Texans Open Santa Fe Hotel With New Design and Vintage Charm
The El Rey Court offers Southwestern decor and Texan hospitality just off Highway 66.
These ivy-covered white stucco walls cover the exterior of the hotel's pool suites. A Spanish courtyard, the last addition to the hotel in the early 1990s, is on the left. Jay Carroll
These ivy-covered white stucco walls cover the exterior of the hotel's pool suites. A Spanish courtyard, the last addition to the hotel in the early 1990s, is on the left. Jay Carroll
When Jeff Burns first saw El Rey Court eight years ago, he fell in love. At the end of a vacation to Santa Fe, the Austinite and hotelier had planned to stay at an airport hotel before an early morning flight back to Texas. But while he was driving out of town, the sight of a white stucco historic motor inn, built in 1931, just off the original Route 66, stopped him in his tracks.
After settling into room eight, Burns stayed up most of the night, walking the five acres of lush grounds, appreciating the exquisite original bones of each space, and dreaming of all the possibilities for the future of the storied hotel. The next day, he told the owner to call him if he ever wanted to sell the hotel and took a later flight home. Several years went by, and Burns would stop in and stay at the hotel occasionally. One day, as he was reading a trade magazine, he saw a small, nondescript advertisement about a motor inn for sale in Santa Fe. He called the broker immediately and booked a flight to Santa Fe. In the end, the owner wasn’t ready to part with the property, but Burns kept in touch. When he was ready to sell in 2016, two years later, Burns finally had the chance to take on his dream project.
In the hotel’s 82-year history, Burns and his Brooklyn-based partner, Matt Comfort, are only the fourth owners. “It’s an honor to own a piece of history,” Burns says. “I’ve been exploring Santa Fe in a different light recently, and as often as I have been, I seem to uncover something new every visit. As vast and diverse as Texas is, I’ve found the same to be true in the small little town of Santa Fe.”
When he bought the hotel, his first call was to Jay Carroll, and his wife, Alison, whom Burns had met through his long-time friend and hotelier Liz Lambert. Jay, a former creative director for Levi’s who most recently helped Dennis Hopper’s family develop a brand inspired by the actor, led the redesign and rebranding overhaul for the 86-room hotel, with Allison working on the food and beverage programs, especially at the hotel bar, Le Reina. Take a tour of the results of a yearlong process that is a study in modern, Southwestern cool style.
Owner Jeff Burns enlisted the help of Joshua Tree, California-based couple Jay and Allison Carroll to help with the redesign and re-branding of the historic motor court hotel. The original fireplace features a mural by L.A.-based artist John Zabawa, whose work is featured throughout the property.
Photography by Jay Carroll
A Paustian sofa rests under another painting by Zabawa. "Working with local artists and artisans on new elements was a key component of the project," says Carroll. "We want this to be a place where locals and travelers of all ages can congregate, intermix, and share a great experience together."
Photography by Jay Carroll
The courtyard at La Reina is already a popular nook where bar patrons congregate.
Photography by Jay Carroll
The Carrolls spent a year gathering special furniture pieces and art for the unique interior design found in each room.
Photography by Jay Carroll
Weaving studios in Chimayo, New Mexico, made all the textiles for the bed headboards. Most of them were made by the Centinel Chimayo Weavers, which Carroll has collaborated with for a decade. The orange textiles pictured were made by Emelie Anne, a young artist who recently moved to Chimayo.
Photography by Jay Carroll
A Tivoli stereo below artwork by L.A.-based Native American artist Ishi Glinsky.
Photography by Jay Carroll
A West Elm chair and art by Santa Fe-based Field Studies Editions occupy a corner of the lobby.
Photography by Jay Carroll
The signature cocktail at La Reina, Santa Fe's new (and already hopping) watering hole, is a tasty concoction made of hibiscus tea with cinnamon, star anise, Vida Mezcal, Casamigos Reposado, and ancho reyes.
Photography by Jay Carroll
Carroll is a long-time friend of Dennis Hopper's family from working with them to develop the brand, Hopper Goods. The photo on the wall is one that Hopper took at a party he threw while living in Taos, New Mexico, in the early 1970s at the historic Mable Dodge Luhan house, which he called the Mud House. "If only the walls of that house could talk!" Carroll says.
Photography by Jay Carroll
Another painting by John Zabawa hovers over a table in La Reina, the bar. A restaurant concept is in the works.
Photography by Jay Carroll
These ivy-covered white stucco walls cover the exterior of the hotel's pool suites. A Spanish courtyard, the last addition to the hotel in the early 1990s, is on the left.
Jay Carroll
The Pool Bar at the Swim Club is open on weekends and offers a limited number of memberships for locals. The branding and design for the pool were loosely inspired by 1960s French New Wave films.
Photography by Jay Carroll
"I just love the spirit of Santa Fe," Carroll says. "Santa Fe and New Orleans have the most unique fingerprints amongst U.S. cities for me. Between the landscape and its rich history, there's such a power that exists here. You can feel it in the air."
