Las Vegas, New Mexico: The Historic Plaza Hotel

Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Yes, you read that correctly.  The city of Las Vegas is not only in Nevada, but also in New Mexico.  When I had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas, NM I was looking forward to visiting the historic downtown.  I was not disappointed.  I also discovered there was more to see in Las Vegas than I expected.  I book my stay at the historic Plaza Inn named "The Belle of the Southwest" after opening in 1882.

The historic charm is still visible today.  When I entered the hotel my mind quickly flashed back to the late 1800s.  I quickly learned Las Vegas and The Historic Plaza Hotel was a popular location for Hollywood film crews.  Filming in Las Vegas began in the early 1900s with silent movies.  Since then films such as Speechless (1994), Red Dawn (1984), Convoy (1978) and Easy Rider (1969) are just a few movies to use Las Vegas, New Mexico as a backdrop when filming a movie.  The Historic Plaza Hotel places pictures of important guests and starts outside their quest rooms to inform others about who has stayed in the various rooms.  Most recently form first lady Michelle Obama stayed at the Historic Plaza Hotel.  To learn more about the films shot in Las Vegas you can visit the Las Vegas film site.

The first floor of the hotel is home to the reception desk, a makeshift store with local jewelry, books, and collectibles.  The first floor includes a dinning area and bar.  As I walked into the bar I could picture cowboy travelers from "back in the day" drinking, sharing stories of the travels, or playing cards at a table.  The current hotel captures the charm of history beautifully while allowing modern day quests the amenities they have come to expect when traveling.

My room was on the third floor, accessible by both elevator and stairs.  The stair cases are beautifully done and certainly hint at the time before ADA required accessibility for all quests.  I can imagine early 1900s quests traveled with less luggage than I did.  However, I could resist taking the stairs and wondering through each floor to look at the pictures of previous, famous guests.
The hotel is set in the center of the historic downtown Las Vegas city.  The hotel sits in the middle of a public space in that the surrounded by historic buildings on each of the four sides.  The area reminds me of the "city-center" spaces common in the east and western European cities.  Today the area is a wonderful location to sit and watch the coming and goings of guests and citizens of New Mexico.  I visited in the fall when the leaves were turning color.  The fall backdrop made for some lovely sites during the sunny, cool day.  I enjoyed my stay and look forward to sharing more about the other discoveries in Las Vegas, New Mexico.