Our Story
Hello! We are Tom and Carolyn, your hosts at The Grand Hacienda. We love Abiquiú –– the history, culture, geography –– and look forward to sharing our passion and knowledge of this area with you. We invite you to join our family of guests, who quickly become friends.
So many of our guests ask how we went from careers in the financial industry –– and all that comes with that –– to building an authentic hacienda estate with guest suites in the middle of a remote desert wilderness. Well, that is a great part of our story, and as it happened, Abiquiú found us and pulled us here. Repeatedly, over twenty years, until we finally moved here. We were up for the adventure, took a risk, and the idea of The Grand Hacienda started percolating.
We started designing and building The Grand Hacienda in 2017. We knew this was going to be an adventure, but we didn't realize in the beginning that it would also be The Hardest Thing we've ever done. We had high, lofty goals: we wanted to create a bed and breakfast "experience"; we wanted to locally source our food; we wanted the property to be green and environmentally aware, to use solar and a sustainable water culture. We didn't want EMFs, but wanted modern technology. We wanted our guest experience to be exactly what we ourselves would expect at a luxury property. And, we wanted to operate our business in a way that would give back to our tiny community and be a source of economic stimulus.
Finally, in 2020 with an occupancy permit, a bed and breakfast license, a business license and a liquor license in hand, we were ready to share a new and unforgettable way to experience northern New Mexico for the most discerning traveler. We opened the guest suites and The Hacienda –– stocked the kitchen, filled the wine and beer stash and set up the mercado gift shop in February 2020. Then 15 days later COVID hit. In retrospect, we learned a lot from COVID. We became NM COVID Safe Certified and upped our already stringent processes on cleaning and disinfecting. We also learned, during times of social isolation and distancing, there is just no better place to escape to than our naturally isolated area of Abiquiú Lake.
Years later, The Hacienda continues living out our vision. It's a place of health and wellness, an ecotourism destination and a luxurious stay.
Living in New Mexico suits us, as we are adventurers who love to hike, ski, and enjoy time in and on the water. We also love to travel and explore and experience other parts of the world. While hosting fellow travelers at The Grand Hacienda, we enjoy the exchange of traveling stories as well sharing our passion and knowledge of the Abiquiú region.
Reach out to us any time. We love our life here, and we hope you will, too.
We look forward to welcoming you to our paradise!
Carolyn and Tom Calfee
