Diamond Resorts Villas de Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA downtown at night.

The name says it all here. These are great Villas in the Heart of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have been to Santa Fe before, but it has been a while now. I am excited to go back and see some of what I enjoyed before, while also checking some new things out in the area.

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Day One Travel & Arrival at Diamond Resorts Villas de Santa Fe

It is very nice to have a resort of this caliber to stay at when you are traveling. I love that the Diamond resorts offer a full kitchen and all the features you really need to call a place a temporary home.

My trip to Santa Fe started with a flight from Norfolk International and included a short layover on the way to New Mexico. Once I arrived, it was a short drive from the airport to the resort.

Albuquerque International Airport is 65 miles from the resort and not a bad drive in a rental car. From Albuquerque Airport take Gibson Avenue to Interstate 25 north. Follow I-25 north to Santa Fe. Exit at Saint Francis Drive. Follow Saint Francis Drive through town approximately 4-5 miles to “second” Paseo de Peralta. (There are two Paseo de Peraltas in Santa Fe. DO NOT take the first. There is a Bank of America on the northeast corner of the second Paseo de Peralta.) Turn right onto Paseo de Peralta and continue to Griffin Street (the third street light). Turn left onto Griffin Street and Villas de Santa Fe is on the left.

There is a closer local airport that is about 15 miles away. That is the Santa Fe Municipal Airport.

Once in Santa Fe, I stopped to eat some lunch since I was too early to check in to the resort. The spot I chose was a new one for me called Cowgirl. I love BBQ and I wanted to see what New Mexico had for their take on BBQ. I tried their Brisket BBQ but the entire menu looked and from what I saw out on tables around me smelled great as well.

My meal was great, and this is a local spot I would recommend to others. It sure was a welcomed meal and stop on my way to the resort.

Once I arrived at the resort, I grabbed my room and checked in to enjoy the

Recent Reviews

We stayed here for 2 nights. The room was a type of suite having a small kitchen with all necessary stuffs including dishes, cups, mugs, silvers with refrigerator and dishwashers. There were also additional excellent features of here including the location, great price, excellent staffs, and free parking. It will become the best place with some improvements such as a better water pressure in the bathtub (this was a bit disturbing) and adding usb-based charging station. However, I will surely revisit here next time.

I was very happy with my stay. Everything was clean and convenient. The small suggestions on the sheets were a little worn and I think next time I will want to be more downtown. But I would stay here again.

Our stay at Villas de Santa Fe was wonderful! The staff were super friendly, helpful and provided service with excellence! The room was really nice. There is a microwave, stovetop, all the dishware and cookware needed to make a great meal! The laundry facility was fabulous along with the billiards room, gym and coffee machine in the lobby! One final thing, the location of the Villas de Santa Fe is absolutely perfect! From the hotel, it is easy to walk all around the downtown area, including the Capital Building Complex area. I would totally recommend this place to anyone looking for a great place to stay with excellent service!

Lovely pleasantness. Cordial efficient check-in. Clean, quiet room with the plushness to feel pampered. Nice bed and pillows. Kitchen was nice.

Great apartment hotel. Very comfortable and spacious units, and also great service, bringing us extra items for the kitchen so we could cook dinner.

Polite and understanding staff helped a lot with accessible rooms after I had messed up booking, they then made a minor mistake by double booking a room (with the people who checked in at the same exact time as us so it was understandable) but made up for it by immediately upgrading us to the nearby building.

Great little place to stay near downtown Santa Fe with affordable suites. A little clumsy to reach rooms, but otherwise great!

I was so happy with our room! This was a really well-situated space, easy walking distance to downtown with good parking, and the room itself was perfect. We got a suite to have a room for our son to sleep, and we really appreciated the kitchenette as well. It even came with a mini-bottle of dish soap and a plastic-wrapped sponge! The bed was comfy, and the pillows were AMAZING! standard bathroom and closet set up, good AC, and Wi-Fi included with the price. Our two-night stay was also well-priced, costing us less than one night at a suite in a larger hotel chain. This was a perfect hotel, and we loved it! Thank you!

Firstly, the assistance in the lobby is excellent. The rooms are perfect size, pictures on the internet do not do them justice. They were very comfortable beds and then the kitchen was the perfect size. There was some lifted carpet by the fireplace but that didn’t bother us. Thank you for hosting us. We shall surely see you again.

Villa Amenities

Then the resort itself offers all of these options.

