El Monte Sagrado

We checked into the El Monte on Jan 9th. I have both good things to say and also some things that need improvement. Upon arrival we were greeted by the valet. I asked if by chance we could check in early if our room was ready. I was told that yes, it was ready and that we were all set. On check in we were told that we were being upgraded to a room different than what was booked. We booked a Casita. I really wanted the Southwest Vibe, whether that was something Native American, Old West, etc. With the "upgrade" we got the Bali Suite. Somehow Bali, Indonesia and the Southwest of the USA don't even come close. I appreciated the larger space but truly missed the Vibe I was going for. The rooms are adobe with timber beams. The clash in the two cultures was weird to say the least. I wish I had declined the upgrade. Also, the pool area was closed for "maintenence" and looked like there was some "significant" work happening in that area. It would have been nice to know that the pool was going to be closed when the reservation was booked. This didn't look like something that was not planned. We had booked massages prior to our arrival. They called to see if we wanted to move our appointments up due to cancelations. We agreed. The check in process was seamless. Locker rooms and waiting area was nice. The massage rooms themselves were nice. There was an atrium area that was quite cold on the way to the massage rooms. All areas of the resort were clean and neat. It didn't seem like there were very many guests present while we were there so there were absolutely no noise issues during our stay. Those are the high points. Some things that definitely need worked on are the price for value aspect. I was disappointed in the overall service for price. The El Monte needs to work on customer service. Due to a significant amount of snow, we decided to eat at the restaurant on property instead of venturing out. Would not do that again. There was only 1 other couple in the restaurant at the time we showed up. I peeked around the corner and stated something like "we don't have a reservation, but it doesn't look like that will be a problem." She had to go ask someone if it would be ok for us to dine since they had another reservation for someone in like another 10 minutes. Mind you there was only one other couple. One waitress working but only 3 tables for a total of 6 people seemed to be too much. We were advised that since it "could be busy on Saturday nights, that we would need reservations in the future." There were only 6 people the whole time we were there! I ordered the lamb shank, $54. My husband had the Steak Frites, $48. His fries and steak were good. My lamb and mashed potatoes were cold. Did not send back. Didn't need them just sticking my plate in a microwave. I had seen others mention the fish tank in the bar area on previous reviews; all pointing out issues. So, I decided to check it out. Water was cloudy and there was a fairly large dead plecostomus in the tank. Looked like it might have been there for a bit. Consistent with previous reviews. Overall, it was an average experience in a hotel that seems to be trying to be a high-end destination (based on price). Very much underwhelmed in value for price for this stay.

We already wrote a TA review last spring. Why is TA asking us to write another review in an email received today? This was probably once a nice resort, but it was being run terribly by a new owner last spring.

We had a massive issue with this hotel recently and were unable to stay due to a reservation error. The story: we had originally booked a global 2-bedroom suite for our family Jan 1, 2026-Jan 4, 2026. In October before our stay, we called reservations to add an extra day, we wanted to come December 31st. When reservations changed our booking, they moved our check in to Dec. 31 *2026* —- 1 year later! Fortunately the manager caught this the night before our arrival, and we’re giving an extra star for Amy who tried her best to inform and accommodate us. She was able to give us two separate rooms in the hotel, much inferior to what we had booked. We were not offered any financial compensation for the reservation mishap, however, we were told reservations would be reprimanded. We were able to find an Airbnb elsewhere, and so decided not to stay with El Monte Sagrado. Bummer. We were really looking forward to this trip.

I was greeted by Christine who had already called me five minutes before to find out if I was lost. I was. But when I arrived she walked me to the locker room, assigned me my locker, and gave me my robe and sandals. When I got out to meet my masseuse, Sandy was there waiting for me in the lobby. She had a big smile and a big greeting. Sandy introduced herself and shook my hand. She gave me the best massage I’ve ever had in my whole entire life. I’m not saying I’m a spa connoisseur, but I’m 62 and I’ve had my fair share of massages. Sandy gave me a deep tissue massage that changed my life. I walked out of there the most relaxed and loose I felt in a really long time. Sandy said she used to do sports therapy and she has some tricks around really getting into the muscles and loosening things up. Then I went into the steam room, took a long shower, slathered myself with Focus body and hair serum, and Christine met me back at the receptionist desk. We ended up having a lovely conversation. For me the spa experience isn’t just about the massage, it’s about feeling welcomed into the space. Sandy and Christine did a heck of a job from their hearts. THANK YOU!

El Monte Sagrado is in a gorgeous setting. We very much appreciated the staff that we met--they were warm and welcoming. A particular shout-out to Margaret, who served us breakfast! She's a lovely person and it was a delight to have her taking care of us. There are some extraordinary services and we took advantage of the shuttle service to and from our restaurant. We had been driving 12 hours and were SO happy not to have to get in our car for one more minute. Our bedroom and bathroom were clean, and bed was comfortable. This hotel charges a lot and has the appearance and carriage of a five-star place; certainly the staff are super attentive and the range of services feel right on, but when it comes to the actual stay in the room, the hotel feels a bit like someone is asleep at the helm. Nice shower and toilet nook. The bedroom was cozy. It had a fireplace, but the gas was turned so low that it was almost impossible to tell if it was actually turned on. the lovely french doors to the yard provided lots of light, but zero privacy: the only curtain was light-blocking, so daylight was either full and exposing, or dark. One of the bed lamps had a burned-out bulb, I couldn't turn on the other until I discovered that there was a wallswitch hidden behind the lampshade. There was no nightlight--we left the bathroom light on and pulled the dividing curtains closed so we could see at night. There was a lighted makeup mirror, except the light didn't work, and it was placed so high up on the wall that one had to be at least six feet tall to use it. Who puts a mirror that high? We suspect the mirror light didn't work because the GFI outlet it was plugged into had failed. Had we been staying more than one night, we would have let the staff know, and I suspect they would have been on it quickly. But why not check lights between guests, and, who puts a makeup mirror 6' high? Speaking of lights, there was a floor lamp next to the bar/fridge cabinet that it on its last legs (the switch is failing, and one of the plastic shades has been melted). We saw that a previous guest noted the dead fish in the aquarium in the garden restaurant, and we are pleased to report that the fish are alive!--but the water was murky and set us to worrying about their health. We would stay here again, but I think I would want to check the room out before we allowed them to settle us in it.