Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder

After looking around New Mexico and planning a long weekend away, I chose to stay here as it was sort of in the middle of what we wanted to do. The site represents New Mexico perfectly and has fantastic sculptures and decor. It appears to be very clean which is always a huge plus. I was a bit surprised to find that the buffet was shutdown (I usually don't eat at them anyway) and that the main store on site had extremely short hours of operation and was not open during the weekend. Other than when hosting shows, it seems that this hotel/casino location is no longer busy enough to support amenities that thrive in big name casinos such as multiple restaurant choices (2 active without buffet) and retail stores. I bet when it was brand new in 2008, it was a destination casino. Maybe it's just because it's early September. The bathroom in the room we had was unnecessarily huge with a normal tub/shower. Removing the tub and installing an upgraded shower would be a great improvement. A desk in the bathroom which I would assume was a place for personal prepping had really poor lighting if that's what it's for.

I would stay again to possibly try out the golf course, upscale restaurant, and attend a show.

Hilton Thunder in Santa Fe boasts an excellent location, offering easy access to local attractions while providing a serene retreat. The rooms are well-appointed, and many feature balconies with stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The pools are a highlight, providing a refreshing escape with well-maintained areas perfect for relaxation. The hotel grounds are beautifully landscaped and impeccably clean, adding to the overall appeal.

However, the service in the lobby leaves much to be desired. It felt significantly downgraded, with staff attire appearing quite unprofessional for a Hilton of this caliber. Despite this, the overall experience was positive, with the hotel’s strengths in location, room comfort, and amenities outweighing the shortcomings in lobby service.

Overall pretty good experience. Beds in rooms were very comfortable with beautiful linens, fluffy pillows and a very comfortable mattress that was just soft enough. Room itself needs a little updating, wallpapering peeling, wear to furniture, and general colors/design look a little dated.

Pools were great- large and fun plenty of room to splash around. There was a person at the gate handing out towels and complementary bottled water was available. There are cabanas available for rent. Areas of improvement for pools: more chairs are needed on the pool deck. During our stay we could only find one close to the pool that was reserved with a towel. They have plenty of room on the deck to add more chairs. Pool bar/snack shack were closed the entire day on the Sunday we were here even though the website says “seasonal” - one might think July would be one of those times to have it open. The wear is evident on the indoor hot tub, it needs resurfacing and the indoor pool had tiles missing as well. Indoor pool and hot tub can be accessed from the main outdoor pool deck.

Overall good stay with kids because of the pools.

Room was clean & comfortable until the last night of my stay. That’s when the a/c started acting weird and randomly cycling on & off and loosing power. The housekeeping staff could use a lesson in dusting. My allergies were killing me as there was thick dust on the top of the mirror in the bathroom, the bathroom light fixtures, & on top of the tall headboard. There could be extra pillows & an extra blanket in the closet but there isn’t.

The food in the Iguana bar was good for being hotel food. But it’s not cheap.

Excellent room, very spacious. A tub shower and a separate glass shower in the bathroom, with lights that start dim and get brighter so they don't hurt first thing in the morning. Air conditioning works suitably well. Went to the buffet for dinner. Food was adequate, none of it was particularly special. Just an okay buffet. It's not the best, but you get as much as you want, and there is a good variety. Didn't gamble, but I know someone else staying there who won $250 at quarter slots. I wish the elevators were more convenient, I had quite a walk to get to them and to my room.

Nice hotel. Good for conferences and short visits. They have a casino and the gym is open 24h. The food in the restaurant is quite good. Not so good were the daily provided soap and shampoo. Hard to wash out/off. And no toothbrush provided. However, the room service was good.