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    Buffalo Thunder Casino

    2.9 (327 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 4:00 AM (Next day)

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    Tania S.

    I slept like a baby!! The graciousness of the staff here is amazing! I happen to be enjoying the artwork as I was checking out and grabbing a Starbucks coffee and the upper administration must have been in the house that day. Every single one of the administrative staff that I encountered that morning greeted me with eye contact, a passing hello and a smile!! A memorable experience to say the least. Much love and support for the Pueblos of Santa Fe county!

    Outside of hotel from pool deck
    Kimmy D.

    As a Hilton Honors member and resident living in Santa Fe, I've always wanted to check out this hotel after passing by so often. It really is a quite beautiful hotel that unfortunately isn't being taken care of well enough. At $348 a night for a balcony room, the price just doesn't meet the experience in my opinion. THE CONS: * As mentioned in other reviews, the service here is awful. It is no fault of the staff, but that they are simply too understaffed to handle the current hotel capacity. It will be over a 20 minute wait for any establishment just to get in. * Another understaffing issue but many things are closed, abandoned areas of the hotel, no room service. It seems opening the buffet back up to feed large groups quickly would be wise as everywhere we went, families were hungry and unable to get food. * They refuse to let you use the pool before check in/after check out. Despite having an 11 am spa reservation on check out day, I was told my husband couldn't use the pool after 11 am check out. * The pool area needs more shade, seating and the pool itself was a bit dirty. THE PROS: * The pool area is very nice. The indoor pool connects to the outdoor pool deck and there is a pool bar with nice drinks. It was a lot less busy on Sunday vs Saturday. * The hotel itself is gorgeous and in a beautiful location. * THE SPA! The amenities included with your spa reservation are really lovely and I would definitely return for this. *The rooms are beautiful, spacious and comfortable. beautiful views and location. Spacious beds and comfortable. It was quiet and our balcony was really nice and spacious. TIPS: Bring your own food with you. Don't plan on any of the restaurants. Or I recommend visiting nearby local restaurants El Nido or Tesuque Village Market.

    Free Chair massages
    Ysa F.

    They were amazing and kind. The room was clean and comfortable. The staff treated my family like their family overall awesome experience!

    I normally don't do reviews but this was the worst experience for a pool I've been to. The atmosphere is beautiful but the lady at the front, Carol was so rude as soon as we walked up to use the pool facilities. They laughed at our reservation, then gave us no key to access the pool, told us at 10 pm to leave the hot tub when the hours online state 11 pm. As we were showering and getting chlorine out, security waited in the showering area to wait for us to leave. Granted I know they would like to leave but we took ten minutes to shower before the security followed us out almost the hallway. It was a really awful experience. I would never come back here

    From zone B edge row 20 to the stage no zoom
    Channon D.

    Acoustics are fine. But seats were highly uncomfortable and not conducive to someone with a cane and hip problems. Also people will stand the whole concert and if you cannot, you will be unable to see.

    Slots
    Jim W.

    We were in town for work and decided to grab dinner and play some slots at Buffalo Thunder. Smoke free, very clean and fun place to spend some time.

    Art

    Beautiful place, super comfortable and we had an amazing view from our room. My dad goes to the casino a lot and was able to put my fiance and I up while we were visiting New Mexico. The art is genuine and made locally by mostly indigenous folks. We were disappointed there was no food for us, my fiance and I are both Vegan and not one of the restaurants had an imposible burger, vegan pizza, stuff that just seems easy to me. We had to go out pretty far for dinner and the hotel rooms don't have microwaves. Also the coffee stand in the lobby charge 3+ dollars for non dairy milk! (Yikes!) didn't appreciate the price gouging, but what can you do? We enjoyed it anyways despite the lack of proper nourishment. If you're vegan and staying plan ahead of time to accommodate yourself. Everything else was great, the staff is super friendly and accommodating and took great care of us in every other way.

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    Staff attitude, less dogs/dogs barking at night, free wi-fi like at a motel 6. .................

