4 Best Hotels in Southeastern New Mexico, New Mexico

There is nothing run-of-the-mill about this beautifully designed hotel and resort with luxurious rooms and common areas that are decorated with contemporary Southwestern flourishes and nods to the inn's Mescalero Apache ownership. Stunning bronze crown dancer sculptures are found at the entrance to the resort, which includes a 38,000-square-foot casino with 1,000 slot machines. The views here are stunning; many windows overlook a serene lake and (in winter) the nearby snow-crusted mountain peak of Sierra Blanca. Big-game hunts, a championship golf course, guided fishing trips, wedding facilities, excellent food; it's all here. This resort is more Aspen in feel than southeastern New Mexico—with all the graciousness and none of the pretense.

This comfortable hotel is next door to a top-rated New Mexico golf course (the Links at Sierra Blanca) and to the Ruidoso Convention Center. A dramatic rock fireplace looms majestically over the lobby; the indoor pool and hot tub are enclosed within a two-story atrium. A complimentary full breakfast (with eggs made to order) is served in a dining area that has views onto the 9th hole and surrounding mountains. Most rooms have views of meadows, pine trees, or the golf course; be sure to request a room with a view. Soft-yellow interiors with wood furnishings complete the feel of cozy luxury. King rooms have private balconies, fireplaces, in-room whirlpool tubs, and sitting rooms with kitchenettes. Guests get discounts on greens fees.

Designed for couples, this lodge in the Upper Canyon has king suites with fireplaces and furnished kitchens in the lodge, and cabins with queen beds, two-person whirlpools, and two-sided fireplaces opening into the living room and bedroom. The front veranda views tall pines and the lush, landscaped gardens. Separate cabins all have wood paneling and ample privacy. The staff here is gracious and attentive but not intrusive. The owners have other properties for families and larger groups—ask if you've got a family or a big group to house.

The imposing Bavarian-style architecture of The Lodge, with its tower and dramatic details, has drawn all sorts of notable characters over the years, including Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and even the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The bar was owned by Al Capone at one point. The outside looks like an Alpine lodge, but the interior, with its dark-wood furnishings and plush carpeted stairways, seems to have come right from a Gothic novel. Rooms are furnished with antiques, fluffy comforters, and ceiling fans. Rebecca's Restaurant ($$$) serves Continental cuisine in a beautiful room that is full of sunlight during the day and romantically lighted with candles at night. Rebecca is the resident ghost of a chambermaid apparently murdered by her lumberjack lover in the 1930s in the hotel—and she's reputedly quite playful.