This hotel is overpriced for the value, but was comfortable to stay in. The accomodations were nice. The breakfast service at the restaurant was excellent; the evening service in the lounge and the dinner service at their touted restaurant (can't recall the name-- that should say something!) was lacking. This may just be our perception, but it seemed that the servers were less attentive to us because we didn't order alcohol. The spa was very clean and comfortable and the overall experience was excellent. Parking at the hotel was overpriced which is not uncommon for luxury hotels. The hotel's location was very good in terms of walking distance to Santa Fe's tourist attractions. We're not sure if we'd stay here again, but we'd recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a luxury stay in Santa Fe if consistent luxury level of service is not expected.

Spent 4 nights in March/April with friends. Normally I prefer a boutique or a b&b, but my friend picked the El Dorado for the location and the fact that it had an on-site spa. We got a great rate since it was off season. For a "large" hotel, it certainly doesn't feel big or impersonal. The decor was charming - you could tell you were in the Southwest, but it wasn't tacky or obnoxious. Make sure to ask if an upgrade is available - one of our gals thought to ask and got upgraded to a very nice suite. I was still quite happy with my "standard" room. Nice bathroom, some nice touches like a bathrobe in the closet, other standard amenities. I was disappointed that they had in-room coffee service but no tea - but they happily prepared me a complimentary cup every morning when I asked (still would have been nice to have my morning cuppa before getting dressed and having to wait around in the lobby...)

The spa services were nice - if a bit pricey. Not a great value for the money, but the eucalyptus steam room was a hit! Unless there's another pool that I missed, the very tiny rooftop pool seemed awkward and inadequate for a hotel of this size (it was fine for early spring, but what do they do in summer? And forget about laps!)

The best thing about the El Dorado was the location - just a short walk to the town center and museums. It could not have been more convenient. The valet parking is pricy - try and park in the public garage that's just a block up for about half the price (once again - off season. May be different in the summer!).

I recommend the El Dorado if you are used to larger hotels and prefer the amenities of a bigger facility over the coziness of a smaller boutique. You won't feel like you're in an impersonal mega-plex, but you'll have some southwest charm along with comfortable amenities.

A colleague booked a room for me at the Eldorado in January 2008. This was a business trip for which I was to stay one night. When I arrived, the person at the front desk told me that I would normally have to pay a penalty for not staying two nights as reserved but that they would waive that charge. While my bill showed no penalty, my credit card had the charge on it. After calling the hotel, I was told that the charge would be removed. It's still on my bill and I'm now told that without a cancellation number the charge will remain. So, two people told me the penalty would be waived and both either weren't telling the truth or didn't know what they were talking about. This is unexcusable behavior from a hotel that presents itself as a premier location.

Eldorado was very much in the motif of old Santa Fe. The location was perfect for downtown sightseeing and great restaurants. Hotel is small enough that its easy to get around. We had a junior suite which had two bathrooms -- very nice.

Others said their rooms were "dated" but we were pleased with ours.

Spa was very nice and within reason.

Parking was extra $17/day.