PRESS KIT
Architects for Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi stepped back a thousand years into the mud and stone pueblos of the ancient Anasazi and returned to present day with a pure, powerful and elegant design for an extraordinary hotel and restaurant. They explored ruins and examined artifacts, incorporating elements of Anasazi pottery and stonework in the design of the hotel.
The birth of the Inn was celebrated Sept. 23, 1990, with a blessing ceremony and placement of a time capsule in the foundation. The autumn Equinox, where daylight and darkness are balanced, was chosen as the ideal time for those building the Inn to align with the spirit of Santa Fe. A Pueblos medicine man, a Franciscan priest and local artists blessed the site, and the time capsule was filled with documents, artwork and symbolic objects representing the bridging of cultures in Santa Fe.
The name Anasazi is Navajo for "Ancient Ones." The term represents a broad range of people from different cultures and locations who developed a complex society which flourished 700 years ago. The living sites were dramatically placed and finely built, and the artistic quality expressed in their everyday life and material culture was exceptional. They succeeded in their challenging environment because they lived in harmony with one another and nature.
The Inn has taken to heart the ethics and aesthetics of the Anasazi and endeavors to proactive them in its daily operations. In a land where water and all resources are extremely precious, the Inn was built with locally sourced natural materials on the framework of an older building in downtown to avoid the environmental impact of building from the ground up. Features of the hotel conserve energy and resources. Organically grown native foods are procured for the restaurant from local farmers whenever possible.
The Inn is situated in a truly historic part of the Southwest. The earliest human in New Mexico may have visited the area at least 20,000 years ago, and settled 12,000 years ago. The Anasazi formed small communities in the southwest about 400 A.D., expanding into complex pueblos (villages) which flowered from 800 to 1300 A.D. Bandelier National Monument is a former Anasazi home with 3,000 archeological sites spanning time from 10000 B.C. to 1500 A.D. From their cliff and valley floor dwellings, the Anasazi skillfully husbanded their resources - farming, making pottery and weaving cotton cloth - to thrive for 400 years before moving on.
Chaco Canyon was the largest of the Anasazi pueblos. Despite a short growing season and marginal rainfall, Chaco prospered with 13 separate cities and 5,000 inhabitants. Chaco was an economic, political and religious center for the entire Southwest. Its architecture, masonry and social organization were astounding. Buildings stood five stories high and Chaco roads extended to 75 communities. Trade extended as far as the Pacific Ocean and into southern Mexico.
However, by 1300 AD, Chaco and other Anasazi sites declined and many were abandoned, probably due to prolonged drought. The Anasazi resettled along dependable water sources like the Rio Grande and overtime joined other populations to become the ancestors of contemporary Pueblo Indians. Apache, Zuni, Navajo and Pueblo peoples are today's Native American residents of New Mexico.
The Spaniards arrived in 1540 AD in search of gold, sent several expeditions over the years and established Santa Fe as the "City of Holy Faith" in 1609. Santa Fe was a military outpost and thriving trade center. Life centered around the Plaza, much as it did in Pueblo life and in European towns.
Through all of its intricate history, Santa Fe has retained the rich character of its diverse origins, Tradition is respected and is practiced as an integral part of everyday life. The Pueblo Indians selling handmade jewelry under the portal if the Palace of the Governors - just across the street from the Inn - are visual links to the past, reminding us of the value of art and entrepreneurship in New Mexico's heritage.
Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi is a haven for travelers, reflecting Santa Fe's rich atmosphere of earthiness and artful living. It links the past with the present through its architectural design, recreating the sense of mystery and accomplishment by which the Anasazi lived. They whisper to us across time, about the deeper spirit within the ordinary events.
