La Posada de Santa Fe
La Posada de Santa Fe is a historic hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, centered on the former Staab mansion and known for its Southwestern architectural setting.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
La Posada de Santa Fe is a historic hotel property in the heart of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The hotel traces its identity to the Staab mansion, a three-story French Second Empire-style residence built in 1882 for merchant Abraham Staab and his wife, Julia. The mansion was notable as Santa Fe’s first brick mansion and became the architectural and historical anchor of the later hotel complex. The Staab family lived in the house with their seven children. Local stories have also associated the property with the ghost of Julia Schuster Staab, whose alleged presence became part of the hotel’s folklore and guest experience. The property’s transformation into a hospitality business began after Robert H. Nason of Chicago acquired the Staab home and surrounding land in 1930. Nason developed a Santa Fe-style apartment building on the site, designed and built by Dick Riley, which opened in 1935 under the name La Posada. The original mansion was converted into eight apartments, while additional development added a hotel operation known as La Posada Inn and the Cactus Tea Room restaurant. The complex therefore evolved from a private residence into a mixed residential and lodging property before becoming a larger destination hotel. The hotel’s physical character has been shaped by repeated renovations and expansions. In 1987 and 1988, its owners invested approximately $2 million in improvements to the bar and guest rooms, including casitas that had originally served as stables or other outbuildings on the Staab estate. The work also added eight rooms in a separate executive-suite complex. These projects reinforced the property’s combination of historic structures, individually styled accommodations, and Southwestern resort amenities. Olympus Corp., a Dallas real-estate firm, purchased La Posada in 1997. The property closed in November 1998 for a major renovation and expansion designed by Lloyd & Tryk. It reopened in August 1999 with 159 rooms and a substantially enlarged campus. The redevelopment added nine buildings, a 5,000-square-foot spa, 4,500 square feet of meeting and conference space, a swimming pool, and 40 additional rooms. New construction was designed to complement the site’s pueblo and territorial architectural traditions rather than replace its historic visual identity. In 2013, Joseph C. Smith acquired the hotel from the lender of the previous owner. Following that transaction, the property affiliated with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. La Posada de Santa Fe is also a member of Historic Hotels of America, reflecting its preservation-oriented positioning and its connection to the architectural history of Santa Fe. Its offering combines lodging, casita- and suite-style accommodations, dining and bar facilities, spa services, meeting space, a pool, and a distinctive historic setting. The property’s brand proposition rests less on broad international scale than on heritage, regional architecture, destination hospitality, and the atmosphere of a long-established Santa Fe estate.
History
La Posada de Santa Fe occupies a site whose central historic structure is the Staab mansion, built in 1882 by Santa Fe merchant Abraham Staab for his wife, Julia. The three-story French Second Empire-style house was the first brick mansion in Santa Fe. Staab, Julia, and their seven children lived there, and the building later became associated with stories about Julia’s ghost. Julia died in 1896, while Abraham died in 1913. The property entered a new phase in 1930, when Chicago businessman Robert H. Nason acquired the mansion and the surrounding acreage. Nason developed a Santa Fe-style building containing 30 apartments. Designed and constructed by Dick Riley, the building opened in 1935 as La Posada. The mansion itself was converted into eight apartments. Nason subsequently added a hotel operation, La Posada Inn, together with the Cactus Tea Room restaurant. In 1953, the inn was leased to Harvey S. Durand Jr. and his wife. During the late twentieth century, the complex was repeatedly adapted to meet changing expectations for destination lodging. Renovation work in 1987 and 1988 improved the bar and guest rooms and incorporated casitas that had originally functioned as stables or other outbuildings on the Staab estate. The owners also added eight rooms in a separate executive-suite complex. These changes expanded the accommodation offer while maintaining the property’s layered historic character. Olympus Corp., a Dallas-based real-estate company, bought La Posada in 1997. The hotel closed in November 1998 for a large redevelopment designed by Lloyd & Tryk. When it reopened in August 1999, the property had 159 rooms, nine new buildings, a 5,000-square-foot spa, 4,500 square feet of meeting and conference space, a swimming pool, and 40 additional rooms. The new structures were planned in pueblo or territorial styles so that the expansion would remain visually compatible with Santa Fe’s regional architectural traditions. In 2013, Joseph C. Smith purchased the hotel from the lender of the preceding owner. The property then affiliated with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. La Posada de Santa Fe is a member of Historic Hotels of America, an affiliation that reflects its historic significance and preservation-focused identity. The hotel’s modern business combines accommodation, dining, wellness, events, and leisure facilities with the heritage value of the Staab mansion and the surrounding Santa Fe architectural setting. Its history is consequently defined by adaptive reuse: a nineteenth-century private mansion became part of a twentieth-century lodging complex and was later expanded into a full-service historic hotel while retaining a strong connection to its original site and regional design language.
