And while it’s a cliché to call a destination “unique,” since most places offer up something distinctive, New Mexico is alone at the farthest end of the scale. There really is no place quite like it.

It begins with the landscape of rugged mountains, plains and canyons, forests and mesas, in shades of deep browns, reds and greens. In fact, those same colors are a surprising match to the various chili peppers that are an unofficial symbol of the state, and the main ingredient to the mole, pico de gallo and salsa verde (among others) that are found on many a dinner plate here.

Clustered together in the northern half of the state, the cities of Albuquerque (the largest), Santa Fe (the artiest) and Taos (the funkiest) are the perfect embodiments of the New Mexico flavor. Here you’ll find ancient adobe pueblos and Spanish haciendas next to modern architecture. All share a common background and history, and are essentially made up of three distinct cultures—the Native Americans who have inhabited the land for millennia, the Spanish (and later Mexicans) who first arrived in the 16th century, and the American settlers from the 1800s (followed by a steady stream of artists beginning from the turn of last century, captivated by the dramatic light and color in the land and sky).


Encantado Resort, Santa Fe.

The landscape in the area is also a melding—of snow-capped peaks, rose-tinted desert plains and even densely forested mountains, with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (part of the Rocky Mountains) and Rio Grande slicing through from north to south. With so much open land—the sparsely populated state is the fifth largest in size and 36th in population—the terrain is a year-round hit with outdoor enthusiasts, from skiers and snowboarders in the winter near Taos, to river rafters, hikers and mountain bikers the rest of the year.

This combination of cultural offerings and outdoor recreation, all uniquely New Mexican, offers meeting-goers a full range of flavors, both figuratively and literally, along with the kind of affordability you can only find in second- and third-tier destinations. Of course, these cities of New Mexico play second fiddle to no place when it comes to making for the type of meeting or event your attendees will be talking about for a long time to come.

Rail Running

Possibly the hottest news in the area these days is its most modern offering. The popularity of the Rail Runner Express has skyrocketed after the commuter rail recently extended service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. “Rail Runner was an instant success,” says Steve Lewis, a spokesperson for the Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It was set up as a commuter train, but the government entity that runs it is finding it’s popular with tourists, leisure travel [and groups] between the two cities.”

For less than a 90-minute ride from downtown Albuquerque to downtown Santa Fe, your attendees can travel through some of northern New Mexico’s breathtaking landscape and arrive for a day trip in either city. “With a lot of people, their whole conference is in Albuquerque,” says Mary Pat Kloenne, director of sales at the Santa Fe CVB. “But last night, there was a group of 1,000 people who wanted to take the Rail Runner up for dinner on the plaza [in Santa Fe].” Not to be overlooked, the city of Taos is soon to offer shuttle service between the rail station in Santa Fe and downtown Taos.

Albuquerque

The largest city in New Mexico with a population of more than 500,000, Albuquerque is at the crossroads of two major interstates. It’s also home to the state’s biggest airport in the Albuquerque International Sunport, so getting to this commercial hub is as easy as ABQ (no groaning, please). And you’ll be glad you did, with Albuquerque’s long and interesting history, and a burgeoning cultural and arts scene. Besides that, you’ll find a picturesque setting with the Rio Grande flowing through downtown and the nearby Sandia Mountains offering an array of outdoor recreation options.

Though its glory days have passed, an 18-mile stretch of the fabled Route 66 makes its way through the city (now Central Avenue), with vestiges from its heyday as the road west in the neon-signed restaurants and kitschy motels that can still be found along the roadside. The route also rolls through the historic Nob Hill district, home to one of the first centralized shopping areas in the West, and today a popular destination with a number of boutique shops, trendy restaurants and high-end art galleries.

And while Albuquerque has all the benefits of any large, modern city, it also has the advantage of offering groups the kinds of deals found only in smaller market destinations. It’s long been considered an affordable place for meetings, something AAA has agreed with, ranking it as the second most-affordable city in the U.S. But don’t wait too long. Currently undergoing a growth spurt as the sixth-fastest growing city in the country, Albuquerque may eventually be too big to be considered second-tier. Until that day, you’ll appreciate the charm of a distinctively southwestern city with a rich history, yet organized in a way that lets you easily discover its many attractions.


Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum.

“I think people don’t understand our weather, which is one of our major aspects,” says Linda Brown, vice president of convention sales and services at the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We’re 5,000 feet high, so we have four seasons, a very mild summer, but also mild winters, and 310 days of sunshine a year. So a lot of people think of us as a Denver, but we would be a mild Denver. We don’t have traffic jams, and the airport is close to hotels and the convention center, so you can hop in a cab and be at the airport in 10 minutes.”

