History
Multicultural Roots
La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa is located on six historically rich acres in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. Two centuries before Columbus set sail, the residents of ancient pueblos grew crops here. The Spanish then colonized Santa Fe and many villages over a period of 250 years, before New Mexico finally became a U.S. territory in 1846. In the 19th century, the adobe city experienced significant growth as residents from Europe and the eastern U.S. migrated to the Southwest. Palace Avenue, once an acequia that brought water into the city, overflowed with the lifesource of the region and supported the new populace of what would become today's Santa Fe.
The Staab Family
In 1882, a prosperous merchant named Abraham Staab built his three-story brick mansion, in the French Second Empire-style, on property that now belongs to La Posada. Abraham and his wife, Julia, entertained Santa Fe society in the grand residence decorated with the finest European materials. Legend has it that Mrs. Staab loved her home so much that she has never left it. In recent years, her alleged spirit has been the subject of many ghost tours, an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, and Weird Travels. The Staab House stands today in the form of a bar, where guests of La Posada enjoy cocktails and light Southwestern fare. Some have even reported meeting the grand lady.
Construction of the Resting Place
In the 1930s, R.H. and Eulalia Nason constructed a series of Pueblo Revival-style adobe casitas around the existing Staab Mansion and carriage house. The Nason's called their new business La Posada, Spanish for "inn" or "resting place." In the following years, La Posada became a summer arts school with many long-term guests who were an important part of Santa Fe's flourishing arts community.
Over the years, La Posada de Santa Fe has served the world of literature and cinema by accommodating writers such as Eliot Arnold, author of "The Gringo and Oliver," and many other well-known personalities.
After an extensive renovation in the late 1990s that included the construction of additional lodging, La Posada de Santa Fe Spa, and the Conference Center, La Posada transformed into the full-service resort that it is today, La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa has retained its traditional Southwestern charm and intimate ambience.
The Ancient Pueblo People and Archaeological Sites
The hotel is within an hour's drive of Bandelier National Monument, where magnificent ancient cliff dwellings full of kivas and petroglyphs remain. In addition, guests may visit the nearby Santuario de Chimayo, which is said to contain healing powers in its soil. On the Turquoise Trail, south of Santa Fe, guests can travel through the turn-of-the-century mining towns of Madrid, Cerrillos, and Golden – important sources of turquoise for ancient Indian jewelry.
