June 3, 2020
The Castaņeda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico is such an iconic hotel from the days of the grand passenger trains, that it's quite astonishing how close we came to losing it forever. But, it's back, and it looks like its recovery will be a success. Read more about that here.
The only purpose of this trip was to have dinner at the hotel.
Las Vegas, New Mexico grew out of the needs of the Santa Fe Trail and when that faded, it grew because of the Santa Fe Railroad. That's where this hotel comes into history. It was the first trackside Harvey House hotel, built in 1898, and it set the standard for all the rest. But, with the end of the war and the rerouting of the railroad away from Raton Pass, the town faded and the hotel closed.
New Mexico
Las Vegas, New Mexico
There are two historic parts of this town (you could really think of it as being two towns). The original town is west of the river, and that's the part connected to the Santa Fe Trail.
You'll find the Hotel Castaņeda on the east side of the river, right next to the tracks. In fact, the impressive front of the hotel faces the tracks; not the street.
Several years ago--when I first saw this old hotel--it looked as if the roof were about to fall in, and that would have been the end. But, with a great deal of work, it has been saved.
The restoration is not complete, but rooms are available, and the restaurant will soon be open, too.
The old photographs show just how accurate and how complete the restoration has been.
Of course, this is a time of COVID-19, and this hotel has strict safety measures in place, including hand sanitizer stations and a requirement that masks be worn at all times in public areas.
I stayed in the Fox room. You enter into the sitting room (which does also have a smaller bed, not needed for my stay), and then another door takes you into the bedroom. Everything about it is first rate.
That's the large kitchen on the left (below) and the dining room that is not yet ready to be opened to the public.
For now, tables are outdoors and they are well-spaced for safety. The backside of the menu lists the safety requirements that all guests need to follow.
It's a limited menu (for now), but even so, there's a wide range to select from. I don't think you could go wrong even if you just threw a dart at the menu. I'm lucky to be their first dining customer after the re-opening. It was all outstanding.
The evening sun setting over the Castaņeda Hotel.
