Love the
convenience and hominess of an elegant B&B but the idea of
literally staying in someone's house makes you uncomfortable? Me
too, which is why I love Casa de las
Chimeneas Bed &
Breakfast Inn which puts the emphasis on the “Inn” in its
name with plenty of respect for guests' privacy while still
offering a fantastic communal experience.
Casa de las Chimeneas literally means
“house of chimneys” and every one of the six rooms and two suites
at this bucolic hideaway does, indeed, have a fireplace (most are
flip-switch gas types, but Willow, Blue Room and the Library
Suite have wood-burning versions). All guest rooms have a
mini-refrigerator stocked with complimentary Knudsen and
Blue
Sky organic juices and sodas, lively Southwestern décor
including exposed beam ceilings and hand-painted talavera tile in
every bathroom and original art on the walls””some of it done by
staff members.
Amenities that win the
someone-was-thinking award include humidifiers to help you deal
with the relentlessly dry air in New Mexico and a ski boot dryer
in every closet (Casa de las Chimeneas is only minutes away from
Taos Ski Valley). Nightly turn down includes a carafe of water
charmingly spiked with a citrus wedge and a grape””just what you
need to stay hydrated during a pre-bed soak in the outdoor hot
tub in the back garden. Guests also have the use of a small but
serviceable fitness center and the Wellness Spa offers a full
range of indulgences (in an on-site treatment room or in guest
rooms) using all natural products from Iris Herbal
(this is New Mexico, after all).
The
personality (or multiple personalities) of the place
really becomes apparent in the details of each room. The Blue
Room is the most feminine with a canopy bed and a soaking tub
while the Rio Grande room is the airiest with not one but two
skylights. Sombraje wows with sheer square footage (more than 500
square feet) and two queen beds and La Sala de Patron (which can
be combined with the Sombraje room to create one massive suite)
features a two person steam shower.
No matter which room you choose, you'll
have a private entrance eliminating the need to traipse through
the Inn's common area to get to and from your room. However, the
homey and comfortable common area is exactly where you'll want to
be at breakfast time when a full, hot, freshly cooked meal is
served featuring dishes like baked French toast, omelets and
homemade fruit frappes along with oatmeal and cold cereals.
Room rates also include what the Inn
describes as a light evening snack which was more than enough to
constitute dinner with homemade serve-yourself offerings like
black bean soup, cornbread and jicama salad. If you want a fuller
meal, an extensive in-room dining menu is available ($70 per
person) and includes more elaborate dishes like
Chateaubriand for two, stuffed pork chops and
New Mexico crab cakes.
In a town where peace and quiet is a
fast-disappearing commodity, the Inn's location””in a residential
neighborhood just a few blocks from bustling downtown shopping
hotspots (a must for anyone in the market for southwestern
treasures from art to jewelry to cowboy boots)””is also
noteworthy. Tucked behind 7' adobe walls, you get the feeling of
coming home every time you drive into the place. That feeling is
enhanced by the lovingly tended flowerbeds and flower pots that
explode with color every spring and attract wild birds who
provide your wake up call.
Casa de las Chimeneas, a member of
Select
Registry Distinguished Inns of North America since the
property opened in 1988, is surprisingly kid friendly too with
plenty of lawn to run around on (with no fear of car traffic
thanks to those 7' walls), a selection of games in the common
room and an accommodating kitchen happy to churn out grilled
cheese and chicken fingers in addition to their more
sophisticated fare. Inn staff will even call up their own trusted
babysitters and arrange for them to come to the Inn so mom and
dad can have an evening out in Taos.
My advice? Come back at
least eight times so you can sleep in each of Casa de la
Chimeneas' comfortable and unique rooms before picking a personal
favorite to call your own.
Rates: $180-$365
Casa de las Chimeneas
5303 NDCBU - 405 Cordoba Road
Taos, New Mexico 87571
Phone: (877) 758-4777
www.visittaos.com
n April of 2006 peripatetic journalist Karen Catchpole left
her job as deputy editor of SHOP Etc. magazine in New
York City and embarked on the Trans-Americas
Journey, a three year, 100,000+ mile working road trip
through North, Central and South America. When she's not
reviewing luxury hotels, resorts, ranches and B&Bs, she can
be found enjoying the nearest campground.
