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July 2024 by Genevieve Williamson
We had a decent experience when we stayed here in May, so when we were coming back for a couple days we booked again. Our flight to Santa Fe was canceled through no fault of our own (CrowdStrike outage), and we couldn’t come, so we asked for our money back. Flat NO. Airline called them on our behalf to verify that it was not on us. The El Ray STILL refused to refund us!
Way to go on the customer service, El Rey. As long as you’re making a profit.
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July 2024 by Reuben Reyes
Nice relaxing place to spend the night or weekend. Rooms are old style and comfortable. Location is also why I tried this place and I was not disappointed. Within walking distance to many restaurants also.
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July 2024 by Belle Pena-Lancaster
Check in was horrible but totally understand new staff. Then the rate was $281 with no breakfast, tight parking and a location you have to drive everywhere to. Last straw was when our room was clean and ready at 12 noon but they tell you to go to the pool to hang out until 4pm. Found a hotel with safe parking, breakfast included and friendlier staff downtown for the same price. Got a refund essentially after we saw our room, manager said it’s within their right to hold you over until 4pm. Housekeeping was nice though!
Rooms: Small and not worth the price but are clean.
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July 2024 by Will W.
We love this place. Great bar. Great pool. Great rooms. Great people.
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July 2024 by Mia Dickerson
I've been wanting to staycation here for the longest time and well....I was underwhelmed as it was just OK. The El Rey does an excellent job of marketing their property and making the rooms look AMAZING online, I didnt feel like what we got was worth nearly the price we paid. The history of this property is pretty interesting, how they have taken several properties and made one large hipster hangout...not a small feat. The decor of the lobby and the small bar...simple yet very spot on, lots of pretty places for photo ops but seriously skip the margaritas at any of their bars....I thought it was just me but the first one I tried, literally the worst thing I've ever tasted, like they're trying too hard to be different. So the next day at the pool I was seated next to some locals that were part of the "Swim Club" and they said the exact same thing....horrible. The pool area is super cute, but a bit pressed for space, opens at 10 a.m. and you have to get there early to get a chair but people start getting there before 10 a.m. just FYI. There are towels provided however they also went quickly and weren't restocked very often if at all. There is a bathroom and a bar. Keycard access didn't work well and people were opening the gate for pretty much anyone and I felt that there were more than a few non-guests at the pool. And such a bummer that the pool closes at 7 p.m.!!! This pool is so cute it would be great if it was open at night.
The hot tub is tucked away and a bit of a treasure hunt to find down a i wont say creepy walkway but lets just say at night you want to walk through there quickly. We found it but it didn't look very appealing, it was enclosed with plexi-glass walls in the intersection of some rooms. There is a nice courtyard with a fountain on that side though.
The property sits on Cerillos Road, the main drag in Santa Fe, and at night we heard EVERYTHING and we were tucked away further back on the property. Cars that were drag racing, people talking loud and fighting walking down the street and best of all 2 of the 3 nights of our stay the garbage man comes to the property at 4 A.M.!!!!! Lovely.
The courtyard directly in front of the pool has grass and trees, plenty of shade, as well as tables, same with the greenhouse-both are nice areas to just hang out with a drink or have a casual meal. There is a permanent food truck on property with coffee and breakfast tacos and such in the mornings only, IMO breakfast should be included for hotel guests but it is not. The food is yummy but of course pricey, it is to be expected, it is Santa Fe.
Now the rooms....I heard several people complaining about the rooms while I was at the pool....one lady said her water pressure was non existent but it was a "historic property" so she thought it was to be expected. Our tub didn't drain well at all and the water was to my ankles when I took a shower. Floors were all tile, even one throw rug would have added some flair, some warmth to the otherwise cold floor. More historic property stuff....lack of outlets and they all seemed to be tucked away behind stuff. Had to go to the front desk for another blanket and pillows as there were only 2 pillows on the bed....come on now....$300 a night for a historic "motel" at least make us feel like we are having an elevated experience IN the room, I mean a Pendleton across the foot of the bed would be a nice touch. This is not the type of property where there is body wash, shampoo and conditioner dispensers on the wall, oh no....bar soap, and little bottles and only 1 bar of soap.
Overall, it was an experience; glad I got it out of my system. Probably will not stay here again but I heard you can pay $40 for a day pass for the pool....I think, now this I would do.
Nearby activities: Meow Wolf is a 6 minute drive
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July 2024 by El Capitan
What a joke. They charge an "amenities fee" yet the hot tub doesn't work and they sell guest passes to the pool so its swamped with people not staying in the hotel, and the lazy hipster staff can't get even get the pool bar open on time (almost an hour late on a saturday afternoon). Not to mention they book events here, yet they don't have the space to do so, so they close off areas of the hotel to paying guests. They also fail to mention rooms aren't cleaned unless requested 24 hours before. The property has loads of potential, the location is nice, the showers however are the size of what you would get in an rv. Skip the Turquoise Food Trailer unless you are the type to enjoy a slice of toast with some avocado on it for $13 and very sub par coffee which only some of the staff were trained how to charge to your room. This place makes me feel like I'm in a motel 6 in Austin surrounded by lazy-hipster service. Will not come back here ever.
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July 2024 by Linda Baggett
My only regret is that I didn't have longer here, although I will definitely be back. This is such a wonderful place and so quiet and relaxing.
We stayed in a king room with a fireplace and it was beautifully and artfully decorated. The room opened to a patio, which faced a grassy outdoor area with picnic tables. The trees were strung with lights, so even at night it was a lovely area for walking with the dogs. During the day, many people, families and dogs were outside enjoying the outdoor amenities, but none were overly loud or rambunctious. At night it was very peaceful and quiet. There were security personnel walking around both day and night and the area felt very safe.
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July 2024 by Kim C
Cool off the beaten path lodging with, helpful staff. There's not much to do in the area, but a 15 min drive will take you to the happening spots
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June 2024 by Savannah Coleman
Super cute place to stay, highly recommend it for travelers looking for a vibe. Cocktails at the bar are pretty tasty too
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June 2024 by James Ford
First the aesthetic of the whole place is amazing and the location is perfect.
Also
Very nice, responsive ,and helpful staff. Rooms extremely clean, the AC actually keeps it cool in the room (I’ve never stayed at a hotel where the AC actually cools it to what it says it’s set at), the shower is lovely with hot hot water and awesome pressure, the beds are FANTASTIC. The food truck is great! The pool is well maintained. I loved it!
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June 2024 by J Banks
This was a really nice place overall. It is old, which adds charm, and is centrally located in the middle of what we wanted to do (Sky rail and Meow Wolf).
Upon checking in we were told that we were “upgraded” to a patio room. Immediately upon entry I attempted to shower however, the tub would not drain. After speaking with the front desk, the gentleman was very apologetic and gave us options for another room. I asked which would he prefer and took his suggestion. Certainly glad we did. The room had plenty of natural lighting due to the overall building structure and the view of the courtyard was awesome. Luckily for us, it too, was a patio room, which shared a space with the front door. I read reviews before booking and decided to take my chances. Some were complaining that the rooms and the online pics were not the same. After changing rooms it does seem that they still may be doing some updates as the 2nd room did appear more updated than the 1st.
The day we arrived they had a pizza truck catering until 8 pm in their courtyard, which was awesome. Their bar “La Reina” was pretty amazing too; they had live music. The locals seem to really appreciate the ambiance as it appeared to be more locals than staying customers at the Inn, which is awesome.
The staff, for the most part, was very friendly; checking out the gentleman wasn’t very welcoming in my opinion.
If you are picky about hotels and are used to 4-5 diamond spots, this isn’t for you. If you are looking to experience something different, quiet, and unique, give this place a try. Truly wished we would’ve stayed another night to enjoy more of Santa Fe. We plan to return.
Rooms: Patio rooms in courtyard are awesome!
Nearby activities: Meow Wolf and Sky Rail
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June 2024 by Will Fisher
Make sure to check out their weekly events. Great atmosphere and phenomenal pool.
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June 2024 by Marlene Cobb
Quite disappointing. I have stayed at this property over the past 30 years six or seven times, Including the night, we got married and stayed in room 39 when someone in room next to us died !There is No a huge difference this time. First of all the rooms were dirty. Bath soap needed to be asked for. The bathrooms are in dire need of being updated very poor water pressure with the faucets, but the worst thing was roaches and ants, and some other insect, we reported this during stay and at check out and have not had any response from El Rey. Nice location but we (there were 2 couples- rooms 25 and 28) were all glad to leave there. Did I mention ROACHES- lots of them.
Parking is also a problem- not enough.
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June 2024 by Mike Haning
This is a quaint Route 66 style hotel/motel from 1936. Very authentic but still clean and comfortable. I stayed 4 days and explored the area between SF and Taos. This was the perfect spot to relax after a long day sightseeing. The pool is great and the grounds are well manicured. For a very cool retro place to stay, this is it!
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June 2024 by K L
Fun little spot to visit! It got very busy at night but the room we stayed in was private and kept the noise from bothering us. It's right off a main, busy street but the rooms are tucked away in back and keep sound out. The decor and hotel theme was cute and quaint. Would check this place out again if I'm passing through Santa Fe.