Mabel Dodge Luhan House — Hotel in Taos

There may be no more notable place to stay in Taos than the Mabel Lodge Luhan House which has hosted many famous folk in its storied history. That's because its longtime owner, a former New York City heiress, was the controversial Taos hostess |who drew a cast of artistic all-stars as her guests, from Greta Garbo to Georgia O'Keefe to Ansel Adams to Carl Jung.|This place even survived, after Mabel's death, a period when it was owned by Dennis Hopper who wrote the screenplay for "Easy Rider" in one of its rooms. Now, the Mabel Dodge Luhan House is a combo bed & breakfast and busy conference center that hosts many artistic seminars.|This place oozes history but what is it like as a guest today? We spent two nights in a spacious bedroom that is named for poet Robinson Jeffers and were pleased by these homey, if basic accommodations. No TV's, no alarm clocks or other electronic devices intrude here. The bathroom was tiny, almost like being on a train, but with a surprisingly strong shower. At night, the quiet was broken only by an occasional howl of coyotes on the adjacent Indian reservation.|Breakfasts for guests are stellar, cooked in the adjacent spacious kitchen, with many intriguing main course items, plenty of baked goodies, real oatmeal and fresh fruit. To eat such a morning repast on the adjacent patio was a delightful start to a September day of touring Taos.|The Mabel Dodge Luhan House could have merited four stars, but there are some definite drawbacks besides the basic accommodations. The parking lot is a good distance downhill from the lodge building, most of it covered by flagstones and cobblestones that turn wheeled suitcase transit into a quasi-Olympic event. Not fun, especially for senior travelers.|Returning to the lodge after dinner in downtown Taos provided another surprise. A speaker event adjacent to the parking lot meant that returning guests found the entire parking lot packed with other vehicles, necessitating a scramble to find anything approximating a vacant spot. Perhaps in the future some spots in the parking lot could always be reserved for lodge guests.|One sweet positive about the Mabel Dodge Luhan House also merits mention. The small office boasts a gift shop that includes books of history about this place and its owner as wells as books written by most of its illustrious guests. We picked up a copy of Willa Cather's "Death Comes to the Archbishop," a historical novel about New Mexico that we had been intending to purchase for some time. It seemed to mean more when it was bought at a place where the author had...

I have been coming to Taos to celebrate Thanksgiving for many years now and this past Thanksgiving I stayed at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in their Solarium room; hands down one of the best, if not downright the most magical B&B room in Taos. Situated at the top of Mabel's house, it is surround by floor to ceiling glass windows providing 360 degree views of Taos and the Pueblo Lands. With the leaves off the cottonwood trees, I could see the mountainous horizon line where sunrise and sunset colors put on a show most every day. At night, you can lay in bed and look at the stars - so bright they popped out of the inky-black velvet sky. Breakfast was always fresh and delicious - most especially the home-made cheese enchiladas. It is a very easy and enjoyable walk into town. I spent the earlier part of my days visiting museums and shops and breakfast was such that a cup of coffee on the plaza sufficed for lunch. I found myself back in the Solarium for the remainder of the afternoon, simply to enjoy the peace, serenity, solitude, the view, but most especially, the light. Taos is famous for the quality of the sunlight, especially in the late fall and winter months, and in the Solarium, you get it in spades. When the light was gone, it was easy to walk back into town for dinner. The Mabel Dodge Luhan House is a retreat, so there are no TV's in any of the rooms, however, their wireless is good enough that my laptop worked with no problem and I could lay in bed and stream Netflix on my tablet. The only issue was my age in regards to the stairs. There are 33 steps up to the Solarium. The first set is via a small, narrow staircase that takes a 45 degree turn halfway up at the spot where you have to duck your head. The remaining 15 steps are via what I would call a ships ladder going up at probably a 60° angle. The individual steps/treads are certainly big enough, but I am in my late 60's and found it easier and safer (for me) to come back down the stairs backwards. Up or Down, it is one suitcase, or bag, at a time, but absolutely well worth the effort. Be aware that this is an old house. The floors creek, and you can hear very clearly if someone is in the room below (Tony's Room) and vice versa. Overall, a wonderful place to stay. The staff are warm and personable and my only regret was that it didn't snow. ...

I needed a break from my routine and could only spend one night away. Magic upon magic upon magic....the quiet of the MDLH took me over almost instantly. All three concierges (on the phone and in person) that I interacted with couldn't have been lovelier.

This was to be my second stay at the MDLH. The first time I stayed there it was wintertime...very romantic and picturesque. I was in the Frieda Lawrence room on that trip and found it charming. This time, I stayed in the Frank Waters room. It was clean, toasty, and very well insulated for sound. The bed fit me perfectly. The view of the mountain was spectacular. I was deeply grateful for the absence of televisions, computers, digital clocks, and noisy heaters. The guestbook provided in the room underlined the emphasis on writing versus texting.

The day I checked in, there was a group assembling for a workshop, all of whom were very engaging. Clearly, the artistic background of the property draws artistic guests. The next morning I saw that the breakfast buffet was as lavish as promised. I had special dietary requirements and the chef was so accommodating. The whole staff was beyond pleasant. When I bemoaned the fact that I couldn't sample the freshly baked cookies, the chef joked that they weren't very good anyway. By a stroke of luck, I sat with another guest who was celebrating her birthday and we got along like a house on fire! After breakfast, I toured the many lounging areas and looked at the books and other memorabilia. I could've stayed there all day. It was a little too windy to spend much time on the grounds, though there were many appealing spots to relax.

It's true what numerous guests have said: you can feel the energy of the original owners and visitors of the house and it's truly uplifting. I will always stay at the MDLH when in Taos because one night feels like the equivalent of a lengthy retreat. I want to thank the administrators and staff for keeping this place so pure and real. You have clearly put your heart and...