Hotel Chimayó De Santa Fe

No matter how many photos you’ve seen, you really can’t prepare yourself for the landscape of gorgeous Santa Fe. There are many unforgettable things to do in Santa Fe: explore its history, learn about its culture, and shop world-renowned art markets and galleries. Discover the art, the history, the cuisine and the landscapes that made Santa Fe #3 City in the U.S. 2020 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards.

And it was so lovely to spend a few days there over Holy Week. Spring is springing and the weather was absolutely fantastic.

The Easter Pilgrimage to Chimayó had begun in Northern Mexico during our stay!
Chimayó is a place of healing. It is sometimes referred to as the “Lourdes of the Southwest,” after the healing shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France. According to legend, on a Good Friday early in the 1800s, a villager found a cross buried in the earth at Chimayó. He brought the cross to his local church, but the cross disappeared. Once more the villager found it in the earth at Chimayó. The astonished villagers took this as a sign to build a church, which was completed around 1815. Hispanic Americans and Native Americans have been coming to Chimayó on pilgrimage for over a century.

This Good Friday pilgrims wait for hours to make their way into the sanctuary of this simple, adobe church. They offer prayers, light candles, and receive words of blessing. The final destination of these pilgrims, however, is not the church sanctuary but a small chapel adjacent to the sanctuary. Here pilgrims enter only two or three at a time, ducking through a low doorway.

During Semana Santa thousands of pilgrims journey to El Santuario de Chimayo, a tiny shrine in northern New Mexico. They leave from their homes, or their cars parked on the roadside, to walk 10, 20, 30, or even 100 miles to reach Chimayo.

We had to check in on the progress of our new home there and wanted to try a dog friendly hotel this time over an AIRBNB. But if you are looking for some pet-friendly home rentals-do check out this post here.

So for this trip we booked a Junior Suite at Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe in The Plaza. It’s a small hotel with 56 Southwestern guest rooms and suites that celebrate the unique heritage of Chimayó. Some of the guest rooms feature wood-burning fireplaces, while some feature private balconies or separate living areas. Hotel Chimayó (formerly the Hotel Plaza Real) is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, just a half a block from the historic Santa Fe Plaza and Palace of the Governors museum. Discover world-class art galleries, outdoor craft markets, stunning museums and unique historic landmarks, all within walking distance of Hotel Chimayó.

ATTRACTIONS NEAR HOTEL CHIMAYÓ DE SANTA FE

Hotel Chimayo is happy to offer special seasonal Lowrider tours exclusively to guests of Heritage Hotels & Resorts. The Lowrider tours take you throughout the Downtown Santa Fe area which features historic landmarks such as the Plaza, Loretto Chapel, museums and much more! Reservations required. Tours run April through October. To book a tour please call 505-988-4900.

If the Santuario de Chimayó is the "Lourdes of America," so Chimayó is the "Lourdes of Lowriders," the unique, contemporary Hispanic car culture of Northern New Mexico.

“Low and slow” refers to the cruising style of custom automobiles whose bodies hover only inches above the ground. Lowriding requires no destination, no deadline, nowhere to be. It is about being seen, living large, and about cars that display feats of acrobatics—some of these hydraulic-equipped creations can jump 10 feet or more into the air. It's not unusual to see entire extended families piled into a single lowrider for a leisurely drive through the streets of Northern New Mexico towns such as Española and Chimayó.

While it is possible that the history of New Mexico lowriders reaches back to the early 20th century, recorded lowrider culture dates to the 1950s. Artists of lowriders explore the importance of their faith, family, culture, and creativity through their distinctive custom cars. Lowrider artists, such as Randy Martinez of Chimayó, spend thousands of hours expressing their personalities through these cars.

Love the dining choices in the hotel too!

LOW 'N SLOW FEATURING HAWT PIZZA

Inspired by Jack Parsons and Carmella Padilla's book, Low 'n Slow: Lowriding in New Mexico, this unique hotel bar in Santa Fe, NM is the ideal spot for relaxing with a beverage and enjoying Hawt Pizza. This unique hotel bar is the ideal spot for relaxing with a beverage and enjoying delicious pizza. The distinctive lowrider style is evident in the diamond-tuck upholstered seats, hubcaps and creative photos, while tables made of chromed chain-link steering wheels decorate both the outdoor patio and indoor dining area. Try a specialty cocktail crafted by the professional mixologists to enhance your unforgettable car-themed experience.

ESTEVAN RESTAURANTE

Enjoy locally-sourced cuisine, inspired by the flavors of northern New Mexico. Estevan's eclectic menu features famous chile relleno and goat's milk flan. Chef Estevan’s most popular appetizer is the Chile Relleno, a fresh green chile filled with mushrooms and served with a delicate demi-glace chile sauce, pinto beans, and fresh garlic. The absence of frying and breading makes this New Mexico favorite a healthy option and allows you to really taste the full flavor of chile.

Produce and meats are sourced from the Santa Fe Farmer's Market and local New Mexico farms while the chile is grown in Chimayo, New Mexico. Estevan is the only restaurant in Santa Fe to serve Chimayo chile.

And of course the property is pet-friendly. They are happy to welcome dogs to Hotel Chimayo. The pet fee is $75 per stay for the first dog, and $35 for the second dog. Dog weight limit is 60 lbs. We saw so many dogs staying there!!!

We absolutely loved staying here! Great customer service, clean spacious rooms with cozy beds and bath tubs! And very quiet too. Annnnnd the location is just perfection.

https://www.hotelchimayo.com/

City Guides, Eat & DrinkSamantha RubleComment