Hombre Gordito, Alto

Just got back from a trip to Alto Hombre Gordito Hideout. Don't go here! For the cost, the accomodations were sparce and included a $15 charge to use the fireplace!! Didn't know about this until after we tried to start a fire with the wet/fresh wood that we hauled ourselves from the office. After complaining about the extra cost for attempting to use the fireplace, they insinuated we were trying to steal wood from them -- UNBELIEVABLE. This interaction with management assured me that we won't go back again. One other point -- Hot Tub wouldn't go past 97 degrees

My family and I stayed for 5 nights at the Alto Hombre Gordito the week before Christmas, 2010. The trouble started when we checked in and the couple running the place was rude to us before we ever had the keys in our hands. The first night, the heat in our cabin would not turn OFF. It was miserable. When the lady came to look at the heater the next morning.... she fixed it by removing the thermostat.... now we had NO HEAT for TWO days. She brought us a space heater and suggested we make a fire (the cabin documents clearly state that there will be a $15 charge per day for using the fireplace). The breaker for the water heater kept tripping so we had no hot water three times during our stay. The breakers to the half of the cabin where the bedrooms are would trip every time the hot tub (filled with grey water) kicked on - or if you tried to use the hair dryer. The most disappointing part for me was when I learned that Ski Apache had dropped the price of lift tickets in half that week....and we were not refunded the difference of the cost of the lift tickets. This amounted to $150 per day times three days!!! (The resort is invoiced after the fact - per Ski Apache - for the redemption of the vouchers, so I know he had not purchased them at the higher price!) The people at Ski Apache also commented on how rudely they were treated by the people who run the "resort". Another irritating situation was when we returned the helmets my daughters used after their first day of skiing and he wouldn't refund the helmet rental fee for the last two days of ski trip. Granted it was only $6 per day - but it is the principle that he had them in his possession and was still charging us. My kids looked forward to feeding the horses - and when we went over to visit them - we couldn't stand the stench of their dirty accommodations. Their eyes were matted with yellow pus and they appeared to be neglected. I booked a cabin the mountains. I expected a cabin in the mountains - and not a 3 star hotel.... but I would NEVER have paid this much money to stay in a place like this. I was very disappointed, and offended that NO EFFORT (besides the delivery of a space heater) was made to make us more comfortable. Ruidoso was beautiful and the mountain was amazing. Everyone in town was cordial and welcoming. We will return - but not to the Alto Hombre Gordito!!!

After being a bit bemused by all the negative ratings from posters, I realized that all those negative comments are coming from the very same people you go on vacation to get away from. If you're anal retentive and worry about finding a hair on the floor, or if you think trees and bushes are dirty and need to be cleaned, or if you're looking for AAAAA+ room service, then this place is not for you. However, if you love the ruggedness of nature, and the beauty of wildlife that is really wild, then this is for you. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the more commercial lodgings and the Taco Bells and MacDonalds that line the city streets of Ruidoso, Hombre Gordito was refreshingly pristine and remote. More comfortable than camping, yet more rugged than the chain motels. Hombre Gordito was the perfect blend of wilderness and civilization. The hosts were gracious and helpful to us. As to the rudeness other posters have commented on, I can see where one might be rude when you have city-dwelling tenderfoots whining at you, and expecting to be waited on hand and foot while they're in the wilderness. The negative posters on here would certainly not be mistaken for pioneers or frontiersmen. In a way, they do everyone a favor with their negative posts by keeping tenderfoots out of the mountains, so the true connosieurs of life in the wild can appreciate the beauty of nature without all the whiners. Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys wild country, and looks more to Kit Carson, rather than the Brady Bunch, for the perfect vacation.

When the owner/manager Francisco told me he got rich as a banker by “ripping” people off, I should have known that I was going to be the next victim! We had our family reunion where we have 40+ people stay over the Memorial Day weekend, 2010 and he told us that we had a “special rate”. OWNERS LOVES A GOOD FIGHT & TO BE INTOXICATED: I informed her that we were not pleased with the service and that I would be filing a report with the Secretary of State and the BBB. Her unprofessional response to that with her fists waiving in the air was: “Bring it on! I LOVE a good fight!...The President of the United States is a personal friend of mine!”. Upon meeting both of the owners, they physically appeared to be intoxicated and reeked of liquor! DISCREPANCY IN FEES: I had a reservation for six and I was charged full price of $137.00 for 1 night. My aunt had a reservation for five and was charged $150.00 for 2 nights. When I spoke to Francisco about the discrepancy in the charge he basically called my family liars. I told him that I compared our receipts and of course everything was done truthfully. He refused to give me an explanation for the discrepancy. SERVICES PAID FOR BUT NOT RENDERED: I told his wife that our television, VCR, and DVD players were not working and asked if she would give us a credit for a service that was paid for, but not rendered. She basically said that all is “as is” and that they NEVER give credits. I also let her know that we were unable to use the pool because they had just “shocked” the pool a few hours before check-in and the chlorine level was too high. I let them know that some of the kids in our party were so sick from the high level of chlorine that we had to put drops and tea-bags on their eyes and that they should wait at least 12 hours from when they “shock” the pool before they let anyone in the water. FECAL MATTER ALL OVER GROUNDS: Additionally, there was what appeared to be dog, horse, and deer fecal matter practically everywhere you walk, yet they wanted us to pick up after our pets. They charge $50 for not cleaning up after your pet. What a joke! SPEED LIMIT & UNSAFE DRIVING: The speed limit sign states 10 mph, yet they drive their jeep at least 20 mph all through the sites with no regard for children, pedestrians or pets! We will NEVER return here and DO NOT recommend that anyone else stay there. My family rented a total of five cabins and all of them were filthy! They were all full of dead insects and rodents and not equipped with toiletries. Feel free to see it for yourself….make sure to look underneath the bed and in every nook and cranny.

Great place to stay if you like mountains, the outdoors, and being away from crowds. Hombre Gordito is close to Bonito Lake, Ski Apache, and many many endless forest trails. The owners are friendly and helpful. Their 5 horses, 2 dogs, and many cats are friendly too. I will go back again and again.

We really enjoyed the place, we had lots of fun camping out and at the Geronimo Cabin. The kids had a blast. We thank the owners a bunch + we will be coming back soon!

We visited Ruidoso many times but never stayed at Alto Hombre Gordito. It's been the best experience so far. It's a great place to enjoy the delightfullness of this forest just a few minutes from town. Alto Hombre Gordito stoled our heart since the moment we lay foot on it. We had a great time & hope to come back soon. We really recomment it. Excellent choice!!!