La Romeros and Espíritus Perdidos a The Plaza Hotel
By J. Young
Did Billy the Kid ever stay at this hotel? Probably not, as its completed construction was in 1882, after Billy’s time. But Billy did see the construction of it most likely when he was having a sleepover at the old jail, just Northeast of The Plaza Hotel a few days after christmas. Sheriff Garrett and his posse stayed at The Exchange Hotel on the Plaza park, near the future Plaza Hotel.

Benigno Romero Was born in Golden New Mexico on February 13th 1849. He had three brothers Eugenio, Trinidad and Margarito. The boy’s father was Miguel A Romero, a native of Spain. Miguel and his father Francisco were the first settlers in Las Vegas and built the very first homes there. Benigno Romero grew up and attended Jesuit college on the west side of town. Jesuit college later became Regis University. Afterwards, Romero attended the Christian Brothers College in St Louis.
After returning to Las Vegas, Romero was eager to get established in the business world at Las Vegas. LV was growing very quickly. With $350 Romero and his brother purchased a lot and built a Mercantile store and shoe store on the Northside of the plaza park. They became a success and purchased more lots to construct the Las Vegas hose company (fire dept.), and a book & stationery store. They also purchased several cattle and sheep ranches, just outside of town.
The first of the Romero’s stores became the largest structure on the Plaza when they added two more stories to their building on the North side, making it a hotel, dancehall/saloon, restaurant called “The Plaza Supper Club’, as well as various trade stores. It was opened in 1882 and named The Plaza Hotel. There were some issues with the contractor for stalling the construction of the building and the matter was forced to be settled in court. By the time the Hotel was complete, the city’s population was the highest in the territory, meaning very good things to come for business owners like The Romeros.
Benigno Romero was a valued and treasured citizen of Las Vegas, he was a leader and served on many boards like the citizens and irrigation committees of Las Vegas. Romero was also on the board of directors for the insane asylum, where his son was a doctor. Benigno was President of the baseball club and President of The Romero Drug Company. He conducted most of his business from his home which would later be on North Pacific Street.

The Plaza Hotel, which has become a landmark in Las Vegas. The structure was a large Victorian style building made of stone and upper levels of brick. It was designed with magnificent entablatures on top and over each row of windows are fancy capitals. Rod iron columns can be seen in the front of the building, as well as traces where a balcony once stood out over the front of the hotel, allowing guests to stand above and gaze over the plaza park. Originally the hotel had just 37 guest rooms, a dancehall/saloon and restaurant. The guest rooms were 14 feet high and wonderfully decorated. Winding throughout the hotel is a fine walnut baluster handrail that still keeps it’s guests steady to this day. The front desk area today is where an outdoor back patio once was for smoking and conversation. The long dancehall was originally where The kitchen is now, and that room’s heavy thick ceiling was supported by 800 pound iron columns that were made and shipped in from St. Louis. The heavy columns were later moved to its current restaurant room, which was where Romero’s stores were originally. The lobby contained eight 7 foot long benches constructed of iron frames and fine wood. The Hotel has been labeled the finest Victorian built in all of the Southwest, and was often referred to as “The Belle Of The Southwest”.
A lot next door was purchased by Allan Ilfeldt. Ilfeldt built a store between the Plaza and Alexander Grzelachowski’s store. Ilfeldt eventually obtained Grzelachowski’s store and built it onto his own adding two floors above the original, the building was dressed to impress and complemented its neighbor, the Plaza. Ilfeldt’s was decorated in an Italian style, and above it’s windows, were hand carved Lion heads.
In the late 1890s, early 1900s the hotel was run by a relative Mrs. Lopez and her husband. It wasn’t long after the railroad tracks were set, that tuberculosis patients came to Las Vegas New Mexico by the hundreds to try to heal themselves in the high altitude and dry climate; many of them were housed at the Plaza Hotel, just a trolley ride up the hill from the train station. In 1900 the hotel was closed temporarily due to a depression caused by a railroad strike, halting all train movement to LV.

On May 10th 1911, Benigno and the Romero Drug Company were found guilty in violation of the pure food law for the use of illegal ingredients being used in the medicine called LaSandora. As well as illegal quantities of medicine and being shipped into the United States from NM Territory. Romero was forced to pay a $50.00 fine and a promise to to violate the law again.
The charge could not possibly slander this outstanding citizen’s name, and did not. Romero was remembered for always looking for the best ways to benefit Las Vegas and it’s residents.
Benigno Romero passed away at his home from heart failure on September 26th 1913 at age 64. His funeral procession was large and he was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Las Vegas.

