La Fonda in Santa Fe will mark its centennial in January

The landmark La Fonda on the Plaza hotel in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, will mark its centennial in January, though records indicate a lodging establishment was there several centuries before that.

La Fonda will host a “Party of the Century” on Jan. 22 “as we honor our storied past and look to the future during a festive evening that highlights our landmark property,” the hotel stated on its website.

Enjoy drinks and live performances in our gorgeous atrium dining room, hoop dancers in the historic New Mexico Room, rooftop mariachis, the folk tunes of Bill Hearne, and more!  We will debut a special documentary narrated by Ali MacGraw, La Fonda Through the Decades, in the Lumpkins Ballroom featuring Santa Fe characters and leaders who have shaped the unique place La Fonda holds in our City of Faith, while our distinguished culinary team serves the signature cuisine of Chef Lane Warner.
Celebrate with us and take advantage of our Centennial Package!  Enjoy discounted luxury accommodations, two tickets to the Party of the Century, breakfast for two in La Plazuela and a copy of our coffee-table history book, La Fonda Then & Now. Tickets to the event can be purchased here. All profits will benefit the Southwest Association for Indian Arts “SWAIA” (also celebrating 100 Years of the Arts).

The cost is $100 a person. Tickets can be purchased here.

According to city records, the first inn in Santa Fe was established on the site in 1607, bolstering La Fonda’s claim as “the oldest hotel corner in America.”

The structure that is known as La Fonda today was built in 1922, and it features the architectural influence of Isaac Rapp, John Gaw Meem and Mary Colter.

Authentic elements including hand-carved beams, stained glass skylights and a 25-foot cathedral ceiling create a romantic aura unique to La Fonda’s Santa Fe history. Elements of the original design are still evident throughout the hotel, with La Plazuela situated on the hotel’s original 1920’s outdoor patio, as well as breathtaking skylights, terracotta tile and hammered tin chandeliers in our event venues.

By the mid-1920s, the property was owned by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and leased by the Fred Harvey Co.

The Ballen Family restored the declining property during the 1960s. Another big renovation occurred in 2013 while ensuring the hotel’s history and Southwest culture were respected.

The Ballen family in 2014 transferred its ownership to a group of local investors, and La Fonda is managed by Cienda Partners, a firm with a long history of civic and historic investments and with substantial holdings in Santa Fe. 

La Fonda sits less than a block from the 1926-1937 alignment of Route 66 that goes into downtown Santa Fe.

(Courtesy image of La Fonda at the Santa Fe Trail in Santa Fe, New Mexico)

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