Our Santa Fe Hotel’s Artful History
March 22, 2015 9:53 pm
53 CommentsFor over a hundred years, La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa has been one of the most historic Santa Fe hotels. As the city grows and changes, so has La Posada. Our entwined histories have made us Santa Fe’s signature resort.
In 1607, the history of Santa Fe began when New Mexico’s governor, Don Pedro de Peralta, founded the city near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. He originally named the city, “La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís,” or The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1610, Santa Fe became New Mexico’s capital, making it the oldest state capital in the United States.
Immigrants flocked to the West and New Mexico in the 19th century. Along with them came Abraham Staab and his wife, Julia. In 1882, he built a beautiful three-story brick mansion. The residence was constructed in the French Second Empire-style, and it was decorated with lavish European furnishings.
Later on, in the 1930s, R.H. and Eulalia Nason became the estate’s owners, and they transformed the property into the marquee hotel in Santa Fe. They constructed a series of Pueblo Revival-style adobe casitas around the existing mansion. They dubbed their new Santa Fe hotel “La Posada,” which means “inn” or “resting place” in Spanish. As La Posada spearheaded the Pueblo Revival style, the city of Santa Fe followed suit. In the 1920s and 1930s, architects and artists developed a unique regional identity by drawing inspiration from the local Native American culture. Pueblo style architecture imitates the design of traditional adobe construction, but with more modern materials, such as brick or concrete.
In the following years, our Santa Fe resort became a popular place to be for the arts community. An annual summer arts school drew many guests, who were leaders in the Santa Fe arts movement. La Posada truly became “The Art Hotel of Santa Fe.”
Our rich heritage makes La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa Santa Fe’s most historic resort. Nowadays, we’ve renovated the estate with a relaxing spa and a flavorful restaurants. Our southwestern ambiance means that there is no better resort in Santa Fe to absorb the rich
environment of the West.
