ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
Plans have been finalized for a multimillion dollar hotel in the heart of Old Town, Albuquerque, N.M., according to Heritage Hotels and Resorts, Inc. The 118-room project will break ground by late fall with completion set for spring, 2016.
The hotel will provide 100 new jobs in Albuquerque. The contemporary boutique property will be a contrast of ancient and modern elements. It will be built adjacent to Hotel Albuquerque and will share Hotel Albuquerque’s pool, ballrooms and chapel.
The hotel will be comprised of five levels with guest rooms designed to extend outdoors onto terraces showcasing majestic views towards the Sandia Mountains and downtown skyline, or the serene views overlooking the gardens and pool terrace below.
The goal is to create a hotel that captures the legacy of New Mexico’s Native American culture and history in a modern and luxurious way.
“We are blending ancient building techniques from New Mexico Native Americans with modern amenities and designs from the best designers in the world to create a new hotel that will redefine and advance the architectural building style in our state," said Jim Long, CEO, Heritage Hotels & Resorts. "The services, sacred architecture and accommodations at this hotel will embrace the native people’s spirituality, artistic sensibility and oneness with nature."
Hotel Design Details
The hotel will be the first New Mexico property planned by global design firm, Gensler, who drew inspiration from the Anasazi people and the indigenous ruins of Chaco Canyon.
“The design creates an unprecedented architectural aesthetic for New Mexico and the greater Southwest region,” said Adam Gumowski, Design Director at Gensler. “Heritage Hotels & Resorts presented a captivating conceptual vision as a catalyst for the design team."
Specific designs that have been incorporated from the Native American cultures include building the hotel in solar alignment. Ancient masonry techniques have been incorporated into this project. Like the designs of Chaco Canyon this hotel will be constructed so the property’s solar orientation can make the most of the heat in the winter, and the coolness in the summer.
Guest rooms will be deeply recessed to allow for solar gain in winter but protect from the sun in summer. The hotel’s five floors will also be built in a traditional stacked pueblo style with the façade stepping back at the upper floors.
The entrance to the hotel will be designed as a welcome sanctuary greeting guests with soothing sounds, flowing water and warming fires in winter before arriving to the main lobby that will offer a two-story Kiva inspired space. Beyond the lobby, local landscape architect, Mimi Burns, of Dekker Perich Sabatini has designed a landscape said to "reflect the randomness of raindrops touching the earth." She will also design the gardens and landscaped opened areas.
Interiors will be done by Santa Fe-based designer, Kris Lajeskie, and will focus on a merger of ancestral knowledge with contemporary materials, furnishings and art. The color palette for the project will be the natural wool colors used by master weavers of the Navajo reservation.
Future Plans and Additional Amenities
Future plans for the hotel will include a signature restaurant featuring modern Native American cuisine, a luxurious spa, a rooftop restaurant and a rooftop wedding chapel.
Hotel Albuquerque will own the new hotel, which is managed by Heritage Hotels & Resorts. The property was acquired in 1999 by a group of local New Mexican families, led by Jim Long.
Hotel details:
- 118 guest rooms, including 10 luxurious suites.
- Rooftop event terrace to accommodate up to 250 people.
- Conference room facilities to accommodate up to 100 people.
- Signature restaurant to accommodate 150 people.
- Rooftop restaurant and lounge to accommodate up to 250 people.
- A 6,000-square-foot spa and 1,200-square-foot fitness facility.
- Outdoor pool and lounge experience.
