Sierra Grande, A Ted Turner Retreat

I had a good stay, even though the romantic plans didn’t quite work out. People who haven’t lived in NM might not connect with the state’s environment and culture in the same way, but those of us who do really love it. The rooms do seem overpriced, though. It feels like you’re paying for the Ted Turner name.

The restaurant used to be really good, but it’s gone now. They do still serve breakfast to guests. We’ve stayed at this hotel many times with our Golden Retriever and always loved it. She was welcomed every time, with no problems. A new manager has started enforcing a 25-pound dog limit, though, and they wouldn’t make an exception for us. I find it hard to understand turning away longtime guests over this. Small dogs can cause plenty of disruption with barking, too. I can’t recommend the hotel anymore.

The front desk staff were helpful, and the mineral spa was nice. The room was another story: it smelled musty, the mattress was the worst my wife and I have ever slept on, and the air conditioner didn’t work right. It stayed so warm that we had to sleep with the shared balcony door open. The neglected grounds were disappointing when we arrived, too. We’d booked two nights but left after one.

I won’t be going back to Sierra Grande. After years of good stays at the Sierra Grande and other Ted Turner places, this visit was awful. In room 207, the water turned hot after a couple of minutes and wouldn’t cool down, so showering was difficult. I thought I could shower during my hot tub visit instead, but the showers there only had cold water because the hot had been turned off. I let the staff check my room, but they insisted I was wrong. We paid $300 + and couldn’t get a shower.