Jenny's View

Dear Friends,

It’s been one heck of a Centennial year, and we closed it out with a bang! There’s no better way to cap off an historic anniversary than by joining forces with our dear friends at the Santa Fe Kiwanis club for their annual New Year’s Eve festivities on the Santa Fe Plaza. Launching streams of sparkling fireworks from La Fonda’s rooftop while raising a blazing Zia display before a crowd of thousands was the perfect way to ring in a new century! 

Last month, we debuted the permanent home of our commemorative bronze plaque in the hotel lobby to memorialize the hotel as Santa Fe’s gathering place and a central part in the city’s culture and commerce. We were deeply honored by the presence of the Honorable Mayor Alan Webber and New Mexico Cabinet Secretary of Tourism, Jen Schroer, who joined me and my brother, Phil Wise and a few of our other owners, and our General Manager, Rik Blyth to mark the occasion. Make sure to check it out next time you visit! 

One of my favorite parts of our year-long celebration was honoring our top-notch staff during our Cowboy Christmas party. If you know me, you know I never miss an opportunity to don my favorite cowgirl getup— and I wasn’t alone! The party was a total hit, complete with cowboy boots, hats, country hits and best of all, a mechanical bull!  We had such a blast watching the bull riding competition — needless to say, there were many memorable moments when the bull persevered! Laughter, great music, delicious food and the company of La Fonda’s dedicated team made for memories I will always cherish. 

It also meant so much to me to be able to celebrate four La Fonda Legends during our final Centennial Speakers Series last month. Our dear friend, the renowned architect and designer, Barbara Felix; the famous Harvey Girl Twins, Beverly Ireland and Bernette Jarvis; and, the celebrated Americana folk singer, Bill Hearne. Each of these folks has significantly added to our culture and to our success, and it was meaningful to gather and celebrate them. If you’re interested in exploring our speaker series, check them out here. 

And the ultimate highlight of the year was our Party of the Century! In case you missed the event, you can explore our photo gallery by photographer, Daniel Quat.

We had such a great time showcasing our documentary video, narrated by the incomparable, Ali MacGraw, acknowledging current and former owners alongside Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Mayor Alan Webber. We also raised a glass to our future and the past to the tunes of Bill Hearne, the rhythmic movements of champion Hoop Dancers, Tyrese Jensen and his sister, Kai Jensen, the traditional mariachi ballads of Mariachi Azteca de Santa Fe and the booming songs of the Los Alamos Big Band. Oh, what a night! 

Thank you for being part of our evolving story. Let’s raise a glass to the next 100 years! 

Cheers, 
Jenny