The Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico, reopened Monday to seven overnight guests. Another seven rooms will be open in a few days, and its saloon will open later this month.
It had been more than 50 years since the Castaneda operated as a hotel.
It also appears the century-old former Harvey House is on schedule to fully reopen by its penciled date of June 21.
Here is a Facebook video of owner Allan Affeldt chatting with the Castaneda’s overnight guests Monday. The audio isn’t good, but the clip shows how nicely the interior has been refurbished. You also can hear a guest gasp when Affeldt says they’re standing on the original wooden floor.
Below is the hotel’s first guest upon reopening:
Here is the Castaneda passing final inspections a couple of days before reopening:
Southwest Detours posted a few images from opening day:
The 30,000-square-foot hotel and restaurant were built in 1898. It reportedly closed as a hotel in 1948, although parts of the building were used as a restaurant or saloon in the following decades.
Affeldt, savior of La Posada in Winslow, Arizona, purchased the building a few years ago. Since then, he has added the Plaza Hotel in the downtown square of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and the Legal Tender Saloon and Restaurant in Lamy, New Mexico, to his portfolio.
Las Vegas sits a few miles from old Route 66 but has become a common side trip for travelers exploring the 1926-1937 alignment of the Mother Road that looped to Santa Fe.
(Screen-capture image from video of the interior during the reopening of Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico)