Casas de Suenos, comfortable and homey
by TripAdvisor Member domsmum
We stayed in the La Mirador casita in December of 2005. We loved it immediately. The decor is Oriental/Southwest and is tasteful but a bit dated. It was cold in Albuquerque and we used and enjoyed the fireplace in the living room. The full bath had a jacuzzi tub which we all loved but my husband was disappointed that there was no shower, just a showerhead on a handle in the tub. That was fine for my son and I, we both love to take baths and we each took one in the jacuzzi tub each day of our stay.
There are two bedrooms in the La Mirador suite and one queen bed is very high off the floor. My young son took that room and loved sleeping up so high. The other room was comfortable (queen also) and was equipped with a vanity (YEA!) and a iron and board. There is another bathroom right outside this second bedroom, it's a half bath.
The living room was very comfortable and we all kept falling asleep on the sofas. There is a coffee machine located in the corner and in the other corner there is a microwave on top of a small refrigerator.
A full breakfast is included in the rate, which was reasonable. The breakfast was delicious and cooked to order. Eggs, made your way and either pancakes or french toast (cooks choice). It was served with bacon both mornings. Toast your own bagels, whole wheat or white english muffins or bread. Orange and apple juice were served as well as coffee and a selection of teas, which I raided daily and enjoyed in the room. Fresh cut fruit and bananas were also offered as well as two types of cereal.
Old Town is wonderful all decorated for Christmas and it's just a three minute walk from our room. There were carolers, tree lighting ceremonies, and Christmas cheer all over the place. We loved the quaint old fashioned feel of it. Unfortunatel, there was only junk in most of the stores. Some great art, though!
That didn't take away from our stay at all, we were just glad to be 'home" and falling asleep in front of the fireplace on those heavenly sofas.
We have to go back next December, to Albuquerque and I'm already looking forward to trying out another casita and visiting Old Town again. We'll be going to Abuquerque yearly and we'll stay at Casas de Suenos and recommend it to our friends.
Definitely different
by TripAdvisor Member ABFine
Spent a night at Casas de Suenos in early June. The woman who greeted us was friendly and funny. She showed us to our room or should I say cottage, explaining a bit of the history of the compound. Our cottage ( Pinon ) had a full kitchen, large living room, two good size bedrooms and bath. The rooms were clean and nicely decorated although there was a painting in my bedroom that was down - right frightening. My daughter chose the other bedroom immediately upon seeing it. We had a driveway outside our front door which made unpacking a breeze. We were warned to keep both front doors locked but I didn't feel threatened at any time. The gardens around the property were nicely done except, it seemed, right outside our cottage. We had dirt with a small table and chairs. Old Town was a short walk away. We were there on a Sunday and didn't arrive till late afternoon so it was kind a dead. We did enjoy a good dinner with some excellent sangria. Our breakfast ( included with the room ) the next morning was very good. We would recommend staying at Casas de Suenos, it's definitely better than the same old motel room.
Funky and fun -- but don't expect a Hampton
by TripAdvisor Member ButchKin
Casas de Suenos is a funky, fun little B&B which is definitely off the beaten path as far as chain hotels. If you're looking for a quirky place to stay in Albuquerque where you can experience some real local charm -- and not pre-fab, sterile surroundings -- then this is the place. An old artist colony from the 30s, my room, the Route 66, was actually a small apartment with two access points (street and courtyard), a separate bedroom and full bath, full kitchen and living room area.
Things to consider:
1) I felt safe coming and going late at night, but area across the street might be a little shady.
2) Don't expect high-speed internet access, a copy of USA Today on your doorstep or a phone in your room. My cell worked just fine and I was able to get wireless Internet access from somewhere, but it was low strength.
3) I missed the TV in the bedroom, although the TV in the living room was quite nice.
4) Don't miss breakfast. It could start a little earlier in the morning (starts at 7:30 which is a bit late if you have a business meeting), but it's delicious and packed with a variety of good stuff.
