3 Best Hotels in Old Town, Albuquerque

This contemporary four-story low-rise—a short 10-minute walk from Old Town's main plaza and conveniently just off Interstate 40—has attractive Southwestern design and furnishings and the usual modern touches, like reliable and fast Wi-Fi. The heavy, handcrafted wood furniture, tin sconces, and artwork in the rooms come from local suppliers and artisans. Wild Avocado Cork & Tap is on site.

This 11-story Heritage Hotels & Resorts property overlooking Old Town has historic Territorial-style touches across its inviting facade, and attention is paid throughout its public spaces to New Mexican artisan craftwork, from Nambe Pueblo--designed metalwork to Navajo rugs. The large rooms have contemporary desert-color appointments, Southwestern landscape photos, and tile bathrooms; most units have a small balcony that opens out onto some fine views. Garduño's Restaurant & Cantina offers casual New Mexican food and patio dining; its bar specializes in margarita flights. At the end of the week, live jazz in the cushy QBar lounge draws a local crowd while Tablao Flamenco offers riveting flamenco performances and prix-fixe dining. Spa treatments and facials are available, as is a small fitness center.

A special commitment to New Mexico shines through in this dedicated study of Chaco Canyon as an inspiration for one of Albuquerque's most popular hotels; it uses materials meant to evoke the fine stone chinking that comprise most of the 9th- to 12th-century structures found at that deeply compelling ancient Puebloan site. Rooms are spacious and well-appointed in a cleanly austere way; details like petrified-wood sink basins suit the natural palette and black-and-white photos of the ruins found on the walls. Contemporary works by Native American artists greet you on every floor, and the second-floor kiva-shaped passageway provides a direct encounter with the artwork you can glimpse from the striking lobby below. Their Level 5 restaurant offers impressive views while on the ground floor, the Equinox Café & Bar, Crafted bar, and the superbly curated Gallery Hózhó complete the scene. Guests may bring their dogs, but an extra fee applies.