship with New Mexico) celebrate Santa Fe's creative spirit.

Eldorado’s 219 rooms are decorated in pueblo Revival style, with rustic wood furniture, black-and-white photographs, local art, pressed-tin accents, and patterned cushions on the beds. The elements come together to create a muted tan-and-red color scheme that’s easy on the eyes. Closer inspections, however, reveal some chipping and other damage.

As far as amenities go, every room has a 47-inch flat-screen HDTV, a Keurig coffeemaker with free pods, a mini-fridge, and free Wi-Fi. The good-sized bathrooms feel more modern than the rest of the space, with Southwestern tile, granite counters, Damana toiletries, and robes.

Entry-level Deluxe rooms come with or without a shared balcony and adobe fireplace (hotel staff will deliver wood and start fire upon request). For a guaranteed fireplace, book a Deluxe Fireplace Guest Room. Premium Suites have separate living areas with sleeper sofas, and the one-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot Presidential Suite comes with two fireplaces and a 2,200-square-foot private penthouse-level balcony.

AGAVE Restaurant & Lounge is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an all-day menu designed for sharing and a daily happy hour. The hotel's lobby bar, the CAVA Santa Fe Lounge, offers a long wine list and a Basque-inspired menu of small plates, and hosts live musicians and performers on the weekends. Room service is available from early morning to late night, and there are many great restaurants within walking distance.

Eldorado's rooftop pool deck is a bit of a letdown, as the heated pool is small and the deck and surrounding walls look a little worn around the edges. Located near the pool, the hotel's ample fitness center offers beautiful city views. The Nidah Spa greets guests with a gorgeous orange onyx stone partition. Nidah Spa is open daily, and offers seven treatment rooms (one for couples), relaxation areas, and separate locker rooms with steam rooms and saunas. Treatments on the spa's full range of services use products from organic lines like Eminence Skin Care and Body Bliss, as well as local ingredients like turquoise sage oil, cactus, honey, and chile.

Eldorado dedicates more than than 23,000 square feet of space -- ballrooms, a private house, a patio with panoramic Santa Fe views -- to meetings and weddings. One of the spaces, the on-site La Capilla de Oro, is a non-denominational chapel that can seat up to 150. A business center offers two computers, a printer, and an ATM, and there is free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Same-day laundry and pressing services are available, and the hotel allows pets, for a fee. A gift shop sells traditional pottery, jewelry, and textiles.