Artist or Writer Retreat - Santa Fe

• character, style, mountains

  character, style, mountains

  • Guest David B.
  • Date of stay 08/01/12
  • Review Submitted 08/08/12
  Great part of the country, beautiful home, welcoming dog, wonderful spirit in the land. This is the real thing as is Jean, the owner of the property. Thanks, DAvid

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• Lovely Guest Home

  Lovely Guest Home

  • Guest Charles
  • Date of stay 05/05/12
  • Review Submitted 06/12/12
  Stayed one week here, relaxing & exploring/birding the area. The guest house is spotless, fully equipped and very comfy. Nice bathroom, great shower, good fireplace with plenty of firewood on the porch, comfy sofa, plenty of books and magazines. Wonderful front porch. Lamy is remote, yet not remote. You have to be going there to go there. Friendly female German Shepherd roams the entire property of two houses plus this rental guest house. Very safe, secure compound. Nice restaurant and saloon across the street, which appears to be the only retail establishment in Lamy. Fun watching Amtrak stopping every noon at the small Lamy Depot. Only downside (for unsteady people) are the rather steep brick steps from parking up to the front porch, with no handrail to hold on to. Highly recommended if you fancy this type of getaway.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Owner response: Charles thank you so much for your very thoughtful review. The railing had never crossed my mind but I am working now to install one. Thank you.

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• Relaxing Retreat

  Relaxing Retreat

  • Guest Miriam
  • Date of stay 08/12/11
  • Review Submitted 10/08/11
  After driving across the country from New York, I was so pleased to arrive at Nxai's Place. The door was unlocked and I was able to bring my luggage up immediately and settle right in. The house was clean and airy, and the property was beautiful. The photos on the listing did not do it justice. Even though there are two other houses in the compound, there are enough trees and vegetation so it feels very private. I spent the first week at the house myself; the owner's friendly German Shepherd, Bella, came by every morning for a belly-rub. Although I did get out to hike, this house invites laziness. The lanai is comfortable, and I spent many hours out there reading, writing postcards, watching the hummingbirds at the feeder, and just appreciating the quiet of the place. There is an entire wall of interesting books by the fireplace, which occupied my evenings. When my husband arrived, he was as pleased as I with the house. We ate breakfast every morning at the table by the big bay window overlooking the flowers in the garden. There is excellent hiking, affording wonderful views, just across rt. 285 in the Galisteo Basin Preserve, and Santa Fe is just twenty minutes away. A gas station/mini-mart is only about ten minutes north. For those of you with children, I noticed a fun selection of toys and games tucked away in a basket in the corner. My husband enjoyed listening to the CD's in the house, and there's a nice selection of DVD's, as well. We experienced no problems. We were very happy during our two weeks here, and would definitely stay here again.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+.

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• Lamy/Santa Fe, NM guesthouse

  Lamy/Santa Fe, NM guesthouse

  • Guest Vance
  • Date of stay 08/04/11
  • Review Submitted 09/11/11
  My wife and I were delighted from moment we arrived at this guesthouse called Nxai's Place in Lamy, NM. We were greeted by Bella the friendly dog who to our amusement and pleasure came by on other days to visit when we were enjoying the lovely patio and beautiful landscaping. When we stepped into the guesthouse we were amazed at how charming it was. The high ceilings with open beams and the large living area give such a feeling of spaciousness while the kitchen had everything we needed. On that first night, we were lucky to have a wonderful thunder/ lightning shower which only added to the romantic atmosphere. There is plenty of privacy and space around the guesthouse and it was easy to be ourselves. During our stay we made several trips into nearby Santa Fe and found Lamy to be conveniently located to many other areas of interest as well. Lamy itself is a picturesque village near the train station and in the nearby El Dorado area we found a large grocery store and enjoyed driving around to look at all the lovely homes. During our stay the landlady was away while traveling but she made sure everything was in order for us including a list of phone numbers should we have needed any help. During our visit, we had the great pleasure to meet and visit with her friends who were staying in the main house. These are all really good people with great attitudes. We sure hope to return to this place. It has great character and is far more enchanting than any 5 start hotel! It was a main highlight of our trip.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+.

