Santa Fe is a beautiful city with its own special charm and if you have never been, you should go. Beautiful scenery, culture, and delicious food – what’s not to like? Today, I’m giving you the scoop on the best place to stay in Santa Fe with traveling with kids.
Table of Contents
Where to stay in Santa Fe when traveling with kids
Museum Hill is a great place to check out in Santa Fe with your kids – but you need someplace to stay!
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More on what to do in the Southwest with kids
For more details on where we went and what we saw on our San Antonio to Santa Fe trip, you can check out my trip’s landing page. There you’ll find the things we did in Santa Fe as well as the other content I’ve published about the trip. To see more info on Santa Fe specifically, check out this post.
I’ve always perceived Santa Fe as a very “grownup” town. I dreamed often of going on a girls weekend there (which I still want to do) or a romantic get-a-way (I could go for that, too.) There are lots of spas and places to eat, drink and shop and there’s just something about the beauty of the desert that pulls me in and calls me back. But, Santa Fe is a great place to go with kids as well, which surprised me a little bit.
We stayed at the Inn of the Governors located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe and that’s my pick for families traveling to Santa Fe with their kids. It’s absolutely suitable for a kid-free stay as well but it was SUCH a warm, welcoming environment for my family and full of Santa Fe charm.
The area around the Inn of the Governors is very walkable…you can get to lots of things in downtown Santa Fe.
The Inn of the Governors is family owned, which gave the place a different vibe than a big box hotel. The location, in the heart of of downtown Santa Fe, cannot be beat. There’s also free parking. Downtown Santa Fe is very walkable and there were lots of things to see and do within walking distance of the hotel.
Mini Suite at Inn of the Governors – Great for Families
We stayed in a Mini Suite which offered two queen beds plus a spacious living area with a balcony and a fireplace. The couch in our living room pulled out into a bed, so this room can accommodate a larger family. We stayed in the middle of summer but we did use the fireplace one night, since it was a novelty for my kids. Also because my husband told them “Maybe we’ll have a fire” as soon as we walked in and saw the fireplace. We loved the Southwestern feel of the decor in this room.
The mini suite was very spacious and perfect for us. Photo credit: Inn of the Governors
Our Mini Suite was on the inside corridor and gave plenty of room to spread out. We also had a balcony with a small table and a mini-fridge that comes stocked with various beverages. This is an honor bar so if you take something, you’ll need to so indicate on the little form so your room can be billed.
There’s also a separate sink/vanity area outside the full bath, which can come in handy when more than one person is trying to get ready. The Inn of the Governor’s also has other levels of rooms at various price points, depending on the season. Many of the rooms have balconies and/or fireplaces, so if those features are important to you, make sure you ask about them.
The traditional room (and the most budget friendly) are outside corridor rooms that are minus the balcony or fireplace but they are still very nice and decorated in the same warm, welcoming Southwest style as all the others.
The Traditional Room has the same look and feel as the larger rooms. Photo credit: Inn of the Governors
The hotel lobby is really fun to explore. It has beautiful furnishings and it’s luxurious without feeling pretentious.
The lobby is a great place to sit and relax, read a book, have a drink, or challenge someone to a game of chess or checkers.
Also check out the attached Del Charro restaurant and bar. The food is delicious. There’s an adults-only bar area and a family-friendly dining room. I recommend the blue corn chicken enchiladas, the stuffed green chile cheeseburger, and the Frito Pie.
General Santa Fe dining advice: If you’re not a lover of all the spicy things (or even if you are) I recommend asking your server about the heat in dishes you’re interested in. I found Southwestern food to be, in general, spicier than the Tex-Mex we are used to. The Frito Pie at Del Charro is also really good. Did you know Frito Pie originated in the city of Santa Fe? Neither did I until I visited.
Also included in the price of your rooms are the delicious Mountain Sunrise Breakfast (although your servers will appreciate tips) and $15 of credit per room per night to spend in the restaurant or the bar. You can apply that toward dinner, appetizers or even a Margarita.
But the most important thing in choosing a hotel your kids will love? The pool, of course!
The pool at the Inn of the Governors is small but it’s so nicely landscaped and there are plenty of seats in the shade. It’s also heated, which we learned that many pools in the Southwest are not. The hotel provides towels and you can order food or drinks from the restaurant or bar to enjoy poolside.
I always joke that it doesn’t matter how great the vacation is or how bad the hotel pool is, the hotel pool always wins when you’re a kid. Thankfully, there was no compromising here. Great vacation and great pool and everyone was happy.
Besides the fact that the Inn of the Governors is an awesome place to stay, they are also a great Santa Fe Resource. The Eat, Drink, and Explore tab on their homepage has lots of great info. One of the things I loved most about Inn of the Governors is the hospitality and how the staff was so invested in their guests enjoying Santa Fe. Their love for their city is definitely felt.
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Nice and informative read. Sometimes traveling with kids can get complicated because not all accommodations and establishments are child friendly.