The Abominable Snow Mansion, Arroyo Seco

The 'cabins' were rough. Door didn't close let alone lock, the sheets were dirty with someone else's hair, the ceiling was held together with duct tape, and the showers where pretty bad. Save your money for a place that serves breakfast.

Taos was the destination of one last, long bike tour before I was to old to pedal and the Snow Mansion was a wonderful and unexpected discovery after roaming around Santa Fe and Taos for a couple of weeks. These folks are kind and caring owners who attract a staff with similar qualities. I spent three weeks as a tent camper and found myself quite comfortable with full use of all the facilitites. And, during my visit, I observed and met many people who stayed in the rooms, the tipis and enjoyed their stay very much. Several spent an extra day because they found the Snow Mansion so much fun, relaxing and comfortable. Sure, this is not a perfect palace. The odd upgrade could be done here and there, but, I watched every day as the staff capably cleaned and prepared the mansion for another day all around the property. (under strict supervision of the two cats no doubt - Pumpkin and Snowcone) If anything was missed or you have a special request, all you need do is ask and they will immediately help you with any of your needs and wants. All things considered, this is a place to stay if you're seeking a unique adventure filled with character and interesting people all around you. If you're seeking the same o' same o' cookie cutter room, devoid of enlivening qualities then, any motel chain will do just fine. The Snow Mansiion should definately be on your list of places to see and stay- and for an extra day. I'll be back in a couple of weeks.

The Abominable Snow Mansion is extremely rad... I would leave it at that but, it's not enough to do it justice. Me and some buddies drove down from Ol' Oklahoma a few years back to eat some snow there in beautiful Taos. Even though we showed up at 3 in the morning, they were still gracious. It's comfortable and relaxed. And I believe we stayed in the "Goat" room. Anyway, it's an awesome place to crash if your strapped for cash and don't mind the Hostel environment. And maybe you'll get lucky and a group of 50 college kids will show up on a bus and you'll learn crazy dances all night... Hey it happened to us.

The Snow Mansion has to be best damn place to crash in Taos, even if it's not in Taos. Drive past all the hotels in Taos, head into Seco and let Mouna and company take of you. From fruit trees to a huge garden, the grounds are beautiful and spacious. The accommodations range from camping to lodge-style with everything in between. You can't beat the price or the peace. My only complaint is that I eventually had to go home.

I was in The American Southwest for the first time in my life and exploring the area when I needed to look into cheap but clean accomadations. Look no further than the Snow Mansion, while the hostel is a bit out of the way from the Taos town center, the lively staff members more than make up for it. Mouna the owner, is a wonderfully warm hostess and has a wealth of information about Taos an the area. She also very generously offers her garden to guests to pick their own fruits and veggies if they so feel inclined. I stayed in a cabin and had absolutely no problem whatsoever, I met some fascinating characters there and was sorry to leave. Yeah, there is a bit of the hippy vibe going on but this is Taos, what else do you expect? In fact, I'd personally prefer a place full of character over some generic standardized place any day. As long as you're open-minded and flexible, you'll feel right at home here.

Compared to some raucous hostels, It was peaceful and I was able to enjoy those magnificent mountains surrounding the property. I hear the summer Tee-Pee experience is unforgettable. Bravo Snowmansion