HM 55 — STUDY HISTORIC HOTELS TRAIL

HOUSE MEMORIAL 55 54TH LEGISLATURE- STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSIO, 2019 INTRODUCED BY Matthew McQueen 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF DESIGNATING A NEW MEXICO HISTORIC HOTELS TRAIL.

156 WHEREAS, New Mexico is steeped in history, with many old and charming buildings that date back centuries;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, some older buildings have been converted or w l n d 18 upgraded to hotels yet retain their historic charm with classic = = 19 a l New Mexico design elements such as latilla-and-viga beam i a e r 20 ceilings, rooms with traditional fireplaces and thick adobe a t m m 21 walls;

and d r e 22 WHEREAS, these hotels capture New Mexico's vibrant c e s k 23 historic heritage and offer travelers unique experiences;

and e a n b 24 u [ WHEREAS, the site of the current La Fonda on the plaza in the city of Santa Fe has been the location of various inns .212606.1 since 1609, and the Fred Harvey company established La Fonda as one of its premier Harvey houses;

Francis in the city of Santa Fe opened in 1924 on the site of a previously operating hotel and was designed in 6 California mission revival style;

HM 55 Page 1 and WHEREAS, Indian Springs in the city of Truth or 12 Consequences was established in 1939 and boasts two private, natural hot spring pools situated next to 1940s-style apartments;

and WHEREAS, the Castaneda hotel in the city of Las Vegas was built in 1898 and was Fred Harvey's first trackside hotel and e e 17 is currently under renovation, scheduled to reopen in the e e n d 18 spring of 2019;

and = = l ] 19 WHEREAS, the St.

James hotel in the village of Cimarron a l r i 20 has been a gathering place for more than one hundred forty t e a t years and began as Lambert's saloon in 1872, with hotel rooms m m 21 e d added later;

and r e 22 c e r c 23 WHEREAS, the original part of the hotel Eklund in the town e a n b 24 of Clayton was built in 1892 and operated as a saloon and u [ gambling hall, with hotel rooms added later;

and .212606.1 - 2 - WHEREAS, the Palace hotel in the town of Silver City dates back to 1882 and was restored to its former elegance in 1990;

and 6 WHEREAS, the tourism department implements the New Mexico True advertising campaign to tout unique assets and experiences throughout New Mexico;

and WHEREAS, the tourism department also groups assets and HM 55 Page 2 experiences into themed New Mexico True trails focusing on architecture, outdoor adventure, local cuisine, art, culture 12 and history and ghost towns, among others;

e e 17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF e e n d 18 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the tourism = = l ] 19 department, in collaboration with the cultural affairs a l r i 20 department, be requested to study the feasibility of t e a t designating a New Mexico True historic hotels trail;

and m m 21 e d BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the tourism department be r e 22 c e r c 23 requested to consult with industry partners such as the New e a n b 24 Mexico hospitality association to create guidelines for the u [ inclusion of a hotel in a New Mexico True historic hotels .212606.1 - 3 - trail;

and 6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of tourism, the secretary of cultural affairs and the chief executive officer of the New Mexico hospitality association.

-HM 455 -Page 123 14 16 e e 17 e e n d 18 = = l ] 19 a l r i 20 t e a t m m 21 e d r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .212606.1