Set on 57 rolling acres in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe feels as if it is set a world apart from the rest of civilization — though actually just 10 minutes from downtown Santa Fe. From the moment we arrived, our senses sprang to life as the scent of piñon pine, lavender, and sage filled the air. The 65-room resort offers plenty to do on and off property, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, a pool and spa, and a transfixing kinetic sculpture garden. The kids loved scooting around the property and swimming, while we all enjoyed lounging in the hammock and roasting s’mores against the backdrop of a fire-red sunset from the privacy of the Encantado Suite patio. Surpassed our expectations — would return in a heartbeat.

Overview

At-a-Glance

• Date of stay: July 2020

• Length of stay: 4 nights / 5 days

• Trip type: Family trip to the desert and mountains

• Property type: Luxury desert mountain resort and spa catering mainly to adults but welcoming to families

• Tailor-made for: Adventure seekers, those looking to reconnect with loved ones and nature, arts & culture lovers, spa and wellness enthusiasts

Highlights

• Intimate property feel due to limited number of accommodations (65)

• A feast for the senses — fragrant piñon pine woodsmoke, wild lavender, and sage all around the resort​ fill the air

• Fireside views and nightly s'mores on the Encantado Suite patio

• Small, fenced-in backyard perfect for young kids to run around and chase geckos

• Hiking the resort's Camino Encantado trail in the Sangre de Cristo foothills

• Family arroyos excursion and hiking

Good to Know

• Unlike most other Four Seasons Resorts, this property does not have a kids club, but kids 5 and under eat free at Terra

• The pool area is a little on the small side

• On property, the activities for families are somewhat limited — however, off-property excursions and the shuttle to downtown Santa Fe help to offset this

• At nearly 7,200’, Santa Fe is the highest US capital city — drink plenty of fluids, get lots of rest, and allow time to adjust to prevent altitude sickness

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Location & Setting

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With the oldest capital city in the US just 10 minutes away, the town of Tesuque feels more wild and desolate than what you might expect from what is technically a suburb. As we drove through the rolling Sangre de Cristo foothills, we pulled up to the gated resort entrance and after going through a quick health screening, were invited to proceed to the main building for a contactless check-in. With this being our first trip during the pandemic, needless to say, we were a bit nervous — but the resort provided the best possible safeguards for travel during COVID.

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Property & Grounds

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Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe is set on 57 acres of what might best be described as an interactive outdoor museum. It was a feast for all the senses from the moment we arrived: eye-popping landscapes, striking sculptures, and kinetic art throughout the resort combined with the scent of lavender, sage, and smoldering piñon pine to create a truly enchanting setting. With just 65 rooms, it was as if each guest had an acre of the property all to themselves. The petite resort also has a restaurant and bar (each with indoor and outdoor spaces), a piazza-style lounge area, and a pool shack; an adventure center, spa, small pool, yoga studio and an on-property hiking trail: the Camino Encantado.

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Room

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We stayed in the Encantado Suite, and booked a 4 for 3 nights rate directly with the property. They are a member of American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts but were not showing availability for our dates of stay — however, they offered to honor our Amex FH&R benefits, which gave us a $100 food and beverage credit, early check-in and late check-out. Normally, this would also include a room upgrade but the Encantado Suite is the highest room category on the property.

The Encantado Suite was a perfect setup for our family. First, it was set off at the very end of the property in a building with just two ground-level suites and two dedicated parking spaces. The suite had a separate King bedroom and living area with pull-out sofa and fireplace, 1.5 bathrooms, and a small bar and mini-fridge setup with sink.

But, without a doubt, the best part was the fenced-in small backyard with patio, fireplace, and hammock. By day, the kids hunted for bugs and lizards in the yard and played in the hammock. At night, the staff delivered pinon pine and s’mores kits while we took in one of the most sensational sunset views we’ve ever seen.

