La Fonda on The Plaza Reviews

I cannot recommend La Fonda enough as a wedding venue! From the moment we toured, my entire family was beyond impressed with David, his professionalism, organization, and approach to weddings. He was amazing to work with throughout the entire wedding process, repeatedly going above and beyond. The wedding itself ran seamlessly under David’s direction, and we cannot thank him enough.

As for the hotel itself, photos really do not do justice to what a unique and beautiful location it is. The majority of our guests came from out-of-town and couldn’t stop talking about how wonderful the hotel was with its service, art, history, and food. The Terraza rooftop was stunning both in photos and in real life – our friends’ iPhone photos from the reception during sunset look professional quality because the light is so amazing. We were really impressed with the food quality at our tasting and for the event itself, a friend who is a former chef at Michelin restaurants commented on how much he enjoyed everything.

Not only is this location unbeatable but David is probably one of the most exceptional people you will ever meet. We appreciated absolutely everything he did to make our day outstanding and unforgettable. Until we meet again!

Long live La Fonda! Long live David Stone, Director of Weddings at La Fonda! In February 2022, we got married at La Terraza at La Fonda and it was the best decision we made in 2022 - second only to getting married to each other. Let us tell you why…

The hotel itself is as gorgeous as it is charming - it truly is rich with culture, art and delicious food. If you’re reading this review and considering staying at La Fonda, we truly recommend it. Whether it’s your first time or you’re making your way back to Santa Fe. La Fonda is not just a hotel it is a unique and amazing experience. The location and views from La Fonda are southwest romantic no matter what month you visit. For whatever reason you stay at La Fonda, just know that the staff at La Fonda is what makes it worth it. Everyone is attentive and friendly and will take care of you. As a couple on the eve of our wedding, we felt taken care of and our family and friends said the same thing while at La Fonda. Many of us were skeptical or downright nervous to travel to a huge hotel during a pandemic, but staying here was a great choice and all the care, cleaning and safety measures La Fonda takes all around made our stay truly enjoyable. Our sincerely thanks to all the staff and crew.

We could write for days about the exceptional service that David Stone, Director of Weddings at La Fonda, provided us before during and after our big day but we will save you the time. Instead, you should know that David has the patience of a saint and the steady hand and attention to detail of a surgeon. As someone who organizes events and conferences on a large scale, I recognize the work and detail that goes into orchestrating a large event. David took the time to answer all our questions and listen to our vision for our wedding. No detail was too small or challenge too big for him to handle. David is an immaculate professional and a straight shooter. He was especially helpful by providing his honest feedback every step of the way. We are eternally grateful to you, David for making our day spectacular beyond our expectations. You and La Fonda have a very special place in our hearts and we are fortunate to have spent it with you.

If you’re looking for a place to stay in historic Santa Fe, La Fonda is an amazing experience. If you’re looking for a place to say “I do” and start forever with the love of your life, La Fonda is magical and you will be in good hands with David Stone.

You should book La Fonda for your wedding. The venue is gorgeous, the hotel staff are fantastic, and David Stone is simply the best venue host anyone could ask for. We originally planned to get married in September 2020 but postponed a full year to 9/19/21 due to COVID; rebooking the new date was easy and all of the details e.g. room reservations, rates, deposit, etc were honored without hassle. All of our guests enjoyed the hotel rooms and hotel amenities. The hotel’s catered food and wedding reception dishes were spot on - we were especially pleased the menu reflected New Mexican cuisine.

Additionally, we partook in a brilliant tradition at La Fonda: we hired Mariachis (via Absolute Entertainment) who hid behind the guests during the ceremony and began to play immediately after we were pronounced husband and wife, surprising and delighting our guests. Then they led everyone on a march around the Santa Fe Plaza, including a stop in the middle of the plaza to dance. This was one of the best parts of our wedding, and such a fun and unique experience for our guests.

