Upon entering the Hotel Boutique Andaluz, it is very easy to sense the old Spanish and Moorish atmosphere. The main lobby transports you to a Moorish palace with bits of Spanish culture. The staff immediately made us feel welcome in this beautiful place.

The hotel itself has quite a history. It was the first in the state to have air conditioning and was also the tallest building in the state at the time (1939). Previously under the Hilton brand (the first one in New Mexico), the hotel has undergone several stages of maintenance and refurbishments. During this period it also passed through the hands of a few other companies until it was finally acquired by the current owner, a New Mexican businessman.

This charming boutique hotel is really well located in the city of Albuquerque and it is a perfect base for holidaymakers or business people who are in town for a few days.

Our room at the Hotel Boutique Andaluz

We were given a beautiful suite on the tenth floor – the top floor of the hotel. The views are magnificent as the hotel overlooks the town and the landscape of the surroundings. There was already a comfortable sofa bed prepared in the living area, which was perfect as it meant we didn’t have to fight our “selfish” son Noah for a square inch of space in the bed 🙂

Both the living area and the bedroom have large flat screen TVs with plenty of channels. One very thoughtful thing is an equipment unit over the desk in the living room where you can plug in USB and HDMI cables, connect the television or simply charge your electronic devices.

Our room at the Hotel Boutique Andaluz had a large, comfortable queen-size bed and a pouf to sit on (but again the cherry on top was the nice views of the surroundings).

The bathroom was also large with two separate washbasins (all the rooms have the same) and a lot of space for clothes.

Apart from our suite, the hotel also has 11 other types of rooms. This time we were shown three different ones:

The Conrad Deluxe King room was exactly like ours, with the only difference being that there was no wall separating the sitting area and the bedroom.

Then there was the Boardroom suite, with a dining and sitting area separate from the bedroom, which was also large with a king-size bed. The bathroom is fully accessible for guests with physical difficulties.

The best room that we saw was the Penthouse Suite. This one has a very large open area with a dining table, a living area and an open plan kitchen which is very well equipped. Just next to the entrance there was a small bathroom that is ideal for guests’ visitors to use. The bedroom was as large as ours with a king-size bed and a door into the bathroom. Between the bedroom and the living area there is a large bathroom with a beautiful bathtub, shower and two wash basins.

Restaurant, bar and other facilities at the Hotel Boutique Andaluz

As we only had one night at the hotel, we could not miss the chance to taste some of the dishes offered at the restaurant, even though we weren’t very hungry.

The Más (Tapas Más Vino) restaurant serves delicious dishes with a nice Spanish touch. It is ideal for either a full meal or simply to have tapas to accompany some cocktails with a nice ambiance.

It was already a bit late for Noah, but we ordered some crispy chicken with fries (from the kids’ options) that were beautifully prepared and very tasty. Ruth and I shared some tapas suggested by the waiter. We had patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy mayo) and shrimp & chorizo (prawns with chorizo). There was some sauce with the latter that was divine. We strongly recommend trying it.

Speaking of the waiter, we have to mention that he was very welcoming and gave us some great suggestions for dinner and for breakfast the next morning.

The Hotel Boutique Andaluz also has the Terrace Lounge Ibiza restaurant with a small terrace that is very inviting for pleasant evenings. There is an age restriction and only people aged 21 and older are allowed in the restaurant, so Ruth took some pictures while I took Noah to Más.

The best part of our evening was at the central lobby where there were some musicians playing classical and jazz music and holding the attention of everyone at the hotel. Even Noah took the opportunity to dance a little bit on the mezzanine while Ruth and I were enjoying the show. It lasted until 10 o´clock, but I’m sure that if the show had gone on longer nobody would have left.

In the lobby there are also some smaller private areas decorated like casbahs. Each of them is named and it is a nice place if you want to have some privacy with friends or family.

At the corner of this courtyard there is an area with a library and a business center. This is a very good reading area, and use of the business center is complementary (computers, internet, etc.).

The hotel’s commitment to the environment

The Hotel Boutique Andaluz has a green policy and is fully committed to the environmental needs and requirements of the 21^st century.

The hotel has a solar thermal system installed on the rooftop that collects solar energy and distributes it to the rooms. In this way the water is heated directly by the sun, rather than fossil fuels.

A large proportion of their electricity is renewable, coming from biomass, geothermal and wind facilities and thereby avoiding generating pollution or greenhouse gases.

The energy management system ensures that your room is brought to a comfortable temperature using heating, ventilation and air conditioning, but only after you come in (which also activates a couple of lights). As soon as you leave the room, the motion detectors and heat sensors activate semi-energy mode.

Also, the majority of the furniture and bathroom accessories in the rooms are made of bamboo or rubber wood, which are rapidly renewable resources.

Those are just a few of the many things that make this hotel an example in terms of environmental respect, and we proudly recommend it.

Final comments from the authors

The Hotel Boutique Andaluz was a pleasant surprise on our trip through New Mexico. It was strategically located for our journey and gave us the comfort that we needed for that night in the beautiful town of Albuquerque. The decoration was very elegant and all the staff were always welcoming. We fully recommend you spend the night there while you are in the city or the region, and don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the live shows in the courtyard.

Thanks Chris for the invitation and Kim for showing us the hotel.

Next stop, Route 66!