Bless the ten guys who bought the frumpy old dude ranch, knocked it flat, and built the luxurious Encantado, a sister-resort to Napa’s famous Auberge du Soleil. Located in Tesuque, New Mexico, 10 minutes from Santa Fe’s Historic Plaza, Encantado is all about Southwestern chic but without the rash of hideous décorating that has ruined much of Santé Fe – i.e., antler chandeliers, wagon wheels, and country- western torture.
The location alone out-grandstands everything else about Encantado. The magnificent 59-acre setting captures the mystery with glorious views of the Rio Grande Valley and the Sangre De Christo and Jamez mountains. Just ask the guests. Evenings they’ll be on the terrace, margaritas in hand, watching the flaming sunset.
THE ATMOSPHERE: Wear jeans and bring your Stetson. The pretentious, put-your-feet-up- comfortable ranch has an amiable bustle, but all is low-key and accommodating, staff included. The strategy for winning guests over (and over) is deceptively simple: lure them with old-fashioned hospitality, give them fine dining, and pamper them in the 10,000 square-foot spa.
ONLY AT ENCANTADO: Design rules here courtesy of two of the world’s most sought-after firms: AvroKo for the public spaces and Wilson Associates for the private. AvroKo created Public and other cool New York restaurants. (Not every restaurant, let alone restroom, wins a James Beard Award, but Public won both.)
Inspired by Native American spirituality, Mission-style architecture, and sacred ceremonies, AvroKO dressed the elegant restaurant, Terra, in dark walnut with dividing walls of rammed earth, then lit it with 16 revolutionary fixtures of blackened steel and glass that seem to preside over the room. “Lighting is so important to us,” says Greg Bradshaw, principal. “The bulbs in these fixtures light the restaurant like church candles.” Indeed. That they create an exotic ambiance suggests something magical and unexpected each night. AvroKo’s whiz- kids also designed the hip lounge and bar which they outfitted with dreamy, sculptural lights – a long line of inexpensive incandescent bulbs, dropped from a cord, that somehow looked like a million dollars while the hand-blown shades reminded me of Venetian glass.
ACCOMODATIONS: Dallas’ internationally acclaimed Dallas design firm, Wilson Associates, blended high and risky aspirations in the 56 casitas and 9 suites. Guests needn’t forsake city slicker amenities (plasma TV, DVD player, and high-speed internet), yet the rooms and their original artworks are rooted in a sense of place. That’s because, says the design director Jim Rimelspach, “Local iron workers fabricated the fireplace screens and curtain rods, and everything else was handmade, including the rugs – woven to resemble Indian blanket designs – and the Pueblo drums that double as tables. The firm also commissioned titantic bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, down pillows, dark stained bamboo plank flooring, leather headboards, fluffy duvets, all-cotton sheets, and heavy linen blackout drapes. Still, I was comforted most by my enormous private balcony and the glow of my beehive-shaped kiva wood-burning fireplace.
THE FOOD: I enjoyed one of the best dinners of my life at Terre, where Chef Charles Dale features his “Modern Rustic” cuisine, a blend of Spanish, European and indigenous influences. I arrived the day Esquire magazine listed Terra (its doors barely open), among its Best New Restaurants for 2008. Naturally, we celebrated. Chef Dale poured Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2004 and whipped up wild-mushroom risotto, tuna bordelaise, and a dessert of banana beignets and macadamia brittle ice cream. Already, TERRE is a word-of-mouth restaurant, shared by initiates like a secret handshake. Local residents come for imaginative food that compliments the cinematic big sky views, and the New World wines that deserve a standing ovation.
REFRESH, RELIEVE, REVITALIZE IN THE SPA: On arrival head immediately to the spa, whose stress cures will banish the rigors of the road. There are 35 treatments, to be exact, including innovative offerings for men. My favorite was the 90-minute Enchanted Facial which includes a soothing hand and scalp massage. Wrapped cocoon like in flannel sheets and a cashmere blanket, I fell into a deep sleep as facialist April Fair applied her ritual of 25-step cleansing and moisturizing steps. When I awakened, two hands gently kneaded and rubbed my feet with peppermint foot balm. As I climbed off the table, I was smiling. (I suspect the spa will do the same for you.)
DON’T LEAVE TOWN WITHOUT: Seeing the Railroad District. Hip, happening and newly renovated, the train depot is home to a 10-acre park where galleries of contemporary and avant guarde art are springing up and old warehouses are being reborn as design studios, vintage stores, antique shops, and hip eateries. At the farmers’ market you can shop while a string quartet plays Vivaldi. The supply of great showrooms includes Moss Outdoor, (www.mossoutdoor.com) with its patio and garden furnishings, and the two Cielo stores specializing in bedding and tabletop, (www.cielohome.com). For fans of Asian art and furnishings, visit the gigantic Shibue , (www.shibui.com) with its well-edited selection of Far Eastern treasures.
WHO YOU’LL MEET: Encantado is the stomping ground of Robert Redford, Ali McGraw, and Robert Duvall, so brace yourself, and there are honeymooners and anniversary celebrants, a casual young crowds hanging out in the bar, and big-name locals dropping in to make their own fun in Pinon, the private dining room.
WHAT ELSE? Get fit, of course. During my stay I took several early morning walks on the property and swam in the pool. I even did a weight training circuit in the gym. To the delight of dachshund-toting travelers, Encantado is pet-friendly, and Spot gets his very own bowl and a bed made of recycled (400-count) guest linens.
Having no sense of direction, I happily let the resort’s drivers take me everywhere – to Sante Fe, opera, farmer’s market – in the house fleet of Mercedes Benz SUV’s . There’s also a SL550 for suite dwellers. In Santa Fe, there’s a private concierge lounge where you can leave shopping bags, watch TV, and sip a cappuccino. In short, this resort is ahead of the curve and will take care of all the details. You will more than relax at Encantado; you will be encantado, which, as perhaps you’ve guessed, is Spanish for enchanted.