- 2013
Ownership changes and Starwood affiliation begins
[1]Joseph C. Smith purchased the property from the previous owner’s lender, after which the hotel affiliated with Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
- 1999
Expanded hotel reopens
[1]Following a major closure and redevelopment, La Posada reopened with 159 rooms, additional buildings, a spa, meeting space, a pool, and expanded casita and suite inventory.
- 1997
Olympus Corp. purchases the property
[1]Dallas real-estate firm Olympus Corp. acquired La Posada.
- 1987
Guest-room and bar renovation begins
[1]A major renovation program improved the bar and guest rooms and incorporated historic casitas and outbuildings into the accommodation offer.
- 1953
La Posada Inn is leased
[1]The inn operation was leased to Harvey S. Durand Jr. and his wife.
- 1935
La Posada opens
[1]A Santa Fe-style apartment building designed and built by Dick Riley opened as La Posada. The mansion was also converted into apartments.
- 1930
Robert H. Nason acquires the estate
[1]Robert H. Nason purchased the Staab home and surrounding acreage, initiating the site’s transition toward commercial lodging and residential use.
- 1882
Staab mansion is built
[1]Merchant Abraham Staab completed a three-story French Second Empire-style mansion for his family. It became the historic core of the later hotel property.
Products and positioning
A heritage-oriented Santa Fe hotel combining historic architecture, Southwestern design, distinctive casitas and suites, resort amenities, and destination hospitality.
Hotel accommodation · 1935
Historic guest rooms
La Posada’s guest rooms form part of a historic lodging complex assembled from the Staab estate, later Santa Fe-style buildings, and subsequent additions. Renovations expanded and modernized the rooms while retaining the property’s regional architectural character.
Hotel accommodation · 1987
Casitas and suites
Casitas and suites are a distinctive part of La Posada’s accommodation mix. Some casitas originated as stables or estate outbuildings, while later redevelopment added executive-suite and other lodging capacity within pueblo- and territorial-style structures.
Hospitality amenities · 1999
Spa and leisure facilities
The expanded property includes a spa and swimming pool, supporting a full-service destination-hotel proposition in addition to its historic lodging offer.
Events and business hospitality · 1999
Meeting and conference facilities
The 1999 redevelopment added dedicated meeting and conference capacity, allowing the hotel to serve private events, group functions, and business-oriented stays alongside leisure guests.
Restaurant
Cactus Tea Room
The Cactus Tea Room was an early restaurant associated with the La Posada Inn operation, illustrating the property’s development from apartments and lodging into a broader hospitality complex.
Brand decisions
2013
Affiliation with Starwood Hotels & ResortsStrategyBackground
Joseph C. Smith acquired the hotel from the prior owner’s lender and subsequently pursued an affiliation with a major international hotel company.
Action taken
La Posada de Santa Fe affiliated with Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Aftermath
The property retained its historic Santa Fe identity while gaining a connection to Starwood’s hotel network.
1998
Major renovation and expansionStrategyBackground
After Olympus Corp. acquired the property, La Posada was closed to permit a substantial redevelopment intended to increase capacity and broaden its resort and events offering.
Action taken
The owners commissioned Lloyd & Tryk to design an expansion adding buildings, rooms, a spa, meeting facilities, and a swimming pool while using pueblo and territorial architectural forms.
Aftermath
The hotel reopened in August 1999 with 159 rooms and a larger full-service hospitality complex.
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