NEW MEXICO – Five nights. Three distinct hotels I can heartily recommend.
I recently had a great trip to beautiful and surprising New Mexico, checking out cliff dwellings, cool slot canyons, art galleries and UFO museums, not to mention a museum dedicated to rattlesnakes and one of the best barbeque joints I’ve been to, a place in Albuquerque called Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ.
I also got to stay in some very nice hotels along the way.
In Albuquerque, a city I’d never been to before, I stayed at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown, a terrific property in a great location.
There’s a big, comfortable lobby that always seemed to filled with happy, chatting people; business folks with coffees in hand in the morning, locals and business folks mingling at the bar in the evening and noshing on snacks. It’s a big hotel, but somehow they give it a bit of a boutique feel.
I didn’t have time to try it, but the hotel has a very nice, large gym; much bigger than most hotels I’ve been in (and I stay in dozens every year). There’s a dedicated strength training area that has both weight machines and free weights, as well as exercise bikes, treadmills and other equipment to help you stay in shape on the road. They also have iPod docking stations so you can tune into your favourite music or podcast while you work off those calories from the restaurant you ate at down the road the night before.
A room at the Sheraton Uptown Albuquerque.
Families or folks who love a morning swim should check out the whirlpool and their indoor, salt water swimming pool.
I really enjoyed chatting with the staff, who were super-friendly but not in that over-the-top, intrusive way you sometimes get. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day and they were always helpful when I stopped in with a request or had a question.
There’s great shopping, restaurants and movie theatres nearby that you can drive to. Better yet, let the hotel’s free shuttle handle the trip so you can have a glass of wine or two with your dinner and not worry about it.
There are several golf courses nearby, as well as tennis facilities, a casino and such attractions as the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Museum, the Sandia Peak Tramway (great views) and Old Town, where you’ll find a lovely central square, a pretty church/museum and fun shops. There’s also a Rattlesnake Museum you should duck into for a look at slithering snakes and other critters.
I was lucky enough to land a room on the club level, which was sensational. The room was spacious and bright, with nice mountain and city views, free Wi-Fi (all rooms have that) and nice bathroom amenities.
The best part was all-day access to the club lounge down the hall, where I had a great breakfast with a view every morning (the mountains around Albuquerque are quite high) and then tons of food in the late afternoon when I felt like a snack; olives, nice cheeses, charcuterie, chicken, salads and more.
They have food and Starbucks coffee available all day without charge, and the breakfast is valid for two people if you get lounge access. If you wish to have an alcoholic beverage they have drinks on hand for purchase. The lounge also has a business centre and private meeting space and is open 24/7.
The lobby at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Roswell, New Mexico.
Down in Roswell, The Fairfield Inn and Suites is another surprising spot. You don’t see a lot of style in many chain hotels, but this place had a bright, colourful lobby with soothing green and perky orange accents, as well as some cool art on display that was a fun mix of modern and western/cowboy.
Out back there’s a pool and a hot tub; great for families. And the rooms have tons of space, so you won’t all get squished together at night.
It’s also handy for business folks like me, with plenty of plugs and well-placed power outlets to keep my laptop and iPhone humming and to charge my camera batteries. Little things, to be sure, but important.
They put on a free breakfast, and the dining area has a “Wi-Fi bar” with even more outlets and places to work.
There’s also a 24-hour market for sundries and snacks, a conference room and a small but well-stocked fitness centre.
Roswell is famous as an alleged site for an alien landing a few decades back, and they make the most of it with a UFO museum and shops selling t-shirts and little green men statues. It’s fine, but I was a lot more interested in their booming arts scene. There are a couple of outstanding museums in the city, which is roughly three hours south of Albuquerque, as well as a couple of nice galleries with fantastic local art on display.
The Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North.
My last night was at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North, which was quite large and very spacious. I was only there for a few hours, but I loved the spacious atrium and the big suite they gave me, complete with a sitting room and a sofa bed, plus a refrigerator and coffee maker.
The hotel has a restaurant, Pyramid 51, that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s also a gym and an indoor/outdoor pool for those warm New Mexico summers.
This is a major hub in the city for conferences, with nine event rooms and more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space. They also have free, high-speed Internet, something I rely on heavily on my trips.
You’re just a few seconds from the highway, and only a short drive from the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, a fun and engaging spot with great exhibits on the history of hot air balloons.
JUST THE FACTS
Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown: 2600 Louisiana Blvd. NE. Rooms in July from around $148 USD
Fairfield Inn and Suites Roswell: 1201 North Main. Rooms in July from around $88 USD (prepaid)
Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North: 5151 San Francisco Rd. NE. Rooms in July from around $85 USD (prepaid)
My trip to New Mexico was sponsored by Brand USA, New Mexico Tourism, Marriott and American Airlines.
