Comment by XiaoYan Gu, Chinese January 2010  Lovely place with nice facility and wonderful people   Me and my friend spent a couple of days recently in the hostel and we were amazed at how friendly and wonderful this place was. We met a bunch of great people there, some of them are regular skiers who stays here every year and some are travelers like us staying for their first time. But we all made great friends with each other instantly. All the staff at the hostel were extremely helpful and welcoming, too. They have a garden where they grow grain and beans -- those are where our meals from the hostels are from. And if you ever go there, be sure to look for Muna -- a great medicist and healer. I'm sure she will be able to help with you one thing or two.

Comment by Jaksa, USA November 2009  Great, Family Friendly Hostel   In the past ten years I have gone to Abominable Snowmansion three times, and each time I found the atmosphere in the hostel to be very warm and welcoming. First time I was there with a large college group -- we drove there from Austin, and it was a lot of fun. The kitchen and the fireplace made for great gathering spaces for our group, and an opportunity to talk with others in the hostel, and hear some really great stories. Last couple of years, I have been going there with my wife and two children (three- and four- and five- and six-year-olds). Kiddoes made many children and adult friends there. There was so much diversity that one's curiosity is constantly being fed with new wonderful insights about people, places, experiences. We all loved it, and felt sad leaving the place, wonderful hosts, and our fellow guests. If you are looking for a warm, welcoming place with opportunities to talk with folks with very diverse world views, Abominable Snowmansion is where you want to be. If you are looking for a place with brand new furnishings, TVs, and commercialism then this is not a place for you.

Comment by Jeff Glenn, USA August 2009  A slice of the good life, unmatched anywhere.   The snowmansion is a beautiful place to be. There are always amazing projects going on there and it really doesn't feel like a hostel but more of a beautiful home with friends. Sure, all hostels have games, books, and a kitchen, but how many have massive gardens, communal meals, and are family run? I recently took a group to the snowmansion and we had a blast. We spent a day harvesting from their fruit trees and preserving applesauce! Being in Arroyo Seco is great, the traffic of taos is far away and the small village surrounding the hostel is very nice. I highly recommend visiting the snowmansion!

Comment by Jaems Eastman, USA April 2009  Nice place   I've been traveling to Taos for many years and have wanted to stay at the SnowMansion. Since 1996 when I travel my wife is along too. She has well defined expectations of where we'll stay (as you might guess). Unfortunately for the adventurer side of me those defined expectations do not include the word Hostel (or long distance driving or anything without the word spa). So for this trip I grabbed a couple of buddies of mine and we set off for adventure, which of course included the SnowMansion. We booked a private room that had a queen size bed and an over-under bunk bed. The room was warm and clean, as were the bed linens. The bathroom was fine and the people were very nice. One note, be sure to have a personal supply of toiletries as these can be hard to come by on short, early morning notice. The trip to the mountain and/or into town is short and the fellow travelers at the hostel were quite nice. My buddies and I had a great time.

This is a warm, welcoming community! The area is truly beautiful, the facilities clean and usable, and the atmosphere laid back and homey. Visit it! And don't forget to take walks early in the morning as the sun rises. You can't beat it.

Comment by KCE from Denver October 2005 My mom and I stayed here for four nights last week. We rented a private room (the private rooms are upstairs). We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. There was an odor emanating from one of the fridges when we arrived but they soon took care of that. The hostel "closes" from 12-4 p.m. each day so it was nice and quiet when we happened to be there during those hours. It is during this time that the staff does their "chores," like laundry, housecleaning, etc. Everyone was very nice. Andrew checked us in; and we also met Amu, Subra, and Rose. And since it was starting to get cooler, they had just started letting the three cats in (Pumpkin, Snow, and Grey Snow); we really enjoyed having them around. The pool table and cues weren't in the best of shape but it was nice having it there. The hostel is about 10 miles north of downtown Taos but it's a nice drive that I didn't mind at all. There was also a constant supply of local apples and pears to munch on. I won't hesitate to stay here again!

Comment by Anonymous May 2005 Arroyo Seco is a cute tiny town with a few restaurants and art shops. The hostel is nice — it has a pool table, and a decent kitchen with a fridge and plenty of pots and pans. The rooms are pretty clean, and comfortable enough. My only complaint is that I stayed there in the winter and the heater broke. They poked around and tried to fix the heater, but it was a very cold night.

Comment by Sam May 2005 Love this hostel! One of the guys that worked there picked us up from the bus station in his van for a few dollars. Such a friendly hostel, and the teepees... love them!!! The area is great, I could have stayed here relaxing for weeks... heaven.

Comment by Kwisatz Haderach November 2004 I stayed at the Snow Mansion and found it to be one of the most enjoyable hostel experiences that I have ever had. This is a brilliant place ALL year round and I would HIGHLY recommend that one stay at the Snow Mansion if one is in Taos. Take a walk up El Salto road and say "Hi" to the pueblo-dwelling buffalo as well.

Comment by Anonymous November 2004 I stayed at the Snowmansion for ten days in late August 2004. I felt immediately at home upon arrival. The staff were excellent and eager to help. I would stay here over any other place in the area. The rooms are large and the people are very friendly.

Comment by Jefferson Packer August 2004 I've been to the Snowmansion three times, and if I could find a way to live there I probably would. If someone offered me a choice between a $2,000-a-week condo and a week at the Snowmansion, I wouldn't have to think for even a second—what's the fun of being alone surrounded by silent luxury? The joy of the Snowmansion is found in the beautiful people from all over the world who are all there seeking the same thing—a community of adventurers. You never know who you'll meet or what will happen when you go there; it is a real, genuine human experience that hasn't been "sanitized for your protection." Bring your easel, your diary, your book of poetry, your acoustic guitar or just your skis or snowboard, and revel in a place that actually WANTS you to express yourself!

Comment by D Odomok August 2004 My older teens and I stayed here in a tipi, and the staff were very helpful. Everyone made us feel at home. We used the "outdoor" kitchen, which was well-equipped and clean. Taos is a fantastic town, as well; we had lots of fun.

Comment by Joan Cenci-Thomas June 2004 This is a great hostel! The rooms are arranged well for semi-privacy. The common area is large and conducive to socializing, or just hanging out by yourself and reading. There are lots of books from which to choose. We stayed in one of the "co-ed" rooms, since we are married, and it was a lovely room with a lavender scent. The beds are fine, and you will sleep well. The kitchen facilities are very good, clean, organized, and there's lots of good food. The grounds and surrounding areas are interesting and fun, and the staff are really helpful and low-key, and will give you directions to all the places you would like to go in the area. It was fun to sit outside in the "backyard" at a campfire and hang out with a few guys from Texas who had driven through Roswell and got lost--they had stories to tell. This is an enchanting land, and this hostel is a very good place to start seeing it.