Resort Amenities

• Free WiFi
• Outdoor Pools
• Fitness Center

Day Two Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a beautiful southwestern city surrounded by mountains, and this historic town is full of culture and life. Santa Fe is the Capitol city of New Mexico and one of the most unique cities in the entire United States. Santa Fe is the most populated city in the country, with an elevation above 7,000 feet, which leads to a pretty interesting climate.

Santa Fe is also the third largest art market in the United States, behind New York and Los Angeles.

Things to do visit historic churches. There are three historic churches in downtown Santa Fe and we enjoyed visiting each one. The San Miguel Church is the oldest church structure in the united states dating back to the 1600s. The Loretto Chapel has the legendary miraculous staircase, which has unknown origins. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis Assisi which was built in the late 1800s, beautifully sits not far from the town square in the historic downtown there is a ton of history in downtown Santa Fe and there are walking tours and tram tours available to take it all in.

Take in the art scene. Santa Fe has a vibrant art scene. You can immerse yourself in all kinds of art while visiting the many art galleries on canyon. road there are over 100 galleries featuring everything from paintings to lawn ornaments to bronze sculptures. Santa Fe also has numerous art museums, including the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O’Keefe museum.

Santa Fe has a terrific food scene.

New Mexican cuisine is a fusion of pueblo, Native American, Spanish and Mexican influences.

These differing backgrounds create a truly unique experience. Santa Fe has over 400 restaurants, from fine dining to classic street food. We had a fantastic steak dinner at Market Steer Steakhouse located in historic downtown Santa Fe. Santa Fe also offers food tours or you can go off on your own for a self-guided tour like the margarita trail or the chocolate trail on the road to Taos. This scenic drive takes you through high desert and mountains as well as farms and small villages along the way. shops, museums galleries and historic sites are located all along this scenic byway.

The New Mexico Museum of Art was my first step today. A great thing about this museum is that they offer guided tours most days for free with your general admission. New Mexico residents get a nice discount on the ticket, but even visitors are able to get a ticket for only $12. The tour was great, and the Docent was very nice and knowledgeable.

Want to know if this is right for you to enjoy a virtual tour right now.

Just across the street is the New Mexico History Museum. You can also get tickets here for only $12 and if you are a history fan, this is one not to miss. I also took them up on a downtown tour, which was a 2 hour walking tour that was only $20 and provides a wealth of information, and amazing back stories.

It is not every day a big guy can stop after a long 2 hour walk and enjoy an oxygen bar afterwards. So, I took advantage of this unique opportunity. This neat spot is just across the street, so I stopped right after returning to the museum.

Next, after catching my breath, I went to the Rooftop Pizzeria & Draft Station. It is a great pizza , so I wanted to try a pie and grab a beer or two. I grabbed a meat lover’s pizza, and it was great. There was also a locally made microbrew that I enjoyed. It was from the local Desert Dogs Brewery and Cidery I tried both of the ciders they make and both were great.

This is one of the largest art markets in the nation and even the world. So, as a painter myself and a fan, I wanted to visit some of the local galleries in the area. I am a bit picky about what I like in art. This means that some galleries that carry mostly art I do prefer will be off of my list.

Nedra Matteucci Galleries

Nedra Matteucci Galleries was my first stop. The contemporary and historical art here was outstanding,, and I enjoyed my visit. They also have sculptures and pottery which, other than a class in high school, I have never truly tried to learn and master. My pottery teacher would agree with that comment.

Canyon Road Contemporary Art

Canyon Road Contemporary Art offers a great collection. Canyon Road Contemporary Art, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is at 622 Canyon Road. The gallery has served art collectors and enthusiasts for over thirty-seven years. I found the work of a local artist named Tobi Clement here and I was happy I did. The eye for local landscapes gives you a front-row seat to the best mother nature offers.

Manitou Galleries

Manitou Galleries was my next stop today. Manitou Galleries is one of the foremost galleries in the West, with locations on Palace Avenue just off the Santa Fe plaza, on the famous Canyon Road in Santa Fe, and in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

After several galleries, I was ready for lunch. The Bull Ring was my choice for my late lunch or early dinner. Here you find amazing steaks. Even if the price is a little, high the quality was higher. This is a very good steak place.

I enjoyed my El Matador, which is a 14oz steak that is aged for 30+ days and is so tender it tastes like something else entirely.

If you want to see some amazing art and history, this is a great resort to stay at in Santa Fe. Book through Tzort.