In December 2024, we travelled to the Southwestern State of New Mexico for an agency immersion FAM. It was our first time visiting the Land of Enchantment, and we returned full of enthusiasm for a destination that's as rich in culture as it is outdoor adventures.
Getting There
With no direct lift between the UK and New Mexico, we flew via Dallas Fort Worth, where we had a comfortable few hours to clear homeland security, stretch our legs and grab a bite before boarding an internal with American for the short hop northwest to Albuquerque.
A short wait for baggage meant we were curb-side and waiting on an Uber within about 20mins of touching down at ABQ. It is fair to say that Ubers are a little scarcer than you’ll find at larger international hubs, but we waited less than 10mins and were checking into our hotel in old town and ordering room service no more than 20-25mins later.
Our host hotel for the week was the Hotel Chaco (above), which – alongside its sister property, the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town – is perfectly located just off Route 66 and just a short walk from the historic Albuquerque Old Town Plaza.
The hotel itself is modern but with a distinctive southwestern style, complete with rooftop restaurant and lounge, spa, outdoor pool and lobby lounge. In addition, there is on-site retail and a tasting room, in which guests can sample locally produced wines and spirits. The hotel was quiet and definitely has more of a leisure than corporate feel to it - the vaulted lobby was impressive, the welcome warm and our room spacious and well-equipped.
Albuquerque / Old Town
We woke up to see the sun rise over the Sandia Mountains from our balcony, before wandering up the street for a Starbucks. From there, we jumped in an uber back to the airport to collect our rental car (we didn’t fancy picking it up the night before) and went straight on to meet our client for some hotel site inspections.
First up was Hotel Imperial (above), a classic Route 66 motel which reopened after an extensive refurbishment in mid-2024. The iconic neon sign has been given a new lease of life, as have the 52 spacious guest rooms, complete with pastel-coloured doors and all the requisite streaming services on large flat screen TV’s. There’s also an on-site coffee shop, outdoor pool, bar and small food hall with a handful of street food options available.
We didn't do site inspections, but understand that Hotel Imperial's sister properties, El Vado and Monterey Motel, which are both just a short walk from Albuquerque's Old Town Plaza, have been updated to a similar standard.
Across the street and up the hill a little is the Hotel Parq Central, which is more of a historic, upscale product with a very interesting back story (look it up). We didn’t get to see the rooms, but took the elevator up to the rooftop, which is a popular spot and offers great views from the hotel’s elevated location across the city. U.S. presidents have stayed here, we’re told.
Site inspections over for the day, we drove back to the Chaco, parked up the hire car and headed across the street for lunch at Sawmill Market; a regenerated historic lumber warehouse that is now home to an eclectic assortment of eateries, tap room, rosé bar and expansive garden area. Plenty of choice, great quality food and clearly a popular spot with locals, so we'd recommend a visit for anyone stopping in Albuquerque.
After lunch it was over to Old Town Plaza, which is no more than a 5min walk from Sawmill Market, making this a great area for leisure clients to stay in Albuquerque. The Plaza itself is relatively small, but charming; surrounded by adobe buildings housing colourful gift shops, complete with authentic red chile ristras, which are a decorative trademark of New Mexico. You'll see them everywhere around Albuquerque Old Town.
The back streets that surround the plaza are well worth a wander, as are the boutiques, galleries and tasting rooms therein. We enjoyed a superb flight of New Mexican wine at Noisy Water Winery’s own tasting room on the edge of the plaza, as well as a walk through the adjoining Lapis Room gallery, which showcases the work of mainly local southwestern artists and welcome you (and your wine) to wander around.
Santa Fe
Day two we hopped aboard Rio Metro's Railrunner service, and headed north eastward for Santa Fe. An early start and a fresh December morning, but the sun was shining for what is a pretty scenic route to New Mexico's capital. The journey takes around 1hr 20mins and a return ticket was just $11, so great value for clients who might want to leave their car back in Albuquerque and just day trip to Santa Fe.
Founded in 1610, and located more than 2,000m above sea level, Santa Fe simply oozes old world charm. It feels quite different to Albuquerque, so well worth the effort to get here, especially for those travelling down Route 66. Plenty of upscale boutiques and authentic southwestern jewellery stores to explore, as well as art galleries, which should come as no surprise in a destination that's considered one of the world's great art cities.
After a morning of meetings, we headed out on foot to check out Santa Fe's key landmarks and hotel product and were blown away by just about everything we saw.
Hotel-wise, there is so much to love - from the indulgently colourful interiors at the Inn of The Five Graces (Relais & Chateaux) to the striking pueblo style exterior of the Inn & Spa at Lorretto, lovers of the unique are spoilt for choice here. Within just a couple of minutes walk of the historic Plaza there are several other historic southwestern-style properties, including La Fonda on The Plaza, Rosewood's Inn of The Anasazi and the Hotel St Francis to name but a few. There's resort-style luxury too, but you'd have to head just out of downtown to either the Four Seasons or Auberge's Bishop's Lodge for that kind of product.
