HISTORY OF THE INN OF THE FIVE GRACES

In the marvelous old city of Santa Fe, Ira and Sylvia Seret, internationally-known importers and creators of unique and exotic architectural elements, rugs, furnishings and antiques, decided to take an ancient, dilapidated collection of buildings and create a hotel. The Inn of the Five Graces was originally known as Seret's 1001 Nights. The 24-suite hotel opened in 1996, and from the beginning the Inn was a magical and fanciful retreat, furnished with near-eastern treasures and antiques that the Serets brought back from their travels. Sylvia Seret, a renown mosaic artist, designed the fabulous mosaic tile-work for the suites' kitchens and bathrooms while Ira Seret furnished and developed the property with his special touch and favorite pieces. At the start of 2002, and until 2009, the hotel was managed by the Vermont based Garrett Hotel Group, who continued to build upon the service of the hotel. It was during this time, the Inn found its new name honoring the inn's exotic, sensuous and luxurious atmosphere along with its many Afghan and Tibetan artifacts. The Five Graces was chosen, referencing the five "graces" of Tibetan culture - sight, sound, touch, smell, taste. Year after year the original vision of the property continued on, by pursuing excellence of service, cuisine and accommodations to create a truly world-class hotel. January 2010, the Seret family once again became the operators of the hotel and at the helm is Sharif Seret as Managing Partner. Having worked closely with the GHG over the past several years, the Serets have continued to further the Inn's spirit of service and excellence. With an ever developing, yet signature style, the Serets' have expanded upon the overall vision and visual experience of the Inn, by adding their latest in design elements and collection pieces throughout.
SANTA FE AND THE INN OF THE FIVE GRACES Santa Fe is an ancient city by American standards. Five hundred years before the arrival of the Spanish in 1540 there were Pueblo villages here, 7,000 feet above sea level. Tiny houses and large buildings alike were constructed of a durable mixture of mud and straw called adobe. The city - the oldest state capital in the country - was wrought with battles between the Conquistadors and Pueblo Indians for control of the area. Three hundred years later, New Mexico became a United States Territory in 1846, and a state in 1912. Robust trade began by way of the Santa Fe Trail; and the fresh clear air and dry climate brought many people seeking a cure for tuberculosis. The Inn of the Five Graces anchors the historic, 17th century Barrio de Analco, or Quarter "Across the Water" in the language of the Mexican Tlaxcalpa Indians, who came to Santa Fe in 1598 with the Spanish. This is the oldest inhabited block in the United States. Across Old Santa Fe Trail from the hotel is the San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the United States, and next to it, the oldest house. The extensive, multi-cultural history of Santa Fe - textured with varying religion, language and art - make the city fascinating, vibrant and beautiful today. Colonial Spanish and indigenous Indian architecture mix along the streets; words from lost languages reverberate in municipal names. It is a city leavened by the great spirituality of its past, and the many spas, churches and shamans of Santa Fe are each, in their own way, modern re-tellings of an old, old story.