Just north of Santa Fe lies the Hilton Buffalo Thunder Resort.With a spa, casino, conference facilities, and an absolutely beautiful golf course, the resort offers something for everyone. And most recently, it has garnered much acclaim from numerous travel magazines and their readers. 

The New Mexican published a great article today about the resort and all of the recent attention that it has received. Check it out, and then set up a tee time!

By: Bob Quick in The New Mexican
 
Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort and Spa at Buffalo Thunder has received three awards from industry publications that have recognized the Pojoaque Pueblo development as a top meetings destination.

“Receiving recognition from our readers — who are ultimately our customers — and industry leaders is an honor and a fitting way to celebrate our success,” said Timothy Booth, general manager of the resort, in a statement. “We hope we can continue our track record … in the years to come.”

In a recent meeting with a reporter, Allen Mosley, chief executive officer of Buffalo Thunder, Inc., and Gov. George Rivera of Pojoaque Pueblo discussed the awards and Buffalo Thunder’s performance as a local business.

The three awards were the 2010 Elite Gold Certification from Elite Meetings International, publisher of Elite Meetings magazine; a 2009 Platinum Choice Award from SmartMeetings magazine, and a 2009 Gold Key Award from Meetings and Convention magazine.

“The Elite Gold award represents a new level of endorsement from the Elite Meetings Advisory Board,” said Travis Hodge, spokesman for Elite Meetings. “This recognition — which cannot be purchased — is granted only to upscale and upper-upscale hospitality providers offering an exceptional group experience.”

The 700,000-square-foot Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino previously received the Project of the Year award from the American Subcontractors Association of New Mexico.

The hotel and casino, along with Pojoaque Pueblo’s other business interests in the area, employ about 1,200 people, making it one of the largest private employers in Northern New Mexico. The pueblo’s annual payroll comes to $28 million a year, Rivera said.

Buffalo Thunder has 395 rooms, a golf course and spa, 13,000 square feet of retail space and 66,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

Pojoaque Pueblo doesn’t disclose its profits or losses, but for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2009, the pueblo reported a net win from its gaming operations of $12.2 million. That compares with the same time period in 2008, when the net win was $12 million, and 2007, when it was $6.3 million.

That information is from the New Mexico Gaming Control Board, which monitors the gaming contract signed by 14 tribes with gaming operations in the state. The net winnings are deposited in the state general fund.

Buffalo Thunder’s current traveler percentage is about 30 percent group business and 70 percent individual travelers.

A key to increasing that group business at Buffalo Thunder is working together with Santa Fe businesses, many of which benefit from the patronage of Buffalo Thunder’s guests.

“Everybody recognizes the name of Santa Fe,” Rivera said, who added that the pueblo did $3 million in group business last year and hopes to increase that amount to $6 million or $7 million this year.

Buffalo Thunder, like other hotels in the U.S. and elsewhere, has been impacted by the downturn in travel. “The economy is having an effect on our business, People are still traveling, but they’re spending less,” Mosley said.

To cope with soft sales, “we’re not sitting back and waiting for things to happen,” Rivera said. “We’re shaking the trees for visitors. We know we’re competing with Las Vegas and other prime destinations.”

The faltering economy resulted in a drop of both group and individual travelers and resulted in Buffalo Thunder’s not being able to make payments on the $245 million in bonds used to finance the project.

Rivera is confident the financial problems can be dealt with.

“We’re in constant communication with the bondholders as to a possible restructuring of the debt,” Rivera said. “It’s a very long and complicated process.”

A restructuring could include reset bonds, Mosley said.

Reset bonds are issued with a provision that on specified dates, the initial interest rate is adjusted so that the bonds trade at their original value, Mosley said..

That would happen if the economy improves and people begin traveling again, creating more revenue for tourism businesses.

Link To Original Article Here

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