2 Best Hotels in Outside the Plaza, Santa Fe

This sumptuous yet relaxed Relais & Chateaux hotel has an unmistakable East-meets-West feel, fitting right in with the kind of memorable lodgings you hear about in Morocco and Bali. All of the roomy suites have vibrantly colorful Asian and Latin American antiques and art, Kilim rugs, and jewel-tone throw pillows. The owners, who have a long history in Santa Fe as importers of antiques and textiles, have a wonderful eye for decorating. All rooms have woodburning fireplaces, and several have private porches or balconies. Great care has been taken in designing the fabulous bathrooms. Outfitted with bright mosaic tiles, semiprecious-stone inlays, plush Frette linens, and exclusive Bamford bath products, these spacious bathrooms have double sinks and separate showers (and in some cases steam showers). Parties traveling together can book the exclusive 2,000 square-foot Luminaria Villa, with two master suites and the most stunning chef's kitchen you're likely to experience in a hotel. The personal service stands out: treats are left on your pillow and minibar items are complimentary as are afternoon drinks and breakfast. The gardens, pool, and hot tub areas abound with lush plants, gurgling fountains, and cozy nooks. A spa offers massages, facials, and other wellness treatments.

In the 1920s, poet Witter Bynner played host to an eccentric circle of artists and intellectuals, as well as some wild parties in his mid-19th-century Spanish–Pueblo Revival home, which is now a superb bed-and-breakfast with a great location a few blocks from the capitol; in sum, it's the quintessential Santa Fe inn. Rooms are simple, traditional Southwestern style with carved wood furniture and plush linens. The inn's style preserves the building's historic integrity, starting with the lodge-like lobby and extending throughout the lush, terraced grounds with gardens and comfy seating areas. You might sleep in the room where D. H. Lawrence or Willa Cather slept, or perhaps in Robert Oppenheimer's room.