The Duke City’s stylish hotels and intimate inns become Cupid’s domain around Valentine’s Day, when locals and out-of-towners alike look for romantic getaways with their sweeties. Here are 5 lodgings around town that are sure to win hearts.
1. Hotel Chaco
The AAA 4-Diamond Hotel Chaco aims to soothe lovers’ souls with a sexy-chic ambience that draws inspiration from the state’s heritage. The 5-story hotel’s lobby is designed to evoke the great houses of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwest New Mexico.
The reception desk sits in a spacious rotunda under a massive oculus decorated in a Native American pottery eagle motif. The lobby’s sleek wood and stonework decor coupled with a chill milieu makes you feel as if you’re checking into a luxurious spa.
Above the lobby is an oculus decorated in a Native American pottery eagle motif. Photo by Minh Quan
Upstairs, snuggle up in thoroughly modern accommodations ranging from standard rooms to seriously swank suites. Many rooms have balconies, some with views of the downtown skyline (request an upper floor).
The vistas are even better from the rooftop Level 5 Restaurant, an indoor/outdoor restaurant and lounge with low-pro couches and views encompassing the city and distant Sandia Mountains. For down-to-earth eats, head across the street to the Sawmill Market food hall, home to 27 merchants and eateries serving everything from pizza to sushi. Rates start at $299.
Pro tip:
Hotel Chaco’s “Romance” package includes an upgrade at check-in to the next available room category, complimentary sparkling wine and artisanal chocolate, and 2 p.m. checkout (if available). When booking online or by phone, use the code “ROMANCE.”
2. Casas de Sueños Old Town Historic Inn
Sipping a glass of bubbly, slide into your private in-room hot tub at this tranquil 1938 adobe-style compound just steps from the Old Town Plaza.
The property’s 21 adobe-style casitas range from cozy studios and 1- and 2-bedroom units to hot tub suites (we love the newly remodeled Manzano room with a 2-person hot tub and kiva fireplace) arranged around 3 leafy garden courtyards. A central, tile-roofed gazebo is a sweet spot for a marriage proposal, if you’re so inclined.
Complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served in the lobby-adjacent “sunroom,” once an art studio for the property’s original owner, famed Southwest painter and photographer J.R. Willis. Continuing the inn’s creative legacy, guest casitas are decorated with paintings by New Mexico artists. LeeAnn Cumbow, co-owner with her husband, Marc, calls Casas de Sueños “Albuquerque’s best-kept romantic secret.” Rates start at $179.
Pro tip:
The inn is a popular wedding location, offering wedding event packages that include accommodations.
3. Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
Los Poblanos Inn was built with 20th-century New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem's signature Territorial Revival style. Photo by Brandon Harwell
The moment you turn onto Los Poblanos’ shady cottonwood tree–canopied driveway, you know you’ve made the right choice for a romantic escape. The inn is set on 25 bucolic acres in the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.
In 1932, famous 20th-century New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem was commissioned to renovate the site’s original hacienda and create the La Quinta Cultural Center, where Los Poblanos still presents lectures, other public and private events, and special dinners. Designed in Meem’s signature Territorial Revival style, the structures lie amid formal gardens, Spanish-tile fountains, lavender fields, flower beds, and meandering walkways perfect for strolling hand in hand.
The newer Field suites at Los Poblanos offer views of the lavender fields. Photo by Douglas Merriam
Most of the inn’s 45 guest rooms have a fireplace. Stay in the hacienda-style suites or opt for the newer Field suites, which offer views of lavender fields and of sunsets that paint the Sandia Mountains pink.
Fancy a couple’s massage? Head to the inn’s Hacienda Spa, added to the property in 2021. For brunch and dinner, try Los Poblanos’ acclaimed Campo. The farm-to-table restaurant dazzles with dishes like the must-try braised lamb birria. Rates start at $320.
Pro tip:
From January through March, New Mexico residents receive 20% off regular room rates. Mention the offer when booking, either online or by phone.
4. Hotel Andaluz
New Mexico native and hotel magnate Conrad Hilton made an early foray into his empire with downtown’s AAA 4-Diamond Hotel Andaluz.
When the 10-story hotel opened in 1939, it was not only Albuquerque’s tallest building, it was also the first with an elevator. Today, those same vintage elevators whisk you from the elegant lobby up to stylish guest rooms with dreamy views of the twinkling city lights. Tops is the Penthouse Suite, decked out with a fireplace and free-standing copper bathtub.
The lobby decor, inspired by Spain’s Andalusian region, invites romance with intimate “casbah” seating alcoves that can be reserved and offer cocktail and food service from the hotel’s outstanding Más Tapas y Vino restaurant. Helmed by chef Marc Quiñones, a Food Network competitor, the slick, contemporary space is a classy spot to nibble tapas or enjoy the full menu. Select menu items are also served at the second-story Ibiza Urban Rooftop Lounge. Rates start at $200.
Pro tip:
Hotel Andaluz is a nice choice if you’re attending a concert at the Kiva Auditorium, a block and a half away.
5. Red Horse Bed & Breakfast
The Red Horse Bed & Breakfast was built on a 5-acre farm in 1922. Photo by Kathleen Capshaw
A 5-acre family urban farm in ABQ’s South Valley is the setting for this cozy 2-story bed-and-breakfast inn built in 1922. Filling the inn are wonderful antiques of every stripe imaginable: European furniture, Native American pottery, Western antiques, German beer steins, English blue china, stained glass, and landscape paintings. Several antiques are gifts to the inn from past guests. “I like to think all of our guests are threads in our tapestry,” says Darlene Capshaw, co-owner with her husband, Phil.
Enjoy free breakfast during your stay at Red Horse B&B. Photo Kathleen Capshaw
Indulge in one of the 2 ground-floor rooms (the English Rose Room or Heritage Room), each with a private bath, an outdoor entrance, and a patio seating area. The room rate includes freshly cooked breakfast; lunch and dinner are extra. Meals can be taken in the communal dining room or served in your room. Rates start at $149.
Pro tip:
During February, the inn offers a “Vintage Valentine” package that includes an overnight stay, a private 5-course candlelight dinner, a welcome tray, a bottle of bubbly, and a dozen red roses for $295.
Eli Ellison is a Santa Fe–based travel writer who lives to raid hotel continental breakfast spreads.
AAA travel alert: Many travel destinations have implemented COVID-19–related restrictions. Before making travel plans, check to see if hotels, attractions, cruise lines, tour operators, restaurants, and local authorities have issued health and safety-related restrictions or entry requirements. The local tourism board is a good resource for updated information.
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