LA FONDA ON THE PLAZA
100 E. San Francisco Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 982-5511 www.lafondasantafe.com
La Fonda on the Plaza in
Santa Fe is a place where art and history merge. From the moment visitors step into the hotel lobby, they are greeted with some of the finest examples of the Santa Fe architectural style as well as artwork that honors the legacy of New Mexico artisans. Since the hotel’s inception in 1922, its art collection has only grown.
According to the hotel, “Not only does original art hang in every guest room, but all of it has a connection to the people who designed, built and owned the hotel—a collaboration that has garnered La Fonda a reputation as one of the best Santa Fe hotels and a sought-after destination for more than 90 years.”
In 1925 the hotel was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, who then leased the property to Fred Harvey. The inn became a Harvey House and remained so until 1968 when it was sold to Sam and Ethel Ballen. The property changed hands in 2014 when longtime family friends, Jennifer Kimball and her brother Philip Wise, and his firm, Cienda Partners, bought the hotel. To honor this history, the museum offers complimentary docentled art and history tours that tell the story of the charming building. They take place Wednesday through Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The hotel also offers a chance for guests to visit with New Mexico artists every weekend November through February as part of Santa Fe’s new Artists in Residence program. Each weekend an artist takes over a pop-up studio and gallery where anyone can stop by and meet the artists, discuss their work and purchase pieces.