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    Page 1 of 9

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    Review Highlights - Buffalo Thunder Casino

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    Tesuque Casino

    Tesuque Casino

    2.7
    (56 reviews)
    7.0 mi

    This Native American casino is run by the Pueblo of Tesuque. It is a gorgeous newer building,…read morenon-smoking!! And has such stunning views. They have RV parking in the upper lot. No hook ups and you must check in first at Security to get a paper that you put in your window to show that you've been checked in. The Security office is right inside the front doors and to the right. To do have to show ID. Upon our arrival, we pulled up in front of the main building and went into Security. We got our paper and went up to the top level parking to find a space. There are no marked RV spaces, just regular car spaces, but you're able to park across multiple car spaces. I think there were two other RVs in the parking lot when we were there. But it's a large lot and very little traffic. Just be sure you're parked out of the way of any other vehicle traffic. There are no hook ups, but we didn't need any. It was early September when we were heading back to Washington State, so the weather was nice. Our stopping in Santa Fe was to visit my in-laws resting place at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, as my father-in-law was a World War II Veteran. We did end up having one meal at their Cottonwood restaurant, and it was delicious unfortunately, we could not eat on the outdoor patio as there were thunderstorms in the area. The view is really nice and the restaurant is quite large. This is a good place for groups and celebrations. We enjoyed our lunch greatly. I believe the hours were from 11 to 2. They do also have a pick up and go area right outside the restaurant that's open until 8 PM. For lunch I had the French dip sandwich and fries, which was totally delicious. The day we were there, the Chef had a special of three tacos and different sauces, which my husband ordered. He was quite pleased with his meal as well. All we needed was a place to spend one night, and we found this fabulous non-smoking casino.They allow you to stay up to three nights here. We will definitely be happy to return on our next trip through Santa Fe.

    Amazing and wonderful. Staff are welcoming and friendly, the casino is clean, and the games are fun…read moreand pay out. We ate at the bar and the food was delicious.

    Photos
    Prime rib quesadilla
    Prime rib quesadilla
    View from our table
    View from our table
    Tesuque Casino

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    The Inn of The Five Graces

    The Inn of The Five Graces

    4.8
    (66 reviews)
    12.7 mi
    $$$$

    We had our first, but definitely not last, visit to The Inn of the Five Graces to celebrate our…read more50th Wedding Anniversary. Without question, the level of service at this property is beyond any we have experienced in our world travels. They were instantly responsive to every request and it was clear that the staff is fully committed to the guest experience. The rooms are incredibly unique in this building that is centuries old and uniquely decorated from the owners world travels but keeping with the Santa Fe feel. The included breakfasts were amazing with incredible service. They also have included town car service within 3 miles so almost all of the local restaurants and shopping/art galleries within distance. It was so easy to get dropped off and picked up for meals and shopping which we did many times. While certainly not an inexpensive property, I can truly say that it was worth the value for an unbelievably memorable experience.

    Specifically for the spa:…read more The highlight of our trip. Bar none. The facilities are BEAUTIFUL. The services were FANTASTIC (one of the best massages I've had). The service was IMPECCABLE. This place was truly one of the most luxurious experiences I've had - on this trip and many others. I cannot recommend it enough. Every single nook and cranny of this spa is filled with something beautiful. I absolutely adored this experience.

    Photos
    Bathroom junior suite
    Bathroom junior suite
    The Inn of The Five Graces
    Oatmeal

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    Oatmeal
    Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder

    Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder

    2.7
    (107 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$$

    Aging hotel and zero recognition by the front desk of Hilton Honors status. I had to specifically…read moreask how my elite credit worked and where I was eligible to use it, as they didn't bother. At least the rooms are clean, but they can use a good remodel. Especially the furniture! Loved that the balcony rooms had a fireplace though! The free parking is nice as well but expect a long walk from the lot to your room!

    I truly have mixed emotions about our stay here. There's a lot of potential here but the rooms…read moredefinitely need some attention and apparently so do their reservation systems. I booked two rooms on the same reservation and when we arrived the young lady said she only saw one room. I told her one was booked with points but they were the same reservation. Nope. She asked for a confirmation number. I gave it to her and she said that's the one she already has. Well there was only one confirmation number because the two rooms were booked under the same reservation. I ended up having to check in using the app, which clearly showed two rooms had been booked. I asked for the rooms to be as close together as possible and she literally put us as far from one another as possible. So that wasn't a great start and then the rooms needing some TLC didn't help this review. For example, the shower in one of the rooms drained at a snail's pace. Like seriously ... it took nearly an hour. The toilet ran constantly in the other room. The rooms were quiet though and had all that one would want / need in a hotel room.

