The Spa at Loretto — Local services in Santa Fe

I am giving this place 2 stars, and the only reason it's not lower is because of my friendly massage therapist. My cousin and I decided to take a girls' trip to Santa Fe and chose Loretto for our stay. We rented a room for the night and booked a spa appointment for the following morning.

Our experience began poorly at Luminaria, where the service was unacceptable, and the food did not justify the prices or portion sizes. I had to repeatedly flag down my server just to get water. We spent two and a half frustrating hours there, and by the time we left, we were too fed up to order dessert, fearing we would be stuck waiting another 30-45 minutes. Although we planned to enjoy live music afterward, our dreadful experience at the restaurant meant we had no time for anything but retreating to our room to watch TV, which we could have done at home.

The next morning, we approached the reception desk for breakfast recommendations, hoping for better service. Instead, the gentleman at the desk was rude and dismissive, simply telling us to "grab a pastry." We ended up wandering the plaza until we found a breakfast spot on our own.

When we arrived for our massages, we asked if we would be provided robes or anything to help us unwind before the treatment. The receptionist coldly informed us, "No, we're a boutique spa; just have a seat and wait." We had booked two 55-minute massages with the sage smudge add-on, but it was a total letdown. While my massage therapist herself was great, the room was freezing, and my bed was equally cold. She mentioned she had heated it for 30 minutes beforehand, but it hadn't warmed up at all.

To make matters worse, when I checked out, the receptionist bluntly asked, “Will you be leaving a 20% gratuity?” I was taken aback—how inappropriate! Rather than asking about the quality of the service, her only concern was whether I would leave a set amount. As a business owner in Albuquerque, I would never allow my staff to demand a specific percentage for gratuity based on service.

I will not recommend this place and will definitely not return. Do your research before...

Disappointed by My Spa Experience

I was really looking forward to relaxing at the Spa at Loretto, but sadly, my experience left me feeling disappointed and uncomfortable.

I arrived 35 minutes early for my appointment, expecting to be offered access to the amenities like the pool or jacuzzi, as is common in most spas, but no one mentioned anything. I was taken in earlier than scheduled, which was fine, but the entire service felt rushed.

After my massage, the therapist didn’t invite me to relax or take my time like most spas do. Instead, I felt pressured to get up immediately. While I was changing, she knocked on the door shortly after, which made me feel extremely uncomfortable — almost as if I was being rushed out or even suspected of something. That moment left me feeling disrespected and judged.

Even though I was upset, I still gave a 20% tip out of politeness. But overall, the experience did not meet expectations and left a bad impression. I hope the staff can be more mindful in the future so no other guest feels the...

Stay away from the Spa. One of the worst massages I have ever had. I had the 100 minute Spirit of Heritage massage and barely received 60 minutes of massage. It was a super light mostly hot stone. She asked me if there were any areas that needed extra attention. I replied my feet and legs since I had been doing a lot of hiking. She only spent around 2-3 minutes on each leg and around a minute on each foot.

At the beginning of the massage she asks me if I mind if she puts oil in my hair. I’m thinking oh, there is going to be a nice head massage. Not, she oils up my hair and spends around a minute with a weak head massage.

I have had hundreds of massages over the years and this was one of the worst ones and most expensive that I have ever had.

I can not...