Albuquerque - American Southwest - page 242

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Fiesta (early Oct)—most of the city's hotels have vacant rooms, so guests can frequently
request and get lower room rates than the ones posted.
A tax of 12.875% is added to every hotel bill. All hotels and bed-and-breakfasts listed
offer rooms for nonsmokers and travelers with disabilities.

HOTELS/MOTELS
Expensive
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town This completely renovated hotel just 5
minutes from Old Town offers artfully decorated rooms with views and excellent service.
No Albuquerque hotel is closer to top tourist attractions than the Hotel Albuquerque.
Constructed in 1975, it existed for years under the Sheraton banner. Now a Heritage
Hotel, it has received a $16-million makeover. The cathedral-style lobby has Spanish
colonial furnishings and art, a theme that carries into the guest rooms. They're medium
size, with comfortable beds and medium-size bathrooms with outer vanities. Request a
south-side room, and you'll get a balcony with a view over Old Town. A north-side room
yields mountain views but no balconies (this is the side to request during the Balloon
Fiesta). The lovely grounds have a long portal and a quaint chapel. The Q Bar (p. 262)
is one of Albuquerque's chicest night spots, with a good tapas menu and billiards.
800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104. & 800/237-2133 (reservations only), or 505/843-
6300. Fax [phone]. www.hotelabq.com. 188 units. $99-$209 double; $149-$350 jr. suite double.
Children stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar;
concierge; executive-level rooms; Jacuzzi; outdoor pool (in summer); room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair
dryer, Wi-Fi.
Sandia Resort & Casino On the Sandia Reservation, at the north end of
town, in a grand nine-story Pueblo-style structure, this resort offers plenty of fun activi-
ties in a scenic setting. The hotel has spectacular views of the Sandia Mountains and the
Albuquerque skyline. The lobby, constructed in a majestic mission-church style, offers
space for lounging, and just off it, there's a casino, with 1,800 slots, Vegas-style gambling,
and all the blinking lights that a gambler could want. Each spacious guest room, deco-
rated in an elegant Native American motif, has a very comfortable bed, a lounge chair, a
desk, and louvered blackout blinds, as well as many amenities. The bathrooms are large,
with Italian tile throughout, and robes. The suites are even more spacious, of course. The
Green Reed Spa offers a full range of treatments, and the Scott Miller-designed 18-hole
golf course wraps around the hotel, giving a sense of lush green to the desert. The Bien
Shur restaurant, on the ninth floor, offers excellent cuisine and city and mountain views.
Be aware that this resort best serves people who like to play into the night. If you're look-
ing for a more relaxing stay, you might choose the Hyatt Tamaya (see below).
30 Rainbow Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113. www.sandiaresort.com. & 877/272-9199 (reservations
only), 800/526-9366, or 505/798-3930. Fax [phone] units. $139-$299 double; $319-$389
1-bedroom suite; $699 2-bedroom suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Free valet parking. Amenities: 3 restau-
rants; bar; concierge; golf course; health club; Jacuzzi; large outdoor pool; room service; spa. In room: A/C,
TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.
Moderate
Albuquerque Grand Airport Hotel This 15-story hotel right at the airport
provides spacious rooms with a touch of elegance. The lobby, grill, and lounge areas
employ a lot of sandstone, wood, copper, and tile to lend an Anasazi feel, which carries
into the rooms, each with a broad view from a balcony. A recent remodel brought new,

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