    Photos
    Guest room amenity
    Guest room amenity
    Guest room
    Guest room
    Guest room

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    Guest room
    House of Eternal Return - Meow Wolf

    House of Eternal Return - Meow Wolf

    4.3
    (1.4k reviews)
    14.3 mi
    $$
    Hipster vibe
    Kid friendly

    I've reviewed two other Meow Wolf venues: Convergence Station in Denver and the location in…read moreGrapevine, Texas. I made a special trip to Santa Fe from Denver just to get a gander at this one. This is the original. As I said in a separate review, Denver's convergence station is the largest at 90K square feet. But it felt more sprawling and convoluted than the smaller Texas and NM venues. I haven't seen the supermarket themed Vegas venue. This is smaller than Denver, but more coherent. Still a lot to touch and do and see. Weird things to connect. And again, if you've seen other Meow Wolfs, you'll understand all others better. In true Meow Wolf style, brilliant, bright, jubilant art that you can lay your hands all over. Stair cases to climb. Tunnels to crawl through. Someone else compared it to a colorful real life board game, and that tracks. It was busy, but not uncomfortably crowded. Like Denver, you can grab a drink at the bar and sip booze as you stroll. There are puzzles to solve here (I confess, I didn't have the fortitude or patience, but you can spend all day here solving riddles). You can go again and again and find new things every time. I am positive I am not even close to scratching the surface of any of the Meow Wolf experiences. If you want a bit more of an idea of how things work, Meow Wolf has an instagram!

    This place was cool with the artist exhibits but we found the performers and performance to be a…read morebit spiritually dark. I think we would have enjoyed it more without it but they were a bit creepy. It definitely looks cooler only but it's a fun option for something to do in Santa Fe when it's hot. I don't think it was worth $90 because we only stayed an hour due to weird & dark vibes.

    Photos
    Hall to restrooms
    Hall to restrooms
    Small toddler roaming safely and freely.
    Small toddler roaming safely and freely.
    YASSSSS

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    YASSSSS
    Luxx Boutique Hotel

    Luxx Boutique Hotel

    3.5
    (91 reviews)
    12.4 mi
    $$

    We liked Luxx a lot! It's an older building so don't expect frills. But do expect a really chill…read morevibe, comfortable rooms, friendly service and great location near the plaza. Louie was easy to work with and glad that you came in town to visit. The setup Luxx has for parking is worth it. Tricky at first: you have to enter through the exit lane and then go out the pedestrian gate at the left. You'll see. Beds are comfortable. We loved the lavender infused essential oil soaps. Inside your room the decor reflects the brown and tan colors of the desert. The all-natural animal print was almost a bit too African (ever see a zebra in the New Mexican desert?) But hey, it works. The back patio is a great option for a gas fire and hot tub. The main common room has fantastic sky lighting and relaxing music. But you need to stay here for the location. We walked everywhere. Museums, shops, churches, restaurants, and the plaza are all a stone's throw away.

    As other reviews have mentioned, the place is keyless. Normally, I love that, but when I stayed at…read morethe Luxx, someone tried to enter my room late at night. I was staying in this room alone, so I was a bit freaked out. When he (obviously) failed to enter my room, he went around the back and tried to enter through the window!!! My room was on the first floor, facing the backyard sitting area (where there are seats, fountains, a tub). The guest was probably drunk and forgot which room was his, but it was still scary to have him try to enter my room twice. I don't necessarily blame Luxx for this issue, but when I raised this at check-out the next day, the man at the counter laughed and said something along the lines that he'd have better luck next time. Wtf -- Even if we weren't in this period of #metoo and #imwithher, I never want the hotel employee to joke about my room being broken into. Another thing is that I booked the Luxx through Booking.com and was sent a reservation confirmation with the final price. When I checked my credit card, there was a discrepancy. It wasn't much, but still odd that they charged me more than they said they would. I tried calling, I left a couple of voicemails -- no response. Bottom-line: Find somewhere else to stay.

