By Renee Martinez
Between SANTA FE and ALBUQUERQUE is what I heard was resort heaven. Tamaya is a quick drive from our home in Albuquerque, and very secluded – which is what makes it special.
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa
We decided to stay at at Tamaya to see if all the great things I read about were true, I have missed feelings about this property. When we first entered the building, I knew it was a special place. It’s incredibly peaceful, almost spiritual.
Enter four boys…not so peaceful.
While they do have children’s programs, and are ranked very high as a family resort, during our visit my children were just about the only children at the property. The children’s programs were only attended by my children during this time. They enjoyed learning about the native culture and going on bike rides and swims with their childcare provider. The staff was very friendly and caring in the Tamaya kids area. My children enjoyed the food choices and have mentioned their positive experience on several occasions since our return. This was a very boy-appropriate destination.
From my perspective, I loved the accommodations. Very beautiful and relaxing. The food was great, the layout was easy to maneuver and the staff was outstanding. Had we visited during a school vacation, I know there would have been more kids, which would have been great for my boys.
My only gripe would be price. Comparable to other resorts I’ve stayed at, Tamaya structures much of their pricing as a la carte. For that reason, it feels like everything is extra (which it is). For example, I spent $15 per person for a bread baking class. $60 to learn to make bread…it was tasty, we enjoyed ourselves – was it worth $60?
The spa is wonderful. guests have access to the spa facilities which include tubs, steam room, and sauna. The locker rooms have everything you need to get ready for the day. It’s easy to spend a few hours here-even without purchasing expensive treatments (provided your children are cared for elsewhere).
The weather in April here was a bit overcast and somewhat chilly. Consequently, for the majority of our stay we had limited use of the outdoor pools. They are beautiful and blend in with the scenery. We also made use of the trails – by bike and hike.
We ate breakfast at the Santa Ana Cafe. We had the buffet option, which was great for everyone. The food was great quality, the service was terrific (even when I had all four of my boys packed with energy and the baby was making a scene) so the buffet is highly recommended. We also enjoyed hanging out in the lounge/living room where we played chess, and we loved the nighttime campfire with s’mores.
I would go back to Tamaya with my children, though I would prefer visiting with a group of girlfriends for a relaxing spa adventure. If you have a business that’s looking for a resort to have a meeting or conference at – Tamaya is a perfect destination for business groups.
About the Author: Renee Martinez consults and speaks professionally on social media marketing, integrated marketing communications, public relations and branding. She is the president of Ruby Marketing Communications (www.rubymarcom.com), a boutique marketing communications company that specializes in providing branding, social media strategy and integration, and creative services. Her blog (www.lisac95.sg-host.com), provides resources on everything marketing and social media for her active audience.
Renee has contributed as a featured monthly columnist in the monthly jewelry industry publication, JCK on matters related to internet marketing as well as in InStore Magazine as a featured blogger where she writes about developing effective marketing strategies for the jewelry industry using social media. She is the founder of: Social Media Biz Summit (www.socialmediabizsummit.com), the first large-scale SM conference to come to Buffalo, NY; #jewelrychat, a weekly twitter chat for the jewelry industry and www.RaisingBoysWorld.com. Renee teaches social marketing courses at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY for the business school as well as offers small group social media marketing training and educational seminars for businesses in Western New York and beyond.
Renee has dabbled in internet marketing arena since the early 90′s and is not ashamed to call herself a “marketing geek”. From chatting in AOL, “sharing” music on Napster, and teaching HTML classes before it was considered “cool” to developing comprehensive social media strategies, effective public relations campaigns and managing online communities (most recently Chevy Girls Buffalo).
She enjoys being able to help people find their voice online and to create buzz about their product or service that will give them the results they desire. Renee can be found on Twitter (@reneemmartinez) and Facebook (http:/www.facebook.com/RubyMarCom).
