La Fonda on the Plaza

It had been a number of years since we stayed at La Fonda, and we were looking forward to our visit. Unfortunately the hotel, food and service did not meet expectations. Our initial room, the size of a shoebox, had a thermostat that couldn’t maintain temperature and very little space for two people to walk around without bumping into each other. When I complained to the front desk the attendant couldn’t be bothered and indicated that she couldn’t do anything to accommodate a room change. I asked to speak with a manager but that request was rebuffed. It is apparent that La Fonda needs help in their customer service department because future attempts to contact management were unsuccessful. Food was overpriced and not eventful. The pool and workout area are very small. Overall I would not recommend La Fonda as your expectations will not be met.

We have stayed here numerous times. This will be the last. As others have mentioned, the place needs a refresh, renovation and better equiped staff. There are too many fine places to stay nearby and I will look at those options on next visit. The upsides are location, on-site bar and activity in lobby. Ricky doing our check in was friendly and efficient. It was clean though we daily had to help ourselves to the housekeeping cart as ammenities were not resupplied. The on-site restaurant was not a draw for us. Many, many other better choices steps outside the door.

La Fonda on the Plaza was a major letdown. While some might excuse the outdated condition of the hotel as “historic charm,” there’s no charm to be found here—just a property badly in need of renovation and a staff that makes the experience even worse. From the moment we arrived, the attitude at the front desk was unwelcoming and rude. Danielle, in particular, was shockingly unprofessional and dismissive—someone who clearly should not be in a hospitality role. Rooms were incredibly dated; some folks in other reviews complained about dirty carpets - that was probably the least of our concerns. It was just awful. Want to dine at the hotel restaurant? Be prepared to be ignored or told there’s a 45-minute wait while multiple tables sit empty. The host couldn’t be bothered to even look up while speaking to us. The staff, overall, were the most unpleasant we’ve encountered at any hotel—and for a place this run-down, you need exceptional service to make up for it. That didn’t happen. Want to get a massage at the spa? Well, you can change in the men's room (if you are a woman) and wonder if any men will walk in. Want to use the water filter fountain? Do it at your own risk because it says "yellow" in the filter condition (I brought it up to the front desk and Yulia rolled her eyes at me). The one bright spot was our waiter, Sergio, who at least made an effort to deliver good service. Unfortunately, he was the exception. Parking was a hassle every time we needed our car. Their "system" just doesn't work. The water pressure in the rooms was poor. There was nothing luxurious or comfortable about the stay. If you’re visiting Santa Fe, do yourself a favor and stay elsewhere. There are plenty of beautiful, welcoming options in town—La Fonda is not one of them.

The pictures make the 2 queen rooms look very nice and spacious. - it was not. Our window looked out in the roof. The room was too small to accommodate the heavy furniture, and the wooden bed frame resulted in bruised shins and stubbed toes. There was little room to unpack clothes - limited closet, no dresser etc. The housekeeping service was poor even after tipping each of our five nights. We had to call down to have items brought up that housekeeping failed to replenish. There was a rather steep step up into the bathroom. For someone with a newly healed broken ankle surgery, this made a nightly trip to the bathroom a little daunting. This room should not have been much over $200. The common areas were very nice, the food was delicious, and the entertainment and shopping were enjoyable. But you do not need to be a guest to enjoy the common areas.

Nicfe property, but needs some updating. Unfortunately I had to wait more than 3 hours for my room to be ready. This was okay for the first couple of hours because Santa Fe has so much to offer...but watching people check in after me get their rooms before me was disappointing. My room was on the first floor...no balcony. Only had a view of the street. Many in our group had nice views of the pool/courtyard. The room lacked character and the couch in the area that would be a balcony on a higher floor needed attention as the fabric was tattered. Need more lighting in the room to be able to work in the evenings.