Last week we featured the lobby and hallways of DC's historic Willard Hotel. This week we are off to the magical city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, home to art galleries, fabulous restaurants, scenery, and adobe style architecture in 24 shades of brown by code. The La Fonda hotel was one of the crown jewels in the historic Fred Harvey chain of hotels, restaurants, and newsstands. It has been the center of social life for Santa Fe for a century.
Just off the historic plaza, the La Fonda is the perfect place to experience all that Santa Fe has to offer, though it is spendy. However, like the Willard, you may hang out in the lobby, visit the shops, have a drink, or enjoy a nice dinner in their atrium dining room without being a guest.
They also offer free docent-led tours of the hotel's bountiful art collection.
You get a behind-the-scenes look at the hotel, hear stories of how the actor Errol Flynn broke his leg sliding down a stairway's banister; alcohol may have been involved. My favorite story was how the La Fonda became a den of spies during WWII.
Scientists working on the Manhattan Project gathered at Los Alamos, NM in 1943. It was a secure setting. Problem was the conditions were rather spartan and even scientists like Oppenheimer liked to have a few drinks and socialize or go shopping, as would their spouses. The La Fonda was 30 miles away, a welcome get-a-way for stressed out people trying to open the door to the nuclear age. The La Fonda became their home-away-from-home.
Knowing that foreign spies might hobnob with the scientists to obtain valuable secrets, government secret agents infiltrated the staff of the La Fonda as waiters, busboys, bartenders, front desk clerks, etc. With spies, secret agents, scientists and soldiers on leave, the hotel was a rowdy place.
Dr. Oppenheimer loved his martinis in a chilled glass rimmed with lime and honey. Nowadays, the bar he would frequent in La Fonda, surrounded by secret agents, is a cozy French pastry shop. The chocolate croissants are quite good. However, the look of the former bar is much like it was in Oppenheimer's time.
You can sip some coffee, close your eyes, and imagine the colorful past. The former bar as well as the entire La Fonda hotel retains much of the charm and ambiance which architect / interior designer, Mary Coulter, created.
She worked on many of Fred Harvey's signature buildings including the fabulous El Tovar hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
