Holiday wrap: Businesses in Taos, Santa Fe report bustling holiday season
People walk last week along San Francisco Street.
As anyone who has tried to book lodging or a restaurant table this week knows, Santa Fe and Taos are packed with visitors, which many interpret as a sign of a continued economic recovery, decent skiing conditions and the enduring allure of Northern New Mexico as a destination for the Christmas through New Year’s holidays.
Hoteliers and restaurateurs say business has been booming since Christmas — even longer in some cases — and they attribute that to more than just perfumed winter air from piñon-fueled fireplaces and the glow of farolitos. Consumer confidence appears to be up.
“The word out there is that business in general is sort of optimistic about the coming year, and not just here. I’m talking about the U.S.,” said Paul Margetson, general manager of Hotel Santa Fe, The Hacienda & Spa. “When I talk to out-of-towners, they are encouraged.”
Randy Randall, director of Tourism Santa Fe, the city’s tourism bureau, said all reports he has seen show that Santa Fe, along with Taos, are performing better than other New Mexico tourist destinations.
“I think that’s because we do rely on the overall national economy more than we do New Mexico’s economy,” he said.
The uptick in visitation isn’t just showing up with the influx of holiday travelers.
A year-end report by the tourism bureau states that lodgers tax revenue is up more than 6 percent and overall bookings for groups has grown by 8 percent.
In addition, a New Mexico Hospitality Association report says occupancy rates in downtown Santa Fe through November increased to 72.7 percent this year from 71.1 percent last year. During the same 11-month period, room rates grew by about $5 a night.
Taos shows even stronger growth, albeit from a lower base. Occupancy rates through November climbed from last year’s 56.3 percent to 62.8 percent this year. Average room rates shot up to $104.18 from $95.73.
“They had a particularly bad year last year,” Randall said, “but they’re seeing strong recovery, which is great.”
Mary Lou Sahd, a manager at Hotel La Fonda de Taos, confirmed that business has continued to improve since the Great Recession. The 25-room hotel on the town’s plaza sold out for the holidays, which she said is fairly typical.
“We do have two rooms that opened up here,” she said Friday, “but we’ll sell them by tonight again.”
While 74 of 83 runs are open at Ski Santa Fe and rain on Dec. 22 dampened the snow base, Taos Ski Valley picked up 31 inches from the latest series of winter storms, according to columnist Daniel Gibson. The Taos resort will ring in the new year with a torchlight parade and fireworks.
Sahd said the Taos Ski Valley, which has a 64-inch base, is a major tourist magnet. “I’m looking out on the plaza right now, and [parking] doesn’t look real bad right now,” she said about 2 p.m. Friday, “but, of course, everyone is still up on the mountain skiing.”
Restaurants in Taos that are popular with tourists also reported a bustling holiday season.
“We’re so busy I really don’t actually have time to talk because I’m trying to confirm my reservations for tonight,” said a woman who answered the telephone at the Love Apple. “I apologize. I don’t have time for that at this time. Happy New Year,” she said before ending the call.
In downtown Santa Fe, Miguel Villalpando, general manager at La Boca and Taberna restaurants, said traffic is “definitely” up this year. While the holidays are always a busy time, he said customers also are spending more.
“It just feels like there’s more confidence out in the air with people and their spending,” he said. “They’re coming in and instead of getting two glasses of wine, they’ll get a bottle of wine.”
Villalpando said La Boca is always booked for the holidays but that reservations filled up earlier this year. “We’ve been booked since Monday,” he said Friday.
Coffee joints and other shops have had long lines, and the Santa Fe Plaza area has been teeming this week, which has made the parking challenge seem like a peak week in summer.
“I’ve been driving around this week, and it’s really rare that I see a New Mexico [license] plate out there,” Villalpando said, with some exaggeration. “I’ve just been seeing a lot of Texas and Oklahoma plates.”
All of this pleases Randall, the tourism director. “I’m glad that people are having trouble finding reservations for dinner and for hotel rooms,” he said. “That’s great news.”
Sandra Vacca, assistant general manager at Vanessie, said the entire year has been great for the restaurant and piano bar on the west side of Santa Fe’s downtown.
“The last half of December has been busy every night,” she said. “We have a big New Year’s Eve party, and we’re sold out.”
Vacca was forced to cut the interview short Friday to answer another call.
The Inn at Vanessie, next to the restaurant, is full of guests, she said. “We’re sold out there as well, and I must run.”
The Santa Fe New Mexican is a sister-paper of The Taos News. Contact Daniel J. Chacón at 505-986-3089 or dchacon@sfnewmexican.com. Follow him on Twitter @danieljchacon.
