Palacio De Marquesa — Hotel in Taos

When we arrived we were greeted by the innkeeper. Checkin was quick. We were told that he lost his assistant so breakfast the next day will be at the sister property, El Monte Sagrado. It’s a short drive or 10ish minute walk. We chose to walk but, be careful as you may run into dogs running loose on the street, as we did. Three of them barked a lot at us but we kept moving and they lost interest. Another couple walking opposite to us was picking up rocks just in case. This is a residential neighborhood. ||The breakfast voucher for El Monte Sagrado was $30 per person so my wife and I each had $19 chilliquilles and $6 coffee After tax and tip we just came in under the $60 voucher limit. ||The second and third mornings the innkeeper would provide breakfast on property. Offerings were supermarket bagels with packaged cream cheese, unremarkable pastries, OJ, fruit and what seemed like day old frittata. No chef prepared breakfast even though they have a fully equipped restaurant kitchen. ||Our room was “the Illumnator”. Yes, the “I” is missing from the plaque. Courtyard is tranquil but seems unkept. Letters missing from plaques on our and neighbors room. Fountain in the courtyard is planted with vegetation vs letting the water run. Weeds too. Lots of leaves on our doormat everyday. Just not very inviting. Don’t see why they couldn’t use a leaf blower to cleanup a little?||As to our room, we found water pressure weak. Screen door didn’t close. Main door was weak and could easily have been broken into in spite of oddly placed dead bolts. The Roman shades on the door allowed an angle to view the bed by someone looking in. The innkeeper said he lives on site but I have no idea if there was anyone patrolling the property. ||There are two sinks and a large shower. ||A very loud standalone AC unit is next to the bed. One of those unit that has a big tube running to a window so difficult to move it. Earplugs are required to get to sleep. ||Glasses and cups not wrapped, just washed and not very well. ||Oddly the room has a four poster frame, why? It has the unique effect of blocking the middle of the TV if you’re relaxing on the right hand side of the bed. Also the modern furniture conflicts with the southwestern theme. Very odd chrome/silvery metal chairs and 60s white pedestal table. Weird. ||The b&b is very close to downtown but requires walking on a road with very little sidewalk. Not a showstopper but might be an issue for some. ||I don’t know why the reviews are so high. There’s no chef serving wonderful breakfasts as in previous years and the property just doesn’t live up to the hype, our room especially. I would book the El Monte Sagrado if we...

After reading other reviews, I had high hopes that the Palacio de Marquesa would be a highlight of our recent road trip through northern New Mexico. While it does have many charming fine points in terms of updated design and kind staff, it was a bit of a disappointment overall, given the cost of the room v. the quality of our stay. It has an intimate boutique feel, with only a handful of rooms in a restored, traditional-Southwestern building. But the property itself is in need of tending. The courtyard, which is lovely in concept, looks as though it hasn’t been weeded all season, and guests need to wipe off tables and chairs themselves to enjoy the outdoor space. Likewise, the rooms are well designed and attractive but in need of service. For instance, each room has a portable AC unit that vents through the main window. Instead of having two shades at each pane (one to come down atop the large vent tube and another for the rest of the window), there is instead a single shade which slants at a cockeyed diagonal starting about a foot from the bottom, thus letting in substantial morning light. The shades at the doors do the same, as they hang out by a couple of inches, so sunshine beams in and privacy is a bit compromised. There were other small things that made us question attention to detail as well — old light switches installed upside down, a too-long toilet chain that has to be jiggled with care to make the stopper flange engage, a screen door that’s installed at an angle so it scrapes the pavers and doesn’t open fully, etc. Breakfast is in a communal dining space, bed-and-breakfast style, but the food options were limited and the same daily (quiche, bagels, yogurt, granola, coffee, juices). Still, it’s an inviting space, and hosts Luke and Sam do all they can to offer warm hospitality through all parts of the stay. That said, they appear to be the only two in charge of managing the entire property, which is likely overwhelming for them and underwhelming for guests. For instance, at that price point, guests shouldn’t have to seek out housekeeping service during stays of more than one night. It’s provided with prompt, friendly courtesy upon request, but it’s a bit of a given that customers probably want fresh towels and/or emptied trash when there for more than a day, preferably without having to seek it out. On the flip side, the hotel shares amenities with a sister property (saltwater pool, billiards, etc.) and offers shuttle service around Taos, which is quite helpful. Still, Heritage Hotels and Resorts would be well served to hire additional employees and help this property live up to its...

We highly recommend this Taos gem. It is a short walk from the Taos Plaza and conveniently located near the Taos Pueblo, Millicent Rogers Museum of Art (a must-visit), and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. We had three really lovely nights at the Palacio Marquesa in May 2024 and look forward to returning||The 8 rooms at his better-than-anticipated B & B are named and decorated for the eight women who left their artistic mark on the area. We originally reserved the ICON room, named for Georgia O’Keefe. Upon check-in, we were upgraded to the ROMANTIC room, named after the painter Doroty Brett. It was a large, well-appointed room with one of the most comfortable hotel beds we’ve had, complete with high-quality linens. The generous-sized bathroom has a huge walk-in marble shower and all the amenities one could require.||We arrived well before check-in time, and Pamela graciously welcomed us and stowed our luggage so we could explore the area.||The real standout of our stay was Chef Nicholas, who could truly be at the helm of a Michelin-starred kitchen anywhere in the world! As other reviewers have commented, his gourmet breakfast buffet was outstanding.||Each morning, the dining room was filled with the scent of homemade croissants (two varieties, almond, and chocolate!) right out of the oven, homemade granola (which became my favorite afternoon snack), cereals, fresh berries, yogurts, just squeezed juices, a unique frittata each day, and a local Indigenous dish. During our stay, we tried the hand-ground blue corn “atole.” Chef Nicholas prepared this simple yet satisfying porridge with a touch of local honey and a smidge of cinnamon, and at his direction, I topped it with a spoon of cream- amazing!||He also suggested we visit Chokola, the café and chocolate shop off the plaza's side street. We would not have stumbled upon this ourselves if he hadn’t, and we are so glad he did. The shop specializes in ethically sourced “bean-to-bar” award-winning chocolates. He also provided us with suggestions for local restaurants. However, we hope he expands the dining at Palacio Marques beyond his gourmet breakfasts. We sincerely believe he could make it a European-style destination...