We first discovered Bishop’s Lodge because they were a “preferred lodging partner” for the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. We were fortunate enough to be guests there for the two nights we attended the opera. What an ideal location Bishop’s Lodge turned out to be, both for attending the opera (a short but scenic drive away), and for touring around the city (just minutes away). But even if we’d never left the Resort, we’d have been perfectly content, given all that it offered. 

Save this article to Pinterest to help you plan a trip to Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe. Photos and graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

What to expect at Bishop’s Lodge

After staying at Bishop’s Lodge, we weren’t at all surprised that it was awarded “#1 Resort in the West 2022” by Travel+Leisure and one of the “best new hotels in the world” by Conde Nast, May 2022.

You get to Bishop’s Lodge by driving through the curving roads of the Tesuque Valley, with lush landscape and secluded residences. And then you turn the corner and are led down a drive that opens up, revealing the dramatic, warmly-colored adobe buildings and manicured landscape covering 317 acres.

Bishop’s Lodge presents itself, stair-stepped into the hillside where lodging guests get expansive views of iconic, scrubby terrain of the Sangre de Cristo hills the area is known for, with pink hues in the earth, sagey plantlife, and brilliantly-blue skies with puffy, white clouds. You find yourself understanding why artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, were, and still are, drawn to the city because of these colors and this lighting.

The base of Bishop’s Lodge features the aqua-blue, heated pool with its surrounding lounging areas and bar for poolside sipping. It catches your eye even before you head to check in at the main building. After a warm check-in greeting, a bellman drives you up to your room in a golf cart. That brief ride provides a chance to point out the resort’s restaurant, where guests can also convene for morning yoga and other activities, plus the Bunk House for large groups, and the chapel event space. As you ride up to your room, glimpses of the Sangre de Cristo mountains present themselves. While it is possible to walk to and from your room, a ride is only a phone call away.

Our experience at Bishop’s Lodge 

On our visit, we enjoyed these views from our room’s terrace, which included a fire pit. The entire front of our room was floor-to-ceiling glass allowing in light and beautiful views. Light-blocking curtains gave us plenty of privacy when we wanted it.

The room itself was beautiful and welcoming. We loved the comfy but tall bed that made me wish there was a step stool available but that made me feel like a queen once I was in. And the seating area near the corner fireplace and bar cart (which included a unique welcome amenity I’ll tell you about in a moment) made it easy to take in some TV, a cozy fire and the view. But I really enjoyed the curving, pillow-laden corner lounging area that beckoned me to make myself a cup of coffee or tea and curl up with something intriguing to read.

Take your pick of comfortable places to sit and relax in your room at Bishop’s Lodge.

Then, there was the bathroom – something I never take for granted with my lodgings. What style! Loved the tile, rug, huge, fully-glass shower, and the pampering toiletries provided. The area is closed off by sliding barn doors making your exit from it quite dramatic.

The spacious bathroom in our room at Bishop’s Lodge.

The in-room bar cart included cocktail makings. The day we arrived, there was also a special welcome amenity, a trio of popcorn, squash brittle, and crisped black beans to represent the iconic “three sisters” of Native American agriculture – corn, squash and beans. Nice touch!

The welcome amenity of squash brittle, popcorn, and dried cranberries.

Hungry for more? Know before you go to the Santa Fe Opera.

While we could have happily hunkered down in our room for the entirety of our stay, we were there to attend the Santa Fe Opera and sightsee in Santa Fe. A good breakfast at SkyFire Restaurant was the perfect fortification! The restaurant is beautiful inside but has such great views of the entire resort and Sangre’s, we couldn’t resist. The menus celebrate southwestern ingredients and flavors. We ordered El Classico (two eggs prepared any way we wanted, applewood bacon (server-recommended) or breakfast sausage, choice of toast, and lodge fries) and the Norteno Benedict (jalapeño bacon, green chile hollandaise, cotija cheese, and lodge fries). Had we not already had tailgating plans at the Opera, we would have loved to have had dinner at SkyFire to enjoy the expansive sunsets several staff members said were just spectacular. Next time!

SkyFire Restaurant’s patio offers beautiful views of the hillside and those famously bright blue skies of Santa Fe.

Norteno Eggs Benedict on the patio with a view at Bishop’s Lodge.

Over the two days we were there, my husband became a couple-of-times-a-day regular at Two Dogs Cafe just below SkyFire. Serving pastries, salads, sandwiches, drinks, and coffee drinks, my husband proclaimed their chai tea the best he’d ever had (he’s a bit of a chai aficionado). What a totally charming spot for taking a moment for yourself, maybe getting a little “gotta do it” work done or diving deep into conversation with your fellow travelers.

One of the charming seating areas at the casual Two Dogs Cafe at Bishop’s Lodge.

To help guests fully experience the resort, the setting, and the can’t-put-your-finger-on-it-but-there’s-just-something-about-the-place vibe, they also offer guests excursions, mountain biking, hiking on their on-site trail system, art-making opportunities, time with the horses at the stables, and fishing the private stream with Orvis-certified guides. There are also wellness treatments and experiences rooted in ancient rituals and ingredients.

My husband and I honeymooned in Santa Fe, 34 years ago. It has drawn us back again and again, like coming “home,” even though home for us is Colorado, where were have lived all our lives. Santa Fe is just unlike anywhere else and Bishop’s Lodge resort knows that, embraces it, and offers it up to guests from all over the world. It’s the perfect place to immerse yourself in the full experience of Santa Fe. To learn more about Bishop’s Lodge, visit their website. To learn more about visiting Santa Fe, check out their website.

– Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Managing Editor and Publisher of Real Food Traveler

Please note, we were hosted by Bishop’s Lodge to help facilitate this article. But as is always the policy of Real Food Traveler, its writers, and editors, our opinions are honest and our own. 

Hungry for more? Learn more about the culinary scene in New Mexico.