    Photos
    Fantastic hotel with great ambience and friendly service. Also  extremely friendly and personable when recommending family restaurants.
    Fantastic hotel with great ambience and friendly service. Also extremely friendly and personable when recommending family restaurants.
    Hallway entrance to lobby... even has old school 40s era music playing in background.
    Hallway entrance to lobby... even has old school 40s era music playing in background.
    Luxx Boutique Hotel

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    Santa Claran Hotel & Casino

    Santa Claran Hotel & Casino

    3.1
    (32 reviews)
    10.2 mi
    $$

    The rooms are nice here and the suites are roomy with really beautiful views on the backside. The…read morefood is pretty great at the bar, standard at the snack bar, and I haven't tried the food at the sports bar, but I'm looking forward to it. The swimming pool is big and the hot tub usually works. My only complaint is that you can sometimes smell cigarette smoke lofting in from the outside. I don't gamble, so I can't speak to that. But I do enjoy my time here taking advantage of the other amenities. There are lots of bowling lanes and the event space is very large.

    Stayed at the Santa Claren Casino Hotel in Espanola NM recently to attend Feast Day at Santa Clara…read morePueblo. This property is well-done & comfortable. The staff are friendly and accommodating We ate dinner in the Grill on the Casino Floor our first night there. The taco plate was delicious and we were treated very well. One issue we encountered was no coffee available anywhere in the hotel before 8 am when the casino opens. We tried going to the grill for breakfast one morning and left because of construction noise. It was horribly loud! There is a travel center affiliated with the hotel nearby but too far away to walk over to get coffee. The staff there was extremely friendly. We had a yummy breakfast burrito there one morning. We were very happy with our stay

    Photos
    Plain burger with fries
    Plain burger with fries
    Unique funnel cake fries with chocolate sauce
    Unique funnel cake fries with chocolate sauce
    Teriyaki salmon salad. Mixed greens and mandarin

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    Teriyaki salmon salad. Mixed greens and mandarin
    Cities of Gold Casino

    Cities of Gold Casino

    2.2
    (20 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $

    It seems this hotel has stepped up their game because reading all the older reviews were just too…read morenegative. Anyways the only thing wrong I found was the huge price difference when booking one room vs. booking a room with 2 beds was about a $30 difference per night! So air mattress for the friend was it! Anyways The check-in was easy and noticed about 30 slot machines just a few steps away from the front desk. I played some nickle slots started at $15 and ended up with $50! not bad for about 30 minutes of play and such a quiet small area open 24 hours. On my was to the room I noticed a unique design of indoor plants and small rocks on t he first floor. Anyways the room was nice and clean and a simple view of the freeway. I should of taken pictures of the fake trees outside that lit up nice shades of purple. The casino gave us breakfast buffet coupons to the main bigger casino (no table games) which was about a 1 minute walk across the street. What really brought me here is the $1 coin machines I really enjoy the old school gaming feel, and sound of using coins in a slot machine. I could of went to their partnered casino Buffalo Thunder but sometimes avoiding the big resorts is worth it. After my friend hit a $200 jackpot on the $1 coin machines, I hit a $600 jackpot about 20 minutes later! see my pictures. It was a great night because these rows of coin machines it seems everyone was having a good time, we saw another guy hit a $1k jackpot. Anyways it was my first time having to sign for a jackpot and they paid me cash. The same night I also hit a small $100 jackpot on a non coin-quarter machine. This is a basic low key casino, you walk in a circle and you're back at the front door. There's a club attached and it didn't seem like it as it was hidden and the loud music was drowned out with the casino machines and atmosphere. The next morning we had their breakfast buffet which was only about $8 if you paid, but it was not bad - juice options, scrambled eggs, lots of bacon, sausage, pancakes, fruit and good customer service. No lines but it was packed with people, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. This was no mega resort but it hits the spot and we were happy with our stay and would come back anytime we're visitng NM Didn't give it 5 stars because theres no cell phone reception here! AT ALL, my friend and I had 2 different major cell companies and it seems none of our signals reach here. The free wifi did work well so this made up for it.

    Was visiting for the holidays and decided to stop in as I had not been to this casino since the…read morelate 90's (my, how time has changed). Very somber and low key (even the restaurant has changed). Employees didn't seem too particularly happy to be there (weren't friendly) but it appeared that they were practicing very strict cleaning methods due to covid (always pushing chairs in after each customer and wiping down).

    Photos
    Cities of Gold Casino
    Cities of Gold Casino
    Cities of Gold Casino

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    Buffalo Thunder Casino - casinos - Updated June 2026

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