Celebrating 90 Years of History

Constructed in 1929, the Sagebrush Inn & Suites was built and first operated by Frank and Helen Kentnor who opened the hotel under the name El Chamiso Lodge in 1931. By 1933 the Kentnors changed the name to the Sagebrush Inn (Sagebrush being the English translation of Chamiso) as it was more recognizable to early guest who were typically making the journey from the East Coast to Arizona and back. This adobe walled charming wayside hotel offered 13 guestrooms that quickly became known for authentic Southwest décor and warm hospitality – just as it is today.

Shortly after the hotel opened, the Kentnors added a dining room to the hotel at the request of their guests who did not want to make the several mile journey to Taos Plaza for meals. In those early years, the hotel was not able to offer a bar due to Prohibition, but guests delighted in playing cards in the evenings and appreciated the jigsaw puzzles the Kentnors kept fireside for entertainment. Later in life, the Sagebrush Inn would be home to an illegal gambling room until getting raided in 1950.

Over the years, Sagebrush Inn & Suites has grown to include 156 guestrooms and suites, over 13,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and has developed a reputation for authentic Southwest cuisine as well as live music at Sagebrush Cantina. While it has been restored and expanded over the years, the Inn remains a historic icon within the Taos community, serving visitors and Taoseños alike. Most recently, the hotel was purchased in 2017 and is undergoing renovations and improvements to restore the Sagebrush Inn to its iconic glory.

Historical Highlights:

• The main lobby and original guestrooms are constructed from 10 inch thick adobe block.

• When it opened in 1931, rooms went for $3.00 per night and meals were $.75 – a pretty penny in the early years of the Depression.

• In the early 1930s, Georgia O'Keeffe occupied what is now The Artist's Loft and is believed to have been greatly inspired by the room's stunning views during the year she lived at the Sagebrush Inn.

• In 1944, the hotel served as home to the Los Alamos Boys School when the US Army took over the school's original site in Los Alamos as headquarters for the infamous Manhattan Project.

• In the late 1940s, the Sagebrush Inn was home to an illegal gambling hall featuring Craps, Blackjack, and a Slot Machine.

• Scenes from the iconic movie Easy Rider were shot in the fields of sagebrush behind the hotel.

• When filming the movie Twins, the cast stayed at the Sagebrush with Arnold Schwarzenegger requiring two rooms, one for sleeping and one for all of his weights and workout equipment.

• Over the years, the list of celebrities and dignitaries that have graced the Sagebrush Inn is long and distinguished including many artists, actors, and even a President of the United States. A small sampling of some of our more notable guests include Georgia O'Keeffe, Ansel Adams, Marlon Brando, Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper (a frequent bar patron), Gene Hackman, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, President Gerald Ford, and R.C. Gorman (whose artwork can be found throughout the hotel and even in the floor).