With respect to David, he’s something special. David was so attentive about every detail and made every step of the process simple. He was easy to contact and quick to respond to emails during the planning process, and he made us feel truly special and not just another couple on the long list of people to be married at La Fonda. Our wedding was perfect, and it’s because of the hard work and professionalism exhibited by David and his team.
(review cross-posted on multiple platforms)

You really cannot compare la Fonda to any other wedding venue! Besides being absolutely gorgeous from the architecture to the art and flowers, the food is ridiculously amazing and beautifully presented, and there is no better team than Sammie and Jessica! Every single detail will be perfectly attended to and Samie can provide a wealth of knowledge which is so helpful especially if you are planning from across the county like we did! She had amazing vendor suggestions and the day of I knew everything would run perfectly because Sammie was there guiding the entire La Fonda team. I have never been more impressed with a team at a wedding like I was on our wedding day. Everyone was so friendly and engaging. It really made the wedding so much more special. The views and flowers outside of La Terraza were just gorgeous!! The fire pits and seating areas were so cozy and everyone truly had the best time! I can’t tell you how many times our friends and family told us that this was the best wedding they have ever attended and I really think that is due to the total package that La Fonda offers! Every single detail was perfect and I can’t thank Sammie, Jessica, Bryan at the front desk, Moira, the amazing manager (who’s name escapes me but he is awesome), Sammie amazing day-of assistant (I am so bad with names but she is spectacular and so kind!) and everyone else at La Fonda enough for making our wedding day so perfect! Simply the best wedding venue!!!!

Oh, and you cannot think of a more beautiful setting to get ready in with your bridesmaids! The suites are perfectly sized to accommodate hair/makeup/pictures! We even had a massive balcony for pictures and to eat lunch on before getting into our dresses! The manager and Moira ensured that we had champagne glasses, extra lighted makeup mirrors, and extension cords (we didn’t need the cords bc there were plenty of plugs but it was so thoughtful that they offered!).

Our guests also loved staying at the hotel & being able to walk right back to their rooms after the reception ended and hanging out at The Bell Tower during the wedding week.

Honestly, just ask Sammie about the mariachi parade around the plaza and you’re decision will instantly be made :) So much fun and such a special and unique Santa Fe tradition!

We are so happy we chose La Fonda! Samie was great to work with and made our wedding go so smoothly. It’s such a lovely venue and all of our guest loved it there!!! Would definitely recommend if you want a beautiful Santa Fe backdrop during your ceremony!

La Fonda on the Plaza was a fairytale dream come true for my wedding. Not only is the venue absolutely gorgeous, but Samie the event planner goes above and beyond her duties. She was truly a beacon of sanity for me (someone who is not a good planner) and put together a breathtaking wedding for us. She is so passionate about her events. It rained on my wedding day right before the ceremony, and I saw her outside personally wiping down the chairs. She just blew me away with all of her knowledge and she really made sure that all the vendors were in check. I could not have had a more beautiful wedding thanks to Samie. Her staff was also truly enjoyable at the wedding - they broke down and set everything up without me even noticing. The dinner buffet was just magically set up! And they were all so kind to me, my husband, and our guests. Thank you Samie and La Fonda staff for making all of my dreams come true!

We had a tiny destination wedding, and La Fonda was the perfect spot. We've been frequent guests there, and it was nice to be able to share it with friends and family. The staff is always extremely helpful and accommodating.

If you are planning a destination wedding in Santa Fe, Nm then look no further than the La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe. I visited with several "highly rated" hotels in Santa Fe and chose the La Fonda.

Number one reason is the location and the hotel itself, on the famous Plaza. It is part of Santa Fe history, and privately owned. The La Fonda is with in walking distance to museums and Canyon Road's famous galleries. For one of a kind shopping and great restaurants, just walk out the front door and every thing is with in easy walking distance. We chose to eat at the La Fonda. They have the best lunch buffet in town in the La Festia Lounge. The hotel resturant, La Plazuela, is exceptional along with the service.

Most importantly our selection of the La Fonda for our daughters destination wedding and reception was due to the Wedding Specialist on staff, Samie Doerfler. Samie knows the wedding business in Santa Fe and all the vendors. Her attention to detail is amazing. A few emails and a phone conversation or two and you are on your way to the best wedding ever. Samie makes it so easy to have a wedding in Santa Fe.

La Fonda was beautiful for our Fall reception! Sammie and Jessica were very helpful and they were so easy to work with. They really helped make our big day special. From the hotel rooms to the food and the reception venue... everything was beautiful. Thank you La Fonda!