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• A truly superb retreat

  A truly superb retreat

  • Guest Matt
  • Date of stay 05/22/11
  • Review Submitted 05/30/11
  We stayed for 3 nights, and cannot wait to return. The home is perfectly appointed, very comfortable, and very private. Owner was very helpful and hospitable. Wonderful bed, fantastic shower, beautiful kitchen, superb library of books and DVDs. We happily stayed put for most of our stay, but driving to Santa Fe takes only 15 minutes. Very grateful to have found this place.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway.

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• Beautiful retreat in amazing Lamy

  Beautiful retreat in amazing Lamy

  • Guest Alejandra
  • Date of stay 05/17/11
  • Review Submitted 05/24/11
  My partner and I drove 1,400 hundred miles from Austin TX before we got to Lamy. The drive was definitely worthwhile! This is a beautiful house surrounded by Aspens (trees) that swing their leaves producing the most soothing sounds to sleep, read, cook, write, or just sit around to. The decoration is exquisite, and it will proof difficult for anyone sensitive to aesthetics and space to leave the house at all! The location is convenient to anyone traveling around NM, even those that want to be close to Santa Fe will be happy. We had our own piece of the desert while only half an hour (of gorgeous driving) from museums, plazas, sanctuaries and shops. Jean is a wonderful host and fascinating human being. We also enjoyed the wonderful presence of her granddaughter Mina, her parents Mark and Ahdina, and Bella, their beautiful dog. Despite them living a few steps from the house we never felt lack of privacy or need for more space and we truly appreciated their efforts to makes us feel at home. We are already dreaming of our next trip to Lamy, planning another retreat in this beautiful house! Amelia and Alejandra

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, people with disabilities, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+.

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• Sheri & Mandala & Robbie too

  Sheri & Mandala & Robbie too

  • Guest Sheri & Mandala & Robbie too
  • Date of stay 01/30/11
  • Review Submitted 02/11/11
  This place is amazing. I agree I can't add much to what has already been said but I can add that I live a high stress life and the moment I arrived on this property not only did my family and I feel at home but I started to relax. Deeply relax. I have stayed in many places throughout my 20 year history with Santa Fe and this one is the best. There is nothing that the family won't do to assist your stay without infringing on your privacy. It is lovely, calming, comfy and unique. The space is open, warm and our daughter loved the cozy little bed by the fireplace. Enjoy and relax. There will not be another place in Santa Fe or New Mexico that will make you feel like you are on vacation and well-taken care of at the same time.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, families with young children, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

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• Fantastic!

  Fantastic!

  • Guest Paul & Marilyn
  • Date of stay 09/10/10
  • Review Submitted 09/22/10
  Our ten-day stay followed the visitors from Holland and we can only echo their comments about this lovely place in Lamy--which is very convenient to Santa Fe but with a superb setting in the countryside. We loved the house's architecture including the portal with tables and chairs to enjoy the outdoors. The owners are gracious and welcoming and have provided many little extras that enhance the experience there. We enjoyed cooking in, but we also visited restaurants including Harry's Road House on the way to Santa Fe, Canelas in Pecos, Milagro 139 in Santa Fe and the lounges at La Fonda (for music) and the Inn at Loretto in Santa Fe (great Happy Hour). We also enjoyed half-day trips to the wine country and the Pecos River canyon, both nearby. We will definitely be back!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, romantic getaway.

