After being closed to the public for the past decade, the 1880 Union Hotel in Los Alamos is opening up a few opportunities for everyone to come sip at the saloon, dine on the historic grounds, and spend the night in Wild West splendor. During four winery-takeover weekends this spring, overnight guests can book two-night package deals, even more can buy tickets for the Saturday winemaker dinner, and everyone can once again saddle up at the saloon for a glass from the host winery.
The property was taken over last fall by Voyj Travel, which is a hospitality real estate company focused on experience-based travel. They’ve owned and operated properties in Joshua Tree and Paso Robles, but as said creative director Kyle McCarthy explained, “This is our first big acquisition as a group.”
They’ve been hosting weddings and private events for months, and even held local’s nights and a few holiday parties at the saloon. But the Spring Wine Weekends — featuring Lo-Fi Wines (April 10-12), McKinney Family (April 17-19), Koehler (April 24-26), and Demetria (May 1-3) — are serving as 1880 Union’s grand reopening celebration.
“As we move forward in this technological age, where AI gets brought up in every other sentence, meeting in person is going to become more and more important in building community,” explained McCarthy. “That’s what we strive to do, to create those places where everyone can come together and have meaningful memories of that.” Whether that’s weddings or winemaker dinners, McCarthy said, “The hotel is the perfect backdrop for that.”
People clearly agree, as the nine-room hotel is already mostly booked through the summer and fall with weddings. (Midweek private buyouts are still possible.) So while they do plan to open the saloon more regularly on Wednesdays and Thursdays, these four weekends represent rare chances to experience the full property in full.
Built in 1880, again in 1915 after a fire, and then refurbished to its wooden charm in 1972, the Union is perhaps best known as the setting of the music video for the Michael Jackson-Paul McCartney duet “Say Say Say.” You can book the room where McCartney is seen getting ready, which was recently renovated to include a clawfoot tub.
“You are able to take a bath in the same place they filmed Paul McCartney in the bathroom,” said McCarthy. “A lot of people love that.”
The weekend packages start with a winemaker welcome session on Friday, then you are on your own that night to explore Los Alamos. Saturday includes a vineyard tour, tasting, and luncheon by the host winery, and then comes the winemaker dinner, which will seat more than the overnight guests but be capped at 40 people. The saloon will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through the weekend as well.
As to future opportunities like this, McCarthy pledged, “We hope to do a lot more.”
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