Other notable landmarks that we took in on foot included the traditional Plaza, the San Miguel Chapel (which dates back to the early 1600's, making it the oldest church in continental United States), the oldest house in America and the quite beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. We didn't get to the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, Santa Fe Opera House or the galleries of Canyon Road this time , but suffice to say there is an abundance of interesting experiences for travellers with a cultured and/or curious mindset.
Albuquerque / Downtown
Our third day started off with an outdoor recreation-focused event at the Hotel Andaluz (Curio Collection by Hilton) downtown, which was not only a great chance to meet some of the wider New Mexican travel community, but also to check out what was the first Hilton-branded property outside of Texas when it opened in 1939.
With ten storeys and 114 rooms, it's not technically what you'd call a boutique hotel, but it certainly has the feel of one. It also feels wonderfully historic and with plenty of exposed wood, has that southwestern vibe that we came to love so much on this trip. There aren't tons of unique hotel options downtown, but this - along with the nearby Hotel Clyde - are probably two of the more characterful, in our opinion.
After a healthy lunch at Vinaigrette (highly recommended) we hotfooted over to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for a look around. Run by the pueblos, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center provides fascinating insights into native American culture and the 19 pueblos of New Mexico. Comprising a restaurant, extensive gift shop and rotunda of seasonal exhibits surrounding a central garden, the Center takes visitors on an insightful and immersive journey through the pueblos - from ancient times right through to today - and is a great place to start for first time visitors to New Mexico.
Credit: Dark Side Brew Crew
From there, we cruised back down Central Avenue (the original Route 66 and now home to countless bars and restaurants) for a laidback dinner in the cavernous surrounds of the Ex Novo Brewing Company's downtown taproom, above.
We actually sat in the upstairs speakeasy/lounge, and were there for happy hour, during which you could tell that this was a very popular spot for locals. The food far outweighed expectations, too. So much so that we very nearly came back the next night. Kudos to Chef Mark and his team, who clearly do a great job here.
Taos / Santa Fe
Day four started with a brunch at Los Poblanos - a historic inn and organic farm - which is only a 10-minute drive from Albuquerque Old Town, yet with it's deli, spa and 25 acres of surrounding lavender fields, feels a whole world away. We were here in December, so ate inside, but we can only imagine how popular it is in the spring, summer and autumn months. If clients are visiting, they must try the signature lavender latte and check out some of the delicious New Mexico-made goods in the deli.
Keen to explore further north, we jumped in the car after brunch and hit the road under blue skies towards Taos via Santa Fe - a journey that takes approximately 2.5hrs on the fastest route. We opted for the scenic route - which includes the Turquoise Trail and what they call the 'high road' from Santa Fe to Taos - and whilst that added about 40mins to the journey, we were rewarded with the most beautiful drive that carves through quaint little mining towns (Madrid is a highlight), red rocks, canyons and forests. Highly recommended.
At this point, just about everyone we'd met on the trip had asked if we were planning to visit Taos Pueblo, so it had become a pilgrimage of sorts to see this legendary and ancient community. The pueblo itself is believed to have been inhabited for almost 1000 years, and is not only a National Monument but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it is still a full time home for around 150 Taos Indians.
It is a truly fascinating experience, which is open to visitors who, at the time of writing, each pay $25 entrance (children under 10 go free) and can either walk freely around the central areas of the pueblo or join guided tours, which operate every 20-30mins from 9am. It is important to note that as this is a living and breathing community, so all visitors must be sensitive to that and observe the rules of the pueblo upon entry. It's also worth noting that the pueblo can close at short notice, so it's worth advising clients to check before travelling.
We could have travelled further north to visit the Taos ski mountain or nearby Angel Fire, but with one eye on daylight and keen not to drive back to Albuquerque in the dark, we set off on the more direct route alongside the Rio Grande. At this time of year it was actually a beautiful drive down the freeway, with the sun slowly setting between canyons and over the river to our right. Our only diversion en route was a quick pit stop at Auberge Resorts' Bishop's Lodge, which looked resplendent decked out in luminarias after dark.
Back in Albuquerque, we spent our final morning in New Mexico ascending the Sandia Mountains to an elevation of over 10,000ft via the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. This unmissable experience, which takes about 25mins to reach from Albuquerque Old Town - passing the Sandia Resort & Casino on the way - takes around 15mins to summit, and the views over Albuquerque (and north toward Santa Fe) from the top are breathtaking.
A wonderful way to finish our New Mexico adventure was lunch at Ten 3 restaurant, which is a great recommendation for any clients looking for unique experience. The menu combines modern classics with New Mexican staples, and the views, of course, are something else. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesday and the last seating is 7.30pm. The last tram back down the mountain is at 10pm.
We're working closely with various receptive tour operators and DMC's to increase the breadth of product and experiences available in New Mexico and would be delighted to discuss any specific requirements you might have as a travel agent or tour operator. Equally, if you'd like to set up some training or discuss a specific enquiry you might be dealing with, please drop us an email at info@rocketlondon.co.uk
For more information on New Mexico, visit https://www.newmexico.org
For further inspiration on the Land of Enchantment, visit https://www.newmexicomagazine.org
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