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• Lamy's pearl

  Lamy's pearl

  • Guest Men & Fren
  • Date of stay 08/23/10
  • Review Submitted 09/17/10
  We never heard of Lamy before we decided to spend our holiday in New Mexico. So, to say that expectations were high, would be an exaggeration. Nevertheless Lamy has more to offer than meets the eye. There is: the whistle of the arriving and departing trains (twice a day); the station with some waiting travelers (twice a day); the Lamy Railroad & History museum (open on request only), the Lamy railroad café in an 1950 dining car that serves excellent food during lunch and dinner (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday), blue sky and warmth (every day) and there is – except for the wind in the trees – that great silence (all day) that travelers, who look for peace and quiet, long for. And for them there is the pearl of Lamy: Nxai’s place. We were intrigued by a guesthouse that is advertised as an ‘writer or artist retreat’ and thought the photos were appealing, so we booked it as a base for our exploration of New Mexico. Nevertheless we were stunned when we arrived. The house, porch and garden are spacious. The interior warm is and welcoming (the same goes for the owner of the house for that matter). Nxai’place is by far the most characteristic holiday rental we ever had. We fell in love with the house the moment we entered. The house is situated on a slightly elevated plot on the far end of a private parking lot. To the right is the house of the owner, to the left the house of her daughter, son in law and granddaughter. Just for a moment we feared for our privacy. Without reason as it turned out. The owner is a very sensitive guardian of the wellbeing of her guests and she really did everything she could to ensure that we would feel at home. And we did. Not in the least because the warm welcome of the whole family at arrival, was virtually extended throughout our 17 day stay in Nxai’s place. If you look for tranquil surroundings, and a good base to explore New Mexico this might the place your looking for. You will find the most attractive destinations – and there are many in New Mexico – within a daytrip range. Santa Fe is only a 20 minutes drive. You’ll find wonderful people too. After being back in Holland for a week, we are absolutely sure that we will never forget Lamy, Nxai’s place and it’s people and will always remember it as a warm temporary home.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+.

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• Perfect

  Perfect

  • Guest Sally
  • Date of stay 08/07/10
  • Review Submitted 08/17/10
  It is difficult to add to what the other reviewers have said here -- and rare to find a place on which all reviewers agree. But I must add my voice to the chorus of praise for this spot, near Santa Fe and a million miles away. I've been vacationing in New Mexico at least annually for seven years and have stayed in just about every type of accommodation available, from cut-rate motel to lavish private home (as a house- and dog-sitter), all over the state. I know I will return to this lovely and peaceful place, close to conveniences and, much more important to me, close to excellent recreational and cultural resources. There is always something else to discover about New Mexico, and on this trip, thanks to the proximity of this guest house and to Jean's recommendations, I visited the Pecos NHP and the Glorieta Pass Battlefield. Both wonderful, as was a "back roads" drive from Lamy through Galisteo to Cerrillos, where I hiked among the abandoned mines. Galisteo is so pretty that I literally had to pull off the road and catch my breath (which, I admit, is how I feel about an awful lot of New Mexico). The furthest afield I traveled was Bandelier, and from Lamy it was easy to get there, do a 13-mile hike, and get back in time for a nap on the portal before dinner. I cooked for myself -- all the pots and pans and utensils you need are here, and I got the distinct feeling that I could have walked over to Jean's house and borrowed a whisk or a cup of sugar -- but I also knew that there were fine alternatives both nearby and in Santa Fe. You don't have to know Jean for long to appreciate her innate graciousness, which was evident in a hundred ways, including her thoughtfulness in leaving a bottle of wine, some cheese, and a sleeve of crackers for me on the first night. The pictures do the place justice -- it honestly is that pretty...and that BIG. When I walked in to the living room I felt I could be trailing my ten best friends and we wouldn't be crowded. There are some stunning photographs on the walls and the artwork was a welcome change from the usual Kokopelli-inspired designs of the typical New Mexico guest house (not that there is anything wrong with Kokopelli and shelves of nothing but Tony Hillerman books, but this was really a nice change). It was all simply lovely and very comfortable. You will have no regrets if you stay here. I just hope you don't beat me to my next booking!

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$135/night (3 night minimum) .. $750/week .. $1750/month  Year Round
Extra utility charges for rentals from Oct-April ($50 per week).  If warm and not
used in Oct, then charge will not apply.  $50.00 Cleaning fee

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.