DESIGN

KRIS LAJESKIE DESIGN

Award-winning interior designer Kris Lajeskie conceived Hotel Chaco’s interiors using subdued hues inspired by the natural wool variations employed by Navajo weavers. The hotel’s interiors juxtapose ancestral references with contemporary materials, furnishings, and original artwork.

“My mission is to evoke the spirit of Chaco through the use of coloration and materiality in the interiors,” shares Lajeskie. “In particular, we sought out Native artisans who were inspired to connect with their ancestry. From the moment you enter, your senses will be activated and you will know you are in a very special place.”

ARTISANAL FOCUS

Inspiration for Hotel Chaco was drawn from local artists and the true artisan nature of indigenous painters, sculptors, and basket-weavers. With a hand-crafted quality to the overall project, an intense focus is placed on materiality, texture, and light. The woven façade articulation of the native limestone is a poetic translation of the basket-weaving craft. Chosen materials throughout Hotel Chaco reflect a natural palette inspired by the vast New Mexico landscapes.

FACADE

Hotel Chaco’s pale stone masonry façade and wooden accents are designed to work with the warm, dry climate of the Southwest and are reminiscent of architectural elements found at Chaco Canyon and in New Mexico’s pueblos. The hotel’s southern walls feature deeply recessed windows to protect guest rooms from excess heat in the summer, while the northern side of the building utilizes large windows that allow the low winter sun to warm the interiors, following the model of Chaco Canyon. The sandstone used for the exterior façade is sourced from the Colorado/New Mexico border and until now has never been used in a commercial project. Some of the original building materials used to build Chaco Canyon, including lumber, came from the same.

ELEMENTAL LOBBY

Guests are welcomed to Hotel Chaco with a soothing ambiance and the juxtaposition of flowing water and a warming fire. A tranquil oasis in the heart of a desert city. The circular lobby and entrance design are inspired by the architecture at Chaco Canyon. Guests enter the interior lobby of the hotel through a narrow circular vestibule and are greeted by water and fire elements on opposite walls. Stacked stone masonry is used throughout the main floor, highlighted with recessed rock and wood elements. The lobby is aligned to the directions north-south and east-west.

Stone banco seating lines the circular walls similar to structures found in Chaco Canyon. The roof structure is highlighted by vigas and latillas, traditional Southwestern architecture also evident at Chaco Canyon. A giant glass oculus designed by Tammy Garcia is the ceiling focal point. Wooden beams surround it in a traditional Hogan pattern. The concrete floor is unevenly polished to show the granite pebble aggregate reminiscent of a riverbed. The space also features original Native American artwork by Joe Cajero, Tony Abeyta, and Roxanne Swentzell.

Hotel Chaco's community spaces and common areas invite visitors to relax, and embark on an interior journey drawing on the serenity of the area’s natural landscapes. The community room features a fireplace, an extensive reference library and original artwork by Rhett Lynch. Large doors open onto an exterior courtyard landscaped with natural grasses and native cottonwood trees. A variety of stone pavers lie in a circular pattern that represents how the rain falls to the earth. Monumental basalt stone columns form an organic fountain feature with a reflecting pool. Guests may relax in seating around a firepit.

Cylindrical clay pottery vessels with intricate black and white designs were also among the treasures found at Chaco Canyon. For decades, a mystery shrouded the actual purpose of these vessels. After tests conclusively found traces of cacao on the pottery, we now know that they were ceremonial vessels for special cacao elixirs. Kris Lajeskie has created these vessels for display at Hotel Chaco. Plans are also underway to create a special chocolate elixir to serve in the hotel.

Recently, the National Park Service staff surveyed the Chaco collection—which includes thousands of items, from turquoise jewelry to rare items such as woven-grass baskets and sandals. They found that nearly 1,400 of the pots assembled during the past century are in urgent need of restoration due to the age-related deterioration of glue. The non-profit Friends of Chaco is fundraising to aid in the restoration of pottery from Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde.

CUSTOM ARTWORK AND DECOR

More than 400 years of authentic, artistic tradition welcomes guests to Hotel Chimayó de Santa Fe, creating an ambiance drawing from the multi-layered story of the community. From the original artwork in every room to the decor and colors of the public areas, the unique traditions of northern New Mexico infuse even the smallest decorative element. More than 70 Chimayó artists contributed their talents to the design and decoration of Hotel Chimayó. Custom artwork, furniture and design details - the best of Chimayó's craftspeople - are everywhere.

Hotel Chimayó de Santa Fe offers guests the best of northern New Mexico culture in hotels. Every piece of art - from the bold woven rugs and bed runners to beautiful painted santos, expertly carved retablos and simply beautiful hand-crafted crosses - was made by an artisan from northern New Mexico. These pieces are more than unique art - they are New Mexico artifacts bearing witness the community’s spirituality, traditions originating with Spanish colonial settlers and master craftsmanship.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Escape to Hotel Chimayó and discover a retreat that reflects local artistic tradition. Each guest room and suite features a warm color palate of browns, creams and blacks, which represent the natural wool colors of the Churro sheep originally brought by Spanish settlers in the 17th century. The design elements are greatly enhanced by wood burning fireplaces, handcrafted crosses, private and shared balconies overlooking the outdoor courtyard, and cross-shaped chandeliers inspired by a candle fixture in Chimayó's an 1880s Chimayó Oratorio, private community chapel.