After Romero’s death The Plaza Hotel was leased to film director Romaine Fieldney, for 2 years and used for many silent films. Slightly visible still to this day is the print on the brick exterior with the words “Romain Hotel” .
The hotel was then sold to Byron T. Mills, an eccentric attorney, landlord and mining partner to a successful mine in the area. He was formerly the mayor and owned Mills abstract company. Byron and his wife lived at 921 8th street. Mills used room 310 at the hotel for his office and practically lived at the hotel. He was a champion fisherman and often stocked the river waters for himself, the guests of the hotel and residents of Las Vegas to have a good fishing experience. Mills once ordered 60,000 trout from a fish farm in Colorado. The fish were shipped in cans to Las Vegas by train and set free in the headwaters of The Galinas, Mora and Sepello Rivers. Develop
Later, in the early 1940’s Mills rented most of the hotel rooms to serve as dormitories for the New Mexico Highlands University. During this time the hotel was in bad shape and needed repairs as well as new furniture. According to a New Mexico publication in 1945, it reported Mr. Mills wanted to demolish the building. The magazine quotes Mills “I almost feel guilty about the demolition; it certainly is an old landmark.”
Before Mills could destroy the building he died suddenly in 1947 at the Elks Lodge on Douglas Avenue, which later burned down.
In the 1970s most of the Plaza and businesses along Bridge Street closed and were abandoned. In the 1980s Wid Slick and his Partners bought the Plaza Hotel and renovated it.They used local businesses like Price’s furniture on Douglas for the dining room floor as well as Steve’s Woodworking for the handcrafted the front desk and Bar. In the bar room today, the wood flooring is still the original. Hanging on the walls are real Navajo woven rugs from New Mexico. The lobby floor was milled locally in Las Vegas.
Twenty years later in 2006 the Hotel got another makeover from it’s new owner, Allan Affeldt, who also purchased the old Ilfeldts building next door, combining the two and had put about a million dollars into improvements at the Plaza hotel. Joining the building next door gave The Plaza 35 more guest rooms, meeting rooms and a ballroom.  Allan Also bought the Castaneda Hotel
Allan is quoted in the newspaper, “We plan to work our way through the Plaza Hotel and then the Castaneda – room by room to create a treasure house of New Mexico art and history. Already we have expanded the ballroom, doubled the bar, brought in historic furniture from La Fonda in Santa Fe, replaced the linens and beds, and rebuilt the front desk, kitchen and dining room. We have a lot to do, but we promise it will be a little better, every time you come. Your visits will help us restore these wonderful buildings and this remarkable town. We hope to earn your repeat business, and to see you soon!”
The remodeled interior of Plaza Hotel can be seen in the 2007 movie No Country For Old Men.
The hotel was purchased again in 2014 by David Herzburg. It may have sold again but I’m not sure.

Today The Plaza Hotel hosts guests of past and present…
Several guests and employees have reported strange occurrences and feelings while at the hotel.
Most believe that Mr. Mills haunts the hotel, mostly he seems to be attracted to the women guests of the hotel. His ghost is identified by a heavy cigar smoke stench…in particular; room 310, his office.
On one occasion during a dark and stormy night a desk clerk at the hotel reportedly dealt with a elderly lady in a robe and slippers in the middle of the night. She cried to the desk clerk. “He stayed there for hours, and wouldn’t let me get up? The woman claims something was sitting on the bed with her, restraining her. The clerk knew already…she was staying in room 310.
In room 326 another guest claimed his belongings were rearranged while he was in the shower and noted the security latch was locked. He screamed at the front desk…” Is there a ghost in my room?”
Other guests have reported an impression of a sinking body on the beds with them. As if the ghost were laying down on the bed right next to you!
Another strange occurrence was at the bar when 3 devout catholics were drinking on good friday on the patio when drops of blood seemingly fell out of nowhere onto the white tablecloth at their table. The group left the hotel in horror and feeling like they were not welcome there.
In the lobby of the hotel a couple left their young daughter on a lobby sofa while they stepped out to smoke. A few minutes went by and she approached the man at the front desk and asked, if he could sit with her because the ghost was bothering her. The clerk went and sat by her and asked about the ghost. The little girl told him that it was a man and he had kissed her on the cheek and that he was the same man as shown in the picture on the wall behind them. The painting was of Mr. Mills.
Strange feelings and symptoms similar to an EMF exposure, headaches, depression, itching sensations, paranoia and dizziness have also been reported by guests..
The employees have some tales also. One waitress and her husband, the maintenance guy, stayed in the hotel for the night. During the night the man left the room to repair the heat that went out. The wife drifted back to sleep, but was awakened by the door opening and closing followed by footsteps coming across the room. She could see nothing but felt someone sit on the bed with her. She sat up but still nothing was there. When she tried to go back to sleep she couldn’t and heavy boot footsteps began pacing the room back and forth for the rest of the night, with no one there!
Other employees have reported sighting a little girl dressed in old attire but disappears.
At the bar occasionally a banging on the wall can be heard with no explanation. Rumors are that Mr. Mills used to bang on the wall when he wanted a drink.

The tunnels under The Plaza park were used to transport gold and silver to the bank and supposedly connected to the Plaza Hotel. I had the pleasure of having lunch at The Plaza Hotel last month, and after an employee told me about the tunnels I secretly roamed the basement of this creepy old place, but came to a locked boiler room door that I suspect is the way to the tunnels.
Employees have reported a strange vibration feeling through their bodies while in the boiler room.
Today The Plaza Hotel is one of the many Las Vegas historical buildings on the registry of Historic Places. In fact I believe Las Vegas has more historical buildings per capita than any other city in the U.S.
Book your stay here…
https://www.plazahotellvnm.com/