You couldn't ask for a more perfectly positioned hotel in Santa Fe. On top of the ideal location, it is beautiful and reflect Santa Fe style. Our guests enjoyed the historic hotel, and we did too! In addition to providing accommodations, we hosted our rehearsal dinner and post wedding brunch here. Samie was a dream to work with. Not only is she very organized, but she is incredibly sweet. She executed the rehearsal dinner and brunch perfectly. The food was delicious!

It was a beautiful location and since we had a weekday wedding it was pretty cheap. They were very nice and were a great help. The food was wonderful and were very flexible with our schedule. They even gave us one of there fancy rooms for half off.

Always love stopping in this hotel, renting a room or just having lunch. Highly recommended.

Samie and the entire staff at La Fonda we fantastic. They were professional and provided much needed advice. Our wedding was beautiful and memorable thanks to Samie. This is definitely the place for a wedding!

La Fonda was the perfect location for our wedding. The tables were perfect, they took care of every details. The wedding coordinator, Samie, was always nice and helpful, she gave us some great tips to make the day very special.
We will be back for our Anniversary!

We held our reception here june 29, 2013 in the La Terraza space. It was such a beautiful venue. It's great because you have access to the outdoor terrace area decorated with numerous beautiful potted plants. Guests could mingle and enjoy the view, and enjoy the guacomole bar we has set up and various other delicious passed drinks and appetizers (the coconut shrimp were a hit!). The La Terraza indoor dining and dancing area is such a beautiful space too. One of the things I loved about the La Fonda for a venue is that it feels classically southwestern. I'm from Santa Fe, but i wanted a place where my guests (most of whom were from out of town) could be within walking distance of the plaza. Additionally, the hotel itself has wonderful spanish colonial charm. You get a lot of great help in planning out your evening from Samie and the other wedding reception specialists. The food was amazing and everything was cooked to our liking and served on time. If I had to do it all over again, there is no question in my mind that I would pick La Fonda again.

Just wrapped up our June wedding and couldn't be happier with our choice in going with La Fonda as the ceremony and reception venue! We "shopped around" MANY other Santa Fe locations and nothing could beat the beauty, quality, service & convenience of La Fonda. Our guests were in awe of the venue and they loved the food - we had a smaller guest count so the food minimum of $7,500 meant that our guests got all the top notch selections across the board which was a nice surprise for them. Most of our guests had never visited Santa Fe (it was a destination wedding) but they've all since fallen in love with it & continue to tell us how much they can't wait to go back.

Samie (La Fonda wedding specialist) was wonderful to work with. She certainly knows her job & she instills a lot of confidence in your choices & your day. She is also not afraid to tell you when something may not work and/or may be a bad idea so I can see some brides potentially butting heads with her but she truly does have you and your guests' best interest in mind & will try hard to come to a good middle ground and help you achieve your goals within reason.

My only qualm with this venue is that the wedding has to end pretty early - 10:30pm music stops and all guests need to be off the terrace by 11 - and this is definitely enforced. There is an option to shell out an additional $8,000 to rent out all of the rooms on the terrace for the night but that still only allows you music until 12pm. We considered renting those rooms to keep the party going later but just couldn't justify the 8K price tag for only an addition 1.5 hours of music. In retrospect, I'm still glad we didn't do it - we were entertaining people all week & weekend and my husband and I were exhausted by the end of the night. Our friends who wanted to keep the party going went out to some local bars and all was good, no complaints.

All said & done, I wouldn't choose any other place for our beautiful day.

The Terraza at La Fonda is GORGEOUS. When I was looking online for reception venues I did not see much about it and the photos on the website do not do it justice. You must check it out.

And the food was spectacular. Many times the wedding food does not live up to what the tasting tasted like. Not the case at La Fonda, if anything I think the food tasted better. I have a restaurant owner and lots of foodies in my family and we receieved tons of compliments from all.

Sammie is a true professional. She has lots of experience which means she knows what she is doing and she does it well. Though my only non-compliment about our experience is that I had some suggestions and requests (such as offering green chile stew in shot glasses on the Terreza as an appetizer during cocktails or having a dinner sent to our room after the reception) and was told flatly "NO" without investigating those options any futher. I think the strong experience leads them to think 'inside the box' at every turn so 'outside of the box; brides will want to have a conversation with the staff before making any final decisions and booking.

We got married on the terrace at La Fonda and the reception was in the terrace room. The ceremony and cocktail hour were outside on the terrace which was set up in such a lovely manner. Everyone was so impressed with the space and the views of the old church and the mountains in the background. The venue was absolutely gorgeous and the entire event went so well. The team was very professional and knew exactly what they were doing. We didn't have to worry about any details because they were all taken care of. Our guests loved the hotel and were happy with the accommodations. They were a little inflexible with price but we were so pleased with the gorgeous space and our wedding overall.

It was a pleasure working with Samie the Hotel's Wedding Specialist. She always responded quickly to my emails and was very professional. Our wedding reception was located on the terrace. It was so beautiful. I couldn't have chosen a better place. The only complaint I had was that the last two hours of our event we could find any waiter to refill our waters. All my guests had empty glasses and truthfully I was a little embarrassed. I found a stand with a few water pitchers but all were empty. I took them to the bartender (the only employee I saw) to fill them up with water. I went around the room along with the bartender filling up empty glasses. After that, he kept our water glasses full. Thankfully, because we were not done dancing. Despite that, the food was so delicious and again it has to be the most beautiful location to celebrate any special occasion. We got some really great pictures. On another note, the rooms and the hotel attendance were a delight. All of my guests loved their stay there.

This is a great place to have a reception (great staff and options to choose from). The food (steak, potatoes, vegetables) were amazingly good. La Terraza room has great character and fit in with my "Santa Fe style" wedding. The outside area is great addition.

A beautiful venue. Sometimes hard to get in touch with, but overall a GREAT place for a wedding!

La Terraza at La Fonda on the Plaza is a breathtaking venue to have your wedding ceremony and reception. The catholic church backdrop is gorgeous. It rained on my wedding day, so I was almost forced to relocate inside, but thankfully it stopped in time for my ceremony. I would have been extremely sad if I had to move it inside because I chose this venue solely for the outdoor space.

Food: The hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour were delicious. The reception meal was what you'd expect at a wedding: mediocre and forgetful. We opted for an open bar throughout the night. The drinks were very strong which was great for my guests, but I (as well as my guests) felt like the bartenders were pouring as much alcohol as they could, especially at the end of the night, so they could get rid of bottles (and charge more to the bill).

A word of advice for those wanting to play a slideshow during the reception. I would advise against this. If you want to rent a projector and screen (A/V services), this will cost you over $700 after taxes and a 22% service charge. One can assume that when you are paying for A/V services, the A (audio) and V (visual) come with the pricing. They do not. It is an extra $25 to rent the audio cable to hook up to your laptop, and another $25 to rent the visual cable to hook up to your laptop. You don't get to keep the cables, you are only borrowing them for $50++. According to my bridesmaid, the A/V guy was a little rude to her when she was trying to hook up the laptop before the wedding. The audio for the slideshow was almost inaudible. The music volume was on low; we asked for them to make it louder, but they didn't. I was really disappointed with that part of the night.

Overall, it was a beautiful ceremony & a beautiful reception thanks to the amazing venue and outdoor scenery. I recommend you have your dream wedding here (minus a slideshow :))

We got married on the terrace at La Fonda in September of this year, and it was a beautiful wedding! If you want a classic, downtown Santa Fe wedding then this is your place. However, there are a few things to be aware of going in:

1. Consider hiring a day of coordinator. I was told by others that I didn't need one because the hotel has a coordinator. Samie is very knowledgeable and kind and in the end our day was organized very well. However, I found that she was somewhat difficult to connect with leading up to the event, and I hardly saw her the day of our wedding. I had to personally ask multiple times on wedding night for the waitstaff to remove a couple tables for dancing, even though this was agreed upon in advance. If you want more personalized attention, it is worth the extra cost for a coordinator.

2. Be aware of the prices - La Fonda charges "a la carte" pricing - for example, tent sides and string lights on the terrace are individual costs. We were able to negotiate some costs down, based on how valuable these items were to us.

3. Don't expect special treatment from the hotel. They do SO many weddings a year (two the weekend we were there) and you are just another guest to them. The room block situation is also below average - they will only reserve 10 rooms and they charge $2 a bag to deliver welcome bags to your guests.

Despite the above, I would have another wedding at La Fonda in a heartbeat. The historic hotel is just stunning, and the food was excellent. Our guests all raved about the experience. It's just good to know what to expect!