WEAVING TRADITION

The lobby features stunning woven tapestries by award-winning artisans like Irvin Trujillo of Centinela Traditional Arts, Robert Ortega of Ortega's Weaving Shop, and Karen Martinez and Carlos Martinez. Dating from the 1700s, the utilitarian craft of weaving introduced by Spanish colonial settlers has transformed into today's multi-generational enterprises combining time-established motifs with modern aesthetic and techniques.

These hangings, as well as the woolen yarns displayed nearby, showcase the bold reds, lustrous golds and intense turquoise hues of the New Mexico sky, many created from natural area plant dyes. By contrast, guest rooms incorporate the restful, muted tones of brown, cream, black and ecru into the carpets and hand-woven bed runners in each guest room. Gathered from local heritage Churro sheep, the natural wools in the bed runners are durable as well as beautiful.

Each hotel room and our elegant lobby area showcases the hand-woven textural tradition brought to Chimayó by Spanish colonial ancestors in the 1700s. From handcrafted bed runners to bold wall hangings, the weavings that adorn Hotel Chimayó were created using the same tradition implemented by Chimayó ancestors. Wall weavings were crafted using traditional wools and techniques by acclaimed Chimayó artists including Irvin Trujillo of Centinela Traditional Arts, Robert Ortega of Ortega's Weaving Shop, and Karen Martinez and Carlos Martinez and natural dyes.

ART

The art in our guest rooms reflects the rustic, hand-carved style of historical Spanish colonial furniture and architecture: built-in bancos (benches), traditional Spanish trasteros (armoires), and Saltillo-style tile work. As in any respectable Spanish ranchero, private or communal balconies and separate living rooms center on concealed, open-air plaza-like patios.

The Chimayó community contributed over 500 handcrafted, found material crosses to ornament most rooms' carved, wood burning fireplace mantels. The cross-shaped chandeliers take their design from the Plaza del Cerro Oratorio de San Buenaventura, the community chapel built in the early 1800s.

The devotional tradition carries back into the public areas of the hotel in a locally sourced stone lobby altar dedicated to Santiago - St. James - the patron saint of Chimayó, the handcrafted wood carving santos (saints) and retablos (devotional painting), and 12-foot cross standing in the upper courtyard of the hotel's plaza. Made from a single piece of cedar, this cross is a striking reminder of the importance of Chimayó's everyday spirituality.

DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS

Ristras - The dozens of ristras that hang around Hotel Chimayó speak to the traditional Native American method of drying chile, by stringing them together and hanging them.
Woven rugs - The vibrant woven rugs in our lobby are authentic and unique art created by Irvin Trujillo. The Trujillo family has preserved the weaving tradition brought by the Spanish colonialists. These examples of New Mexico artwork in our lobby showcase the bold reds, golds and turquoise of the New Mexico sky.
Bed runners - Our striking bed runners were woven from natural wool gathered from local Churro sheep.
Retablos - The religious paintings that surround our lobby fireplace were created by local artists. Each retablo tells a different story.
Santos - The carved depictions of the Virgin Mary in our lobby are traditional Hispanic carvings. Santos are commonly found in former Spanish colonies.
Cross-shaped chandeliers - These pieces in our guest rooms are inspired by a candle fixture in the Plaza del Cerro Oratorio de San Buenaventura, the community chapel built in the early 1800s.
Wool skeins - The colorful skeins of wool that hang over the front desk speak to the tradition of dying wool by hand and by using dyes naturally produced by vegetables.
Wood crosses - Hand-made crosses hang above fireplaces in our rooms. These were also made by artisans from Chimayó.
Bancos - Our lobby and many of our suites feature bancos, or built-in seating, decorated with beautiful weavings.
Weavings on Lobby Seating - The chairs in the lobby feature custom weavings by Robert Ortega from Chimayó.
Viga & latilla ceilings - The wooden beams seen spanning the ceiling of our restaurant space are characteristic of older adobe buildings, as are the latillas, seen between the vigas.
Courtyard - A brick courtyard sits central to our rooms.
Guest Room Photos - From the Museum of NM Archive Collection

LOW 'N SLOW DESIGN AND CULTURE

Named after the book "Low 'n Slow - Lowriding in New Mexico" by Jack Parsons and Carmella Padilla, the Low 'n Slow Lowrider Bar at the Hotel Chimayó de Santa Fe reflects the unique, contemporary style and artistry of the lowrider culture of Chimayó and northern New Mexico. The watering hole (with selected food options) reminds visitors that if the Santuario de Chimayó is the Lourdes of America, so Chimayó is the Lourdes of lowriders.

Low 'n Slow refers to the cruising style of a custom automobile whose body hovers only inches from the ground. The bar displays Jack Parson's dynamic, enigmatic photographs of a culture where faith, family and creativity find expression in distinctive custom cars. Authentic lowrider elements were specially crafted by expert Chimayosos: diamond-tuck upholstery on chairs and booths, chrome hubcap and steering wheel light fixtures and tables, and the religious iconography and other designs airbrushed into glossy car hoods.

Lowrider style begins on the street outside the bar with an exclusive "Lowrider Only" reserved parking space for classic Chevys that ride like Cadillacs. Inside and on the outdoor patio, sample innovative concoctions from award-winning mixologists.

Photography - Our unique photography by Jack Parsons shows authentic Lowrider masterpieces and their artists and owners. The artists celebrate everything from their families to their spirituality in their work, and the resulting Lowriders can be seen on streets of Northern New Mexico.
Chain-link Steering Wheel tables - The detailing of our tables mirrors the steering wheels of many Lowriders.
Booths - Our booths are styled in look and comfort after upholstered Lowrider seats.
Hubcap lighting & detailing - Hubcaps adorn lighting fixtures and our walls.