La Posada

 

 

click photo to enlarge		 La Posada is a restored Harvey House in Winslow Arizona. Fred Harvey is credited with creating the first restaurant chain in the United States. He was also a leader in promoting tourism in the American Southwest in the late 19th century. Fred Harvey and his employees successfully brought new higher standards of both civility and dining to a region widely regarded in the era as "the Wild West." Our first time staying in this hotel was in 2003 and at that time they only had about 20 rooms available as they were restoring the hotel. La Posada was designed and originally decorated by the famous Southwest architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. She was the chief architect and designer for the Fred Harvey Company from 1905 until her retirement in the 1950's. She considered this her masterpiece.

click photo to enlarge		 Allan Affeldt was the vision behind restoring the hotel and also behind the resurrection Winslow Arizona. In 2005 he became mayor of Winslow. The hotel is a wonderfully restored hotel, museum, gardens and art gallery. The food in the Turquoise room is also wonderful. Allan also owns the Plaza Hotel and Castenada in Las Vegas New Mexico. We stayed at the Plaza Hotel in December of 2019 and the Castenada was just in the process of being restored. It too was a Harvey House back in the day.

click photo to enlarge