Our property features 3 historic adobe buildings with 6 newly remodeled vacation rental suites; a large communal garden area with a hot tub, cowboy pool, hammocks, lounge seating areas, outdoor dining tables, and outdoor games; a laundry room; and two parking areas - all securely surrounded by a 6+ foot wall.

All of our suites are fully stocked vacation rentals - completely private, with a full bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and dining space (some also have separate living spaces). Each suite has its own outdoor patio space on the property as well.

The Desert Compass is an independent hospitality experience, the way you would expect with a vacation rental. We do not have a front desk, and our suites are all self check-in. However, we are always available by text or phone if you have any questions or concerns during your stay. Most of our guests prefer to experience the property independently, but might check in if they have a question about something in their suite, or want advice for things to see and do nearby.

The Desert Compass property is fully enclosed by a 6+ ft wall with keypad access, making it secure to our guests. The front pedestrian gate is also secured with a keypad.

We have 1 standard sized parking space available per suite, and street parking is available for additional vehicles. Unfortunately due to limited space we cannot accommodate large vehicles such as U-Hauls or trucks with trailers (anything larger than a Sprinter Van or similar). The entrance to our property is 10 feet wide, and we cannot accommodate vehicles that exceed this size.

There is free street parking available outside the property for any additional vehicles.

We have a hot tub that is open year-round, and a cowboy pool (an 8ft wide x 3 ft deep stock tank pool that is perfect for dipping your toes, lazily floating, or sitting in to cool off) that is open from May - September (sometimes a bit longer, depending on the weather).

Standard Policy: Guest receives 97% if cancellation occurs more than 30 days before arrival; Guest receives 50% if cancellation occurs more than 7 days before arrival; No refunds within 7 days of arrival.

*Please note that the cancellation policy applies to reservation date changes. We highly recommend adding the optional cancellation protection insurance available when booking on our website to protect your reservation to be up to 100% refundable for any reason. More details are available during the checkout process.

**These policies apply to direct bookings on our website. Bookings through other platforms (such as Airbnb, VRBO) may have different cancellation policies. Please contact us directly if you have a question about policies related to your booking.

We know that pets are a part of the family, and we have two pet-friendly suites available to well behaved pets and their responsible owners. We allow most types of pets in the Rattlesnake Suite, and we allow dogs 25 lbs or under in the Coyote Suite.

All pets require a $50 pet fee and a refundable security deposit.

For the safety of you and your pet, and out of consideration for our other guests, we ask that you follow our pet rules during your stay:

• Keep pets leashed at all times while on the property.

• Clean up all pet waste immediately.

• Pets are not allowed on the furniture. If you absolutely cannot keep them off, please cover any furniture thoroughly (sofa covers are provided in the Rattlesnake and Coyote Suites).

• Do not allow pets to bark incessantly or cause disturbance to the other guests.

• By bringing a pet, you agree that you will pay for any and all damages caused by pets to furniture or furnishings at the property. Guests that violate the pet rules will be asked to leave.

All suites in our main building (Luna, Yucca, Cowgirl and Cactus) do not allow pets under any circumstances.

Most of our property is not suitable for children under 12 years of age, due to the nature of the antique furnishings, original artwork, and fragile items that are easily damaged by small hands.

Children under 12 may be allowed with prior permission from the owner in the Rattlesnake and Coyote Suites. These suites are not designed to be “child friendly”, and we ask that you be the judge of whether these spaces are a good fit for your individual child, as guests will be liable for all damages.

Children of all ages must be supervised at all times while on the property, and we ask that you take them to play at the wonderful playground across the street at Tiguex Park (rather than in our main garden) to maintain the peaceful enjoyment of the property for our other guests.

No, a car is not necessary to enjoy your stay at The Desert Compass! Our location in the heart of Old Town Albuquerque offers plenty to see and do within a short walking distance. Many of our guests stay without vehicles and explore the area by foot, or using public transportation (see below).

We only recommend a car if you plan to explore the Sandia mountains, do a lot of outdoor activities, or want to explore the surrounding area (day trips around Albuquerque).

The Desert Compass is an independent hospitality experience with self check-in, so you are welcome to check-in any time of day or night (after check-in time). We leave the outdoor lights on all night so that you can find your way to your room even after dark. We just ask that you be quiet and considerate of our other guests if you are checking-in at a late hour, especially if you’re staying in the main building.

We can usually accommodate earlier check-in or later check-out times (based on availability) for $10 per hour, up to 2 hours on either end (so as early as 2pm check-in, or 1pm check-out).

If you would like to add early check-in or late check-out to your reservation, please notify us when making your reservation, or at least 24 hours in advance. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate last minute early check-in if it has not previously been scheduled, as our cleaners have already made their schedules for the day.

We do have free self-serve luggage storage available on-site. If your flight arrives before check-in time, or departs late in the day, please contact us for access instructions if you would like to use our luggage storage during the day.

Our reservation calendar is typically open for individual suite reservations 1 year in advance.

There are different nightly minimum stay requirements that depend on how far in advance you are making a reservation.

Because our rentals are entire suites and not just small hotel rooms, we charge a cleaning fee on top of the nightly rate, which is standard practice for vacation rentals. A cleaning fee is charged for each stay, whether it is 1 night or 7.

Our cleaners work extremely hard to prepare your suite to be sparkling clean, and it is important to us that they are paid well for their work! You’re always welcome to leave them an additional tip if you feel inclined, though it is not expected.

The Desert Compass is located 10 minutes from the Albuquerque Sunport.

Taxi services are readily available, and Uber and Lyft rides are also typically available, depending on the time of day:

zTrip (formerly Yellow Cab Company) (505) 247-8888

ABQ Green Cab Company (505) 243-6800

The Desert Compass is located right in the heart of the historic Old Town neighborhood. History and architecture lovers will love wandering through the neighborhood and seeing the unique adobe buildings, and visiting historic Old Town plaza, which is home to many art galleries, shops, restaurants, wineries and taprooms, and more.

We are also located in the heart of the museum district. The Albuquerque Museum, Explora Science Museum, and the Museum of Natural History and Science are all a stone’s throw away.

Lush and beautiful Tiguex park is right outside our doorstep - a bustling park with space to enjoy activities, read a book in the shade, walk your dog, and an excellent playground.

The newly developed Sawmill District is also a block away. Centered around the Sawmill Market, a hip food court with beautiful design and a range of delicious food and drink offerings, this area has some very cool shops and attractions as well.

BUS: The Desert Compass is a 5 minute walk to the Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) Bus Line, with the nearest station located on Central Ave near San Felipe St NW. This line runs every 8-15 minutes, and will take you directly through Old Town, Downtown Albuquerque, University of New Mexico area, Nob Hill, and Uptown. It is a great way to access many of Albuquerque’s best neighborhoods and areas.

TRAIN: The Rail Runner train line runs daily between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It is a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenery of northern New Mexico, and to go for a day trip to visit Santa Fe. The nearest Rapid Ride station is downtown, and can be accessed easily with the ART Bus line. We recommend getting off at the Santa Fe Depot stop, which has a weekend farmers market, restaurants and cafés, tourist attractions, galleries, and a range of retail offerings all within walking distance.