5) Some parking is on-street, some is off-street. It's about two blocks from Old Town, but it's across a busy highway, so be careful.
All-in-all, I'd definitely do it again.
friendly and different
by A TripAdvisor Member
This is a place for singles and couples to stay, within easy walking distance of Old Town, and unique in many ways. The atmosphere is quiet, and you can feel the sense of community that must have existed when this was an artists' colony of casitas.
the rooms are clean, and attention has been paid to furnishing them attractively. Funds spent on high quality plasma tvs and hot tubs could better have been spent on plumbing fixtures and exterior paint. The physical plant is in need of significant investment, and the maintenance is sufficient to assure working plumbing and electricity.
The manager, Mitchell, is very pleasant and knows many places to dine and visit. The maintenance fellow doubles as the cook at breakfast.
On balance, a worthwhile place to stay.
Not As Expected
by A TripAdvisor Member
This location is not worth $150.00/night. We noticed small bugs on the adobe headboard and several cockroaches in the restroom. We also had continuous trouble flushing the toilet. The garden area was very nice but our room wasn't adjoining this area so unless we walked over for breakfast we didn’t see it. The neighborhood around the property is questionable after dark. At 4:30 AM Sunday morning I was awakened by a large crowed of people that gathered in the parking lot next door. The morning breakfast was by far the best part of our stay.
Photos
"Prayer", Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Walking Mall (Old Arroyo) and Downtown Buildings
A Trickster!
Forum Posts
Thinking of relocating
by August2005
This is a weird question, I know, but a serious one. I am thinking of relocating to Albuquerque but wondered what kind of insects were there and if they were abundant. The reason I ask is because I have a real bug phobia and if this is a place that's infested with many diffent insects that frequently come indoors and that you will experience daily outdoors, then Albuquerque might not be the place for me. Currently I live in the DC area and a few months ago they were infested with the secadas which are in the locust family and that nearly drove me mad!! Other than that which supposedly only occurs every 17yrs, there are the normal crickets and flying things, not too bad except when it's humid. Thanks in advance.
RE: Thinking of relocating
by kymbanm
:)
Bugs ARE everywhere :)
In the city we have some roaches, crickets, flies, mosquitoes, etc - the usual ... on the mesas we have more desert-like critters .... scorpians, children of the earth, centipedes, etc. In the mountains, we have mountainy critters. And yes, we do have cicadas toward the end of summer.
My friend, who's sitting on the couch next to me says ..."I've never seen a cockroach here" - he lives in Florida :)
Good luck on your search for a new home .....
RE: Thinking of relocating
by nvholst
You might try even higher elevations in NM -- Taos, maybe? We also live in the metro DC area. Vacationed in Angel Fire for a week mid-summer a few years ago and were shocked at the lack of insects (espec the flying ones!) there . . . no screens on the windows of our place, but really no need. Of course, we didn't see/hear many songbirds either--guess there's nothing for them to eat?!
RE: Thinking of relocating
by dmac733
There are bugs anywhere you go in this state. And anywhere in the US I have traveled I see bugs. Good luck for your search for a bugless home. Sometimes though if you face your phobia you get over it. I use to be that way about snakes, I had bad dreams about them. After I held a corn snake and looked him in the eye I could see the fear he had of me. I realized I was scaring him. Seemed to work, I don't have a fear of snakes anymore.
RE: Thinking of relocating
by AlbuqRay
This question has been asked before in this forum by smcclellan and there were 12 replies. You may want to look at the bottom of page 1 of this forum.
RE: RE: Thinking of relocating
by catalysta
LOL, you need to live in Alaska! Other than the seasonal mosquito infestation, we're about as bug & reptile free as you are going to get. Even the ubiquitous Norwegian Rats are rare up here.
Of course, you'll freeze your buns off. But hey, I grew up in DC/MD area, and that's one of our great American bug capitals, it's all reclaimed swampland! New Mexico will be heaven for you compared to DC.
Sign in with Facebook