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Service

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While the service here was at more of a distance than usual due to pandemic protocols, we still felt the resort was able to deliver on the Four Seasons brand promise of personalized, attentive, and warm service experience at every turn. We had welcome amenities in the room of a fruit and cheese plate with a bottle of white wine, and the kids received personalized cookies and milks. The Four Seasons Chat in the app worked flawlessly and all the team members we interacted with were professional and courteous.

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Dining

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The dining here was far better than we expected, with a special nod to the breakfasts. The fare here is mostly Southwest region-inspired cuisine and many of the ingredients are grown in the onsite Chef’s Garden. One of the things we loved most about Terra for families was that when we could snag a table on the patio (which was, thankfully, nearly every meal), the kids could roam around the little paths in the adjacent garden if they got restless while the adults could finish eating — in peace. Kids menus are available at all dining venues, and Kids age 5 and under eat free at Terra.

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Family Services & Amenities

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While there wasn’t a Kids for All Seasons Kids Club here (which is the main knock on the family services at this resort), there was plenty to keep kids entertained. The girls loved the little teepee setup right by the suite (pictured above). They also had a blast just scooting around the property, exploring the Chef’s garden and kinetic sculpture garden, and hiking the on-property Camino Encantado trail. The pool was also a family favorite (though there were capacity limitations and time-restricted reservations required due to COVID protocols). The yoga studio had been converted into a kids game room and there were lawn games set up outside by the pool.

Kids bathrobes and toiletries were provided along with personalized kids welcome amenities. Babysitting and baby-proofing services are available by request. The full list of family services can be found here.

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Activities

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The area around the resort offers an abundance of outdoor, adventure, and cultural activities from which to choose. There are plenty of places to go hiking, biking, horseback riding, climbing, canyoning, whitewater rafting, and exploring around the area. In winter, you can arrange ski trips to the nearby mountains. Next door to the resort is EQUUS, a preeminent self-discovery-focused horse ranch — though, oddly enough, not family-friendly.

On property, there is an Adventure Center (pictured, top left) with Orbea mountain bikes and advisors to help arrange activities during your stay. A complimentary shuttle takes guests into downtown Santa Fe (10 minutes away) on a daily schedule. The on-property Camino Encantado hiking trail, Chef’s Garden, lawn games, kinetic sculpture garden, and evening fireside s’mores on the back patio were also activity highlights during our stay.

During our stay, we booked a Jeep tour of nearby arroyos and canyon hike. The kids had the best time (pictured, bottom center). We also spent a day out exploring Bandelier National Monument, where visitors can see the preserved homes and territory of Ancestral Puebloans (pictured, bottom right), and then we drove around exploring the mountains.

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Wellness

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The resort has a spa, fitness center, and yoga studio. While we were there, the spa and fitness center were closed due to COVID protocols, and the yoga studio had been converted to a kids’ activity center. The resort outdoor areas, hiking trails, and art-filled gardens also nurtured a sense of well-being.

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Wow Factor

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There were quite a few wow factors here: all the incredible scents that filled the air throughout the day and night (yes, we bought a small mountain of piñon pine firewood while staying here that was delivered to our home before we even returned — totally worth it), the Camino Encantado hiking trail, the Encantado Suite patio area with hammock, fireplace, s’mores, and sunset views. And, of course, the breakfasts.

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Value

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We got a steal of a deal on our stay due to pandemic rates, a special 4th night free offer, staying during off-season, the Kids Eat Free program, and the Amex FH&R benefits that were honored by the property. That said, the normal rates here are a bit eye-watering, particularly for entry-level rooms, and the up-and-down condo-style setup of many of the rooms may be a turn-off for some. If you’re looking to splurge, the Encantado Suite was one of our favorite room setups for families with young kids and those sunset views from the hammock are priceless.

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Overall

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Truly enchanting — a memorable stay for all.

Rating Legend*

💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional

💛💛💛💛 Notable

💛💛💛 Standard

💛💛 Substandard

💛 Unsatisfactory

*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties