Jack H.
Yelp
I don't know how you could improve on the Bear Mountain Lodge. I guess you could outfit the beds with 1500-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets or something, but it would be a mistake. No reason to mess with a small, quiet, warm, beautiful inn.
The BML is managed by the owners, one of whom lives on-site. Owner Jeff is the perfect host and innkeeper. Owner John is a Jack of All Trades, a fun personality who pops up at random.
We stayed in a room in Maya's Retreat, which has four guest rooms that open onto a comfortable common living room. In the evenings we would wander over to the main room of the lodge and enjoy a toddy in front of the fire. Our room was large, as was our well-appointed bath.
We visited over Christmas and had the opportunity to enjoy the lodge's Christmas Eve Dinner (fabulous posole) and Christmas Day Supper (stuffed pork tenderloin). Breakfasts every day began with fruit, yogurt and granola, followed by a main dish that might be waffles, a quiche or a frittata, offered with bacon or sausage. Generally, the food is not gourmet-grade; it is extra-good, solid, creative, appetizing fare, prepared expertly and presented well. Meals tend to favor local ingredients and traditions. There is always a vegetarian option. The posole was the exception to the good-but-not-oh-my-God standard: prepared from dried posole/hominy (not canned), it was absolutely interplanetary.
The staff is excellent, attentive and caring. The lodge is immaculate, beautifully designed and impeccably appointed. The entire property is one big art gallery, from the lobby to the dining room to guest rooms. We came away with some block-print napkins, two small paintings and a very odd terra cotta skull for Day of the Dead.
The room prices are absurd. They are at least $40 low, prompting me to do something that I have never done before: I urged Jeff to raise the rates. Right after I checked out.
If you want to complain about something, try this. The lodge does not have a bar, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a zip-line, a spa, or Wayne Newton singing in the lounge. It does not have televisions or phones (yay!), though it does have okay wi-fi. It is a place to stay while you enjoy all of the outdoor wonders that New Mexico has to offer. It is a comfortable, charming retreat.
When we left, we gave Jeff big hugs and thanked him for his gracious hospitality.