The spirit of Santa Fe runs deep: The high-desert New Mexico town at the edge of the Sangre de Cristo hills is a place for artists and adventurers, spa-lovers and shoppers — a place where never-ending blue skies meet majestic deserts, where luminaries such as Georgia O’Keeffe found endless inspiration, and where the long enduring culture of tribes like the Apache and Navajo are a vital part of everyday life. With so much to engage every type of traveler, it’s no wonder Travel + Leisure readers rank it among their top destinations in the American Southwest.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
What Readers Loved
What makes the hotels of Santa Fe so special? Readers voted that above all else, it was their connection to nature, heritage, and tradition. La Fonda on the Plaza, No. 2 on this year’s list, “is the essence of Santa Fe,” said one reader, who appreciated the historic hotel’s proximity to downtown’s many cultural sites, as well as the Southwest-style rooms with beds that felt “like sleeping on a cloud.” The Santa Fe spirit is also alive at the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi (No. 4), another reader favorite that’s “super stylish” and “the best place to stay for the Santa Fe Indian Market,” yet “removed from the crowds of the Plaza,” with its intimate Pueblo-style architecture and spa specializing in healing rituals.
Here, find the five best hotels in Santa Fe according to T+L readers, starting with our No. 1 property, The Inn of the Five Graces.
The Winner
The Inn of the Five Graces
T+L readers were captivated by this historic adobe resort “on a quiet street of historic Santa Fe,” just steps from the San Miguel Chapel. The 24 guest rooms and suites decorated with hand-laid mosaics, Moroccan textiles, and authentic kiva fireplaces are described by travelers as “exquisite,” “comfortable,” and “tasteful.” Guests were especially dazzled by the five-treatment-room spa, calling it “world-class,” and “one of the most gorgeous spas in the world.” The hotel is a short walk to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Santa Fe Plaza’s artisan markets, and an ideal home base for day trips to Pueblo villages like Taos and San Ildefonso and popular hikes in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains — all of which the Inn’s “professional” and “comfortably friendly” staff are available to arrange.
T+L Reader
One of the most gorgeous spas in the world.
— T+L Reader
The Full List
Reader Score: 93.65
Reader Score: 88.14
3. Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe
Reader Score: 86.24
4. Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi
Reader Score: 85.19
Reader Score: 84.75