Brown describes Albuquerque as having four main hubs—downtown, Old Town, the airport area and Uptown—with hotels clustered together within each of these areas. Downtown is where you’ll find the main business district, including the 600,000-square-foot Albuquerque Convention Center. Central Avenue is located here as well, and is at the center of a vibrant nightlife scene—one that’s both easy to navigate and truly walkable. Just to the west is Old Town, which has been at the heart of the city since its founding in 1706, and has the centuries-old adobe buildings to prove it. Now the primary location of the city’s thriving cultural scene, the area is home to seven museums and numerous shops and galleries.

The quadrant around the airport is known for the University of New Mexico’s many facilities, both sports and academic, including the Student Union with 20 meeting rooms and an 11,197-square-foot Grand Ballroom. And the latest addition to the Albuquerque scene is ABQ Uptown, an outdoor shopping mall and dining district that opened in November of 2006.



Hot-air ballooning in Albuquerque.

“They loved it,” says Mona Eskridge, president of Eskridge & Associates, who organized an event in Albuquerque this past March for the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations, a group of around 250. “Usually with this group, I have a couple early arrivals before and a couple after. My numbers were up prior to the show, and then I had a nice size carryover after. We had more attendees than in San Diego, so the numbers were definitely up. As far as air travel, it was very convenient for the attendees.

“It was extremely cost effective as far as overall budget, we came in way under budget,” Eskridge says. “I’d never worked in Albuquerque before. It’s a hidden jewel, not enough planners know about it. It’s exclusive but attainable, and there are a lot of options to do off-property.”

Major Meeting Venues

With the city organized into four main districts, hotels and meetings venues are also found primarily in these areas. Downtown’s main attraction is the Albuquerque Convention Center, which recently upgraded its lighting and audiovisual system, and has the attached 287-room DoubleTree Hotel with 7,587 sq. ft. of meeting space. Across the street is the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, offering 381 rooms and 26,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The biggest news downtown is the summer opening of Andaluz after a $30-million renovation. Formerly the historic La Posada de Albuquerque Hotel, the Andaluz will have 109 guest rooms and 7,346 sq. ft. of meeting space, while offering high-end luxury.


Lobby at Andaluz.

Located in the heart of the Uptown shopping and dining district, the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown recently completed a $20-million renovation. The hotel offers 295 guest rooms and 17,000 sq. ft. of revamped function space, including 12 meeting rooms with built-in A/V screens and wireless Internet. Also recently renovated, the Albuquerque Marriott Hotel has 411 guest rooms and 16,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. And just 15 minutes north of downtown is the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, a secluded property a mile from the main road, and offering 350 guest rooms and 21,650 sq. ft. of meeting space, including 50,000 sq. ft. of outdoor function space.

Unique Venues and Attractions

Albuquerque has a number of interesting and eclectic attractions that also double as venues for group functions, starting with the 650-seat KiMo Theatre, a historic property built in 1927 for touring vaudeville acts and silent films, and located on Central Avenue in downtown—perfect for awards ceremonies. The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Old Town was until recently known as the National Atomic Museum, and ties in New Mexico’s atomic history with nearby Los Alamos. The museum has a total of 30,000 sq. ft. of reception space and can be booked for group tours.



Rafting on the Rio Grande, Santa Fe.

A must-see if your group wants to experience and learn about the area’s native culture, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center offers year-round art and dance demonstrations, as well as featuring the finest art displays from each of New Mexico’s 19 pueblos. The center also includes restaurant/banquet facilities with the Pueblo Harvest Café, for a further taste of Indian culture. And if you can’t make it for the largest ballooning event in the world at the International Balloon Fiesta in October, you can still check out the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum near Balloon Fiesta Park. The museum offers 9,850 sq. ft. of meeting space as well as catering.

Santa Fe

For art lovers, Santa Fe is something of a mecca, worthy of a pilgrimage to a town that celebrates its art and culture like no other. And the city has an opera, symphony, dozens of museums and hundreds of galleries to draw from. It’s no wonder painters, sculptors and photographers have been coming to the area since the turn of last century, including such famed artists as Georgia O’Keeffe.

“We have more than 240 galleries, and are the third largest art city in the U.S. behind New York and L.A.,” says Kloenne, of the Santa Fe CVB. “Santa Fe is a great alternative to those groups who feel uncomfortable going to Las Vegas this year. And we’re a good alternative for those groups who would otherwise go overseas.” In mid-June, American Eagle began offering daily direct flights from Dallas, making it that much easier for attendees to reach the city.

The oldest state capital in the country (established in 1610), and the highest at 7,000 feet, Santa Fe also has plenty of big city sophistication for such a small population (72,000). More than 100 galleries can be found along Canyon Road, while Museum Hill south of downtown has four top-tier museums, including the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of International Folk Art, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. You can also shop the informal Indian Market at the Santa Fe Plaza for jewelry and other arts and crafts.


Presidential Patio at Eldorado Hotel & Spa.

Meeting Venues

The big news in Santa Fe is the unveiling last winter of the new LEED-certified Santa Fe Convention Center, which resembles more of a large hacienda than a typical steel and glass conference center. It offers 72,000 sq. ft. of total space and is operated by the Santa Fe CVB, finally giving them a sizable venue (the previous center was a mere 10,000 sq. ft.). “The convention center is our new pride and joy. We worked for 25 years to get it, and feel all grown up now that we’ve moved here,” says Lewis of the Santa Fe CVB. “It’s a marvelous place, the greenest municipal building in downtown, both appealing and very functional.”

The other significant meetings property in the area is the Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort & Spa at Buffalo Thunder located just 15 minutes outside the city. The convention hotel is above a casino and features 395 guest rooms and suites, and 66,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. With the addition of “Golf” to their name, a highlight of the resort for duffers is the 36-hole Towa Golf Club, designed by Hale Irwin and Bill Phillips. There’s also the 16,000-square-foot, native-themed Wo’ P’in spa, with 11 treatment rooms and numerous spa services, to please your guests. Just outside of town is the Encantado, an Auberge Resort that opened in August 2008 and features 65 casitas and 4,360 sq. ft. of meeting space.


Albuquerque Convention Center.

Unique Venues and Attractions

When a destination is nicknamed “The City Different,” you know there’s bound to be plenty of venues out of the ordinary. And there’s certainly nothing commonplace about the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which features a stunning collection of paintings from the iconic artist, and can accommodate groups up to 250.
Just opened in May is the New Mexico History Museum, which offers a state-of-the-art, interactive exhibition of the state’s history, from its early indigenous people through 400 years of Spanish colonization. Another alternative is the downtown Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, an example of pueblo revival architecture and available for groups up to 350.

Taos

Just up the highway from Santa Fe is the decidedly quirky town of Taos, with a population of 4,700 (heavy on the artists) and no nickname required. While it’s somewhat isolated and not as easy to get to as the other cities, the extra effort pays off handsomely with a charmingly eccentric downtown and main plaza, along with its breathtaking setting surrounded by the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Or as D.H. Lawrence said, “You cannot come to Taos without feeling that here is one of the chosen spots on earth.” Those same mountains are also a lure for skiers and snowboarders in the winter (five alpine resorts are within an hour away), and hikers, rock climbers and mountain bikers in the summer.


Ballroom at El Monte Sagrado.

“Taos is unique. It gives you the flavor of something almost European or exotic, without the expense,” says Jeanne Kitzman, sales and marketing manager for the Taos Convention Center. “We have a central plaza, which is quite authentic. And around it there are lots of little and intriguing properties. If you have a group looking for the Hyatt Regency, we’re not the place. But if you’ve got a group that’s looking for something authentic and interesting, we’re it. We’re the little brother to Santa Fe, but the feeling here is more authentic.”

One of the top sights that should be on any to-see list is the Taos Pueblo, a traditional adobe apartment-like structure that’s been in continuous use as a residence by Native Americans for more than 1,000 years, and is a National Historic Landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town also has more than 50 galleries near the plaza, with a number of high-end restaurants helmed by top chefs.


Suite at Hilton Santa Fe.

Venues and Attractions

The primary venue for meetings and events in town is the Taos Civic Plaza & Convention Center. Located near the plaza in the Taos Historic District, the convention center offers 23,655 sq. ft. of total function space, and is within walking distance from a number of hotels. That would include the historic Hotel La Fonda de Taos on the plaza, with 24 guest rooms and suites, and meeting space for groups up to 70. Another option is the El Monte Sagrado, which offers 84 guest rooms and suites and 7,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and includes the Four Diamond-rated De la Tierra Restaurant. Back to Top

Getting There

Albuquerque International Sunport offers daily direct flights to major destinations such as Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles. Taxis, rental cars, charter buses, limo service and shuttle service are available. Shuttle service is also available to Santa Fe, about an hour from the airport. Back to Top

Not To Be Missed

ALBUQUERQUE

• Historic Old Town
• Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
• National Hispanic Cultural Center
• Nob Hill along Historic Route 66
• Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway

SANTA FE

• The Plaza
• Palace of the Governors
• Museum Hill
• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
• Canyon Road
• New Mexico Museum of Art

TAOS

• Taos Plaza
• Taos Pueblo

Back to Top