Holiday Inn Express Hotel Santa Fe Cerrillos Rating: 2.5 Pearls

Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

The Holiday Inn Express is a mid-range pick for budget-conscious travelers looking to stay in the less expensive Cerrillos Road hotel row area, six miles from Santa Fe Plaza. The hotel provides the standard amenities one expects from a mid-range chain, but doesn’t stand out from its many competitors (there's a newer Holiday Inn just up the street).

The hotel is clean and offers a pleasant, small dining area where the free breakfast is served. Native American rugs and regional artwork on the walls lets guests know that they are in Santa Fe, as does the decorative tile floor in the lobby, but aside from that, this could be a Holiday Inn anywhere in the world. The rooms have corporate furnishings and generic wall art.

A small outdoor pool is open seasonally, and there is an adequate fitness center for guests wanting a workout. There's also a cozy lounge off the lobby with with green and red sofas and chairs and a flat-screen TV.

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The Holiday Inn Express is located on Cerrillos Road, six miles from the Plaza. There's a retail strip of restaurants and chain stores along the road, and within walking distance.

Santa Fe means “Holy Faith” in Spanish and is home to about 70,000 people of varying cultural backgrounds including Hispanics, Native Americans, and Anglos. New Mexico’s fourth-largest city is also the nation’s highest capitol and its oldest: It was founded in 1607.

The “City Different,” as it’s known, sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet at the southern edge of the Rockies, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Although the cool summer hiking and skiing in winter offer great reasons to visit, it’s best to keep in mind that the high elevation also means more stress for the body while acclimating. Most people become used to the thinner air after two or three days which means that strenuous physical activity will become easier and less dangerous if you wait a day or two after arriving in town. One more caution - one alcoholic drink at this altitude will equal three drinks at sea level!

The Spanish influence seen so often throughout Santa Fe stems from the missionaries who arrived in the 1600s to convert the local Native American population. Old missions such as the San Miguel can be seen scattered across New Mexico and offer a fascinating glimpse into the region’s history. Often times, these missions are located at or near Native American pueblos, such as Tesuque or Cochiti, which are home to the various Pueblo peoples. Visiting New Mexico’s pueblos offers a chance to interact with the locals, purchase art and wares, and gain a better appreciation of New Mexico’s rich history.

Today, Santa Fe is the nation’s third-largest market for buying and selling art. In addition to the many galleries at the Plaza and along Canyon Road, several museums including the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum (showcasing the painter’s long relationship with New Mexico) celebrate the creative spirit in Santa Fe.

• 1.5-hour drive from Albuquerque International Airport
• 10-minute drive from Santa Fe Municipal Airport
• 15-minute drive to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
• 15-minute drive to the New Mexico Museum of Art
• 15-minute drive to the Plaza, the shopping and cultural center of town
• 15-minute drive to the Palace of the Governors, oldest continuously occupied public building in the nation
• 15-minute drive to Canyon Road, home to over 100 art galleries and studios
• 15-minute drive to Tesuque Pueblo, a Native American pueblo
• 25-minute drive to the Santa Fe Opera House
• 25-minute drive to Santa Fe Country Club (golf course)
• 30-minute drive to the El Rancho de las Golondrinas (a living history museum)
• 30-minute drive to Ski Santa Fe

Rooms come with convenient amenities such as microwaves and mini-fridges, and extra electrical outlets at the work desks. But there are tube TVs in most rooms, and the bland, generic decor could use an update. However, the beds and chairs are clean and comfortable.

• Tube TVs in many rooms, and flat-screen TVs in some
• Microwaves and mini-fridges
• Standard rooms come with kings or two queen beds.
• A Suite is available, featuring separate sitting area with a pull-out sofa, and flat-screen TV.

• Heated outdoor pool open seasonally
• Adequate 24-hour fitness center with treadmills, a recumbent bike, and a strength training machine
• Free Wi-Fi
• Free self-parking
• Free newspaper delivered to room
• View more amenities

• A free hot breakfast is offered daily and includes cooked eggs, bacon, sausage, cereal, bagels, and muffins.
• Restaurants along Cerillos Road are within walking distance.