Luxury hotel inspired by Chaco Canyon, featuring a curated Native American art collection and a panoramic rooftop restaurant in the Sawmill District.
Hotel Chaco stands as a striking modern homage to the ancient architectural genius of Chaco Canyon, located in Albuquerque's historic Sawmill District. Designed by the international firm Gensler, the five-story, 118-room property fuses sustainable building strategies with Chacoan stone masonry. The pale sandstone used for the exterior facade was sourced from the Colorado-New Mexico border, marking the first time this specific stone has been utilized in a commercial project. Following the solar alignment principles of the ancestral Puebloans, the hotel's southern walls feature deeply recessed windows to protect interiors from the intense summer sun, while the northern side utilizes expansive glass to capture the low winter light. Guests enter through heavy double doors designed by Tammy Garcia of Santa Clara Pueblo. These doors are a modern interpretation of traditional black-on-black pottery, embossed with the Avanyu water serpent, the Tewa guardian of water. This entrance leads through a narrow stone corridor featuring fire and water elements, designed to transition visitors from the busy city into a tranquil sanctuary.
The heart of the hotel is its high-ceilinged, circular lobby, which evokes the form of a ceremonial kiva. At the center of the room stands Oneness, a monumental bronze sculpture by Jemez Pueblo artist Joe Cajero, which depicts a dual-sided feminine and masculine visage representing the unity of nature, mind, and body. Looking skyward, a backlit ceiling oculus designed by Tammy Garcia features three stylized eagle figures. Award-winning interior designer Kris Lajeskie curated the public spaces and rooms using a subdued color palette of tans, caramels, and grays, directly inspired by the natural wool variations used by Navajo weavers. The property serves as a living gallery, showcasing museum-quality contemporary Native American art from more than 23 Southwestern artists, including clay figures by Roxanne Swentzell and prominent paintings by Tony Abeyta. Even the hotel staff wear wearable art: their uniforms, designed by Taos Pueblo fashion designer Patricia Michaels, are patterned after ancient pottery shards found in Chaco Canyon.
The guest rooms and suites are designed with a focus on tactile regional materials, featuring custom petrified wood-carved sinks and hand-woven Diné rugs from the historic Toadlena Trading Post. Secure terrace doors open onto private balconies, offering views of either the courtyard or the distant Sandia Mountains. On the ground level, the landscape architecture designed by Dekker features a peaceful courtyard garden. Here, circular water fountains with vertical basalt monoliths are surrounded by native cottonwood trees and soft grasses, all enclosed by a tall, curved Corten steel wall that amplifies the sound of cascading water. Adjacent to the gardens is the 25-meter outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, offering a quiet space to relax under the high-desert sun. For dining, Level 5, the rooftop restaurant and lounge, offers panoramic views of the city and the mountains. The kitchen celebrates regional tastes with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, serving dishes like succotash pie with Anasazi beans alongside expertly crafted prickly pear cocktails.
Head to Level 5, the rooftop restaurant, at sunset to enjoy a prickly pear cocktail with views of the Sandia Mountains, particularly during the autumn balloon fiesta.
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