Comfort Suites Santa Fe

From the outside, the Comfort Suites nods to native New Mexico architecture with a few superficial details -- and inside, the look is even more convincing. Earth-toned floors and walls decorated with rounded adobe columns have a distinctive Southwestern flair. A small, wood-paneled reception desk is tucked in one corner across from an inviting lounge area with a traditional-looking fireplace as a centerpiece. The lounge has a high ceiling and a deep ledge studded with timber poles serves as a gallery for native earthenware and colorful rugs. Guests are mostly families and couples traveling for leisure, but the hotel also draws some business travelers. 

The hotel is located between a public storage lot and a mattress store, on a bland stretch of six-lane Cerrillos Road, where fast food chains, hotels, and gas stations line either side of the busy road for several miles. Depending on traffic, it's at least a 15-minute drive to downtown Santa Fe and and the Plaza, so guests will have to drive to see anything or dine anywhere beyond the nearby IHOP or McDonald's (though many big box retailers and grocery stores are close by, too). In addition to the many galleries at the Plaza and along Canyon Road, there are several museums of interest, including the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, both under a 20-minute drive away. It's roughly a 60-minute drive to Albuquerque International Airport.

The hotel's 60 carpeted guest rooms have a warm, brown and red color palette, but a dated style, and a mix of mostly older furnishings. Windows open, but the views are of parking lots or the rooftops of an adjacent public storage facility. However, units are spacious and comfortable, with either king beds or two queen beds. The former have seating areas with upholstered armchairs, and all contain tables that can double as work spaces with black roller chairs. Free Wi-Fi comes standard, along with 37-inch flat-screen TVs, microwaves, coffeemakers, and mini-fridges. Suites have partitioned living areas with sofa beds, and upgraded suites have wet bars set in counters below frosted glass partition walls, decorated with Southwestern design. Bathrooms are basic but tidy, with average shower/tub combos, hairdryers, and toiletries. 

Amenities are a highlight at this budget hotel. There's a small heated indoor pool and a hot tub in a room that gets a decent amount of natural light. It has a few loungers and a table with chairs beside a wall that has large, glass-block windows. There's an adjacent fitness room, but it's tiny, with barely enough space for a treadmill, stationary bike, and a single weight-training machine, although equipment is up-to-date. A free breakfast, with hot options like eggs and waffles, is served in a colorful dining room; free coffee is available all day. There's also a business center with a pair of computers at a shared desk space with a printer. Other freebies include Wi-Fi throughout and on-site parking.