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Whether you stay in this hotel or not, it's worth strolling through just to get a sense of how Santa Fe once was -- and in some ways still is. This was the inn at the end of the Santa Fe Trail; it saw trappers, traders, and merchants, as well as notables such as President Rutherford B. Hayes and General Ulysses S. Grant. The original inn was dying of old age in 1920 when it was razed and replaced by the current La Fonda. Its architecture is pueblo revival: imitation adobe with wooden balconies and beam ends protruding over the tops of windows. Inside, the lobby is rich and slightly dark, with people bustling about, sitting in the cafe, and buying jewelry from Native Americans.

The hotel has seen some renovation through the years, as well as a whole new wing recently completed to the east, where you'll find deluxe suites and new meeting spaces. If you want a feel of the real Santa Fe, this is the place to stay. Overall, however, this hotel isn't the model of refinement. For that, you'd best go to the Hotel Santa Fe or other newer places. No two rooms are the same here, and while each has its own funky touch, some are more kitsch than quaint. Some have refrigerators, fireplaces, and private balconies. A recently added spa offers a variety of treatments from massages to salt glows, as well as a sauna and Jacuzzi. The French Pastry Shop is the place to get cappuccino and crepes; La Fiesta Lounge draws many locals to its economical New Mexican food lunch buffet; and La Plazuela offers some of the best new Southwestern cuisine in town, in a skylit garden patio. The Bell Tower Bar is the highest point in downtown Santa Fe -- a great place for a cocktail and a view of the city.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.