A bidding process aimed at developing an iconic 1950s style motel in Santa Fe is expected to begin in earnest sometime this month.
Plans were announced in November to update Garrett’s Desert Inn at 311 Old Santa Fe Trail, which sits on a 2.7-acre site.
The development team of Peak Hospitality of Albuquerque and the Scottsdale, Arizona-based Green Tree Hospitality had submitted the winning bid to the owner of the property, the New Mexico State Land Office.
That proposal called for modernizing all of the motel’s 84 rooms, updating the lighting, heating and cooling systems, and redoing the lobby space.
Altogether, it was expected that Peak Hospitality and Green Tree Hospitality would spend around $2.5 million, giving the Desert Inn a new look.
But the Land Office has since pulled out of the deal after it said that the project’s partners were unable to give evidence of securing a $250,000 performance bond.
It has not yet been announced when the new bidding process will officially begin.
