by Scott Laird
Last updated: 10:00 PM ET, Tue June 27, 2017
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts promise "a sense of place" to guests staying at their luxury properties worldwide. It's a supremely alluring notion and departure from the cookie-cutter predictability of some worldwide chain hotels.
But aside from marketing hype, how does this actually work in practice?
To find out, I spent a weekend at the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I discovered that (at least at this particular location) the hotel delivers on its enticing brand promise in spades.
The sense of arrival into the main square of Santa Fe is likely similar to how it has been for centuries. Santa Fe is a bit off the beaten path-while only an hour drive from Albuquerque, itself surrounded by miles upon miles of desert-it's worth noting that transportation corridors constructed over the last several centuries seem to have consistently overlooked New Mexico's capital.
Whether it was rail spurs, freeways or airports, Santa Fe was never quite well connected to the grid, perhaps to the relief of the local artist communities, who complained about the influx of tourists as early as the turn of the century.
As the relief of the roughly ten degree and two thousand foot elevation change from Albuquerque sets in during the late afternoon, the sense of travel adventure seems almost straight out of an establishing scene in an Indiana Jones film. The car traverses ancient narrow streets jostled by tennis-shoed tourists seeking out Kokopelli magnets and tin Route 66 signs.
One is curiously regarded by local residents taking respite in the square before finding oneself at the unassuming entrance to the Inn on a side street next to a burrito shop and across from a museum.
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Valets in western wear approach and whisk guests into a cool, quiet lobby, redesigned in 2016 along with the guest rooms and public spaces by Wilson Associates-the original firm that oversaw the conversion of the hotel from government offices in 1991. Here we find sandstone walls and heavy carved wood doors along with a welcome glass of watermelon juice.
Lines don't exist here, as the property is quite intimate-just 58 rooms and suites.
Quiet spaces like the library-where morning coffee is served and books on local culture and art await readers-skylights and trickling rock wall water features continue the sense of tranquility and relaxation en route to the guest rooms.
They are an homage to the spirit and promise of the West. Terracotta ceramics by local artist Lorraine Lewis feature on each guestroom's kiva fireplaces. Exposed beam work and clean, modern lines along with sumptuous leathers, linens and Pendleton blanket pillows could hardly suggest the room be anywhere but Santa Fe.
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The sense of place continues during the evening hours in The Anasazi Restaurant. Classical guitar strains fill the softly lit, intimate-yet-lively space with impeccable service proffering fine culinary skill in the form of charred octopus with caramelized onion marmalade, Colorado lamb chops and silky burrata with local greens and hazelnuts.
With old world music and fine local cuisine, one feels pampered, feted even, like some sort of colonial dignitary cast to the farthest reaches of New Spain, salving exhaustion from the toils of exploration and administration.
Desert nights are cool/ The 90 degree June heat quickly gave way to sub-room temps (again courtesy of the elevation) as the sun disappeared over the horizon, demanding good use of the gas fireplace.
A serenely Santa Fe alarm the next morning came in the form of an open window and the chiming of the church bells at the adjacent Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It continued to mark the quarter hours throughout a cup of coffee from the in-room Keurig and twin complimentary copies of the New York Times and The Santa Fe New Mexican.
The Takeaway: The sense of place, as Rosewood aimed for, was achieved. The only difficulty was leaving.
The Damage: Midweek off-peak rates seem to start at $280 per night. Weekend peak rates rarely seem less than around $400 per night.
Instagrammable Moment: The charming aesthetic of the guest rooms begs to be photographed.
Good to Know: Rooms facing the square awake to the intoxicating aroma of the burrito place next door firing up breakfast. Yes, it tastes as good as it smells.
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