HI - Taos - Abominable Snowmansion Hostel

Relaxing and wonderful
We stayed for three days in a nice, warm cabin in late spring when the nights are seriously cold. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and helpful, and surprise! They also do Tai Qi at sunset, and you're invited! I really like the community atmosphere of the place, the totally affordable prices in an exorbitantly-priced area, and how everyone felt like family by the time we left. Stay there and you will love it!

What a hostel should be!
Where do I begin? From the moment I arrived, my stay was like no other! A beautiful woman named Mouna (one of the owners) greeted me with ultra kindness then guided me in to the hostel's check-in counter. From there, she showed me to the dorm and introduced me to staff and guests. I did not even have time to consider feeling uncomfortable. I immediately felt at home. Maybe a little too much so. My original plan was to visit Taos for one night, then move on with my journey. Well, that was not how it turned out. After meeting the wonderful staff at the Snowmansion and the sweet, open-minded guests they attract, I extended my stay to last about a week. The village of Arroyo Seco is small in size, but gigantic in character! I joined guests in a dip at the nearby hot springs, had the privilege of enjoying a gorgeous morning run, and spent many hours chatting with locals in the coffee shop across the street from the hostel. There is even rock climbing at the gorge, but sadly, I did not have time to explore that on this trip. The community that exists in and around the Snowmansion is exactly what I have been craving in my life. Mouna makes delicious rice and beans when she can, which she sets out for all to enjoy. Other guests are very generous with cooking and sharing meals with everyone. Their kindness is refreshing and contagious! Just before I left, the family, staff and a local native, Henry, were hard at work building a sweat lodge. I was extremely disappointed that I had to move on. All I could think of was how enriched my experience had already been, and all there was to give and gain in staying longer. If you are traveling anywhere in the area, you should do yourself a favor and treat your soul to a stay within this warm community. Give yourself a chance to remember what life is really about. Who knows, I may see you there, because I will return!

Amazing hostel. a warm, loving community.
I just loved this place so much. It's really hard to find the right words to relay even a glimmer of my experience here. I fell in love with Taos and Northern New Mexico because of the people I met here, and the experiences I had. I ended up only staying two-and-a-half weeks (intending to stay a few nights), which totally wasn't enough, even though it still changed my life. And I seriously contemplated staying for months. I was there at the end of the summer, and they had a big garden with fresh vegetables to pick for your meals. I stayed in a beautiful teepee all to myself. There's a lovely creek/stream that runs on the property, which I loved to read or sit by. The family that runs the hostel is also very loving and warm -- if the other areas of my life had permitted me to stay longer here and work with/learn from them, I probably would have. Up the road is a beautiful Zendo that allowed visitors to sit with them in the mornings. There's a pretty good yoga studio right in Arroyo Seco, and a delicious cafe/ice cream shop. It's easy to get rides into or from Taos (which is only a few minutes drive away) to the lots of yummy cafes, tea houses, shops, grocery stores. After traveling through the South and Texas, I was so relieved to come to Taos where there's still a locally-owned grocery store with delicious, thoughtful food. And, there are nearby mountain and gorge hikes, and a few beautiful hot springs in the area. The hostel attracted amazing, open-hearted people that really taught me new and profound things. I will never forget my experiences here. Also, the hostel was/is deeply embedded in the Arroyo Seco community at large, which greatly influenced the people I met and my experience. The snowmansion allowed some people who were particularly committed and keen on being in the area to work/trade for a long-term stay.The family that runs it is amazing -- you'll be lucky if you get to meet or spend time with the matriarch. Basically, I went expecting a traditional hostel, with lots of rules and people just moving through. But what actually occurred here in my experience, and also that of some of the people staying while I was there, was that the hostel and beautiful Taos/Arroyo Seco enchanted us. So I arrived, and then immediately a warm community opened up. And it was hard to pull myself away. If you're going to be in New Mexico, or even thinking of going to New Mexico or Southern Colorado, go here.

This hostel is very nice. Sweet receptionist, who plays piano fairly well, and she is very willing to help you out with stuff to do around the area. Very neat kitchen and bathrooms. If you are a traveler, this is the place in Taos.

not many travelers there. more like a bunch of people who questionably live there and maybe don't pay rent? and as for the no drinking policy, one woman who chose to wear a bathrobe, stretch pants, and boots around the hostel made sure to keep her plastic bottle of liquor hanging out of her robe pocket. skunk problem -- that is what the old man sleeping on the couch in the common room said when we asked him about the fierce smell that woke my friend and i up at 4 a.m. these critters live underneath the girls dormitory (don't worry -- they're not in the room like we thought in the middle of the night). now everything we own smells like skunk. if you want to save some cash while traveling, just stay the night, wake up at 4 a.m. to an incredibly strong odor, and then wait until the reception opens to get your money back.

This was a quirky, fun place to stay, and the staff was very warm and friendly. My first impression was that it was a hippie commune. It has a bunch of ecclectic stuff on the walls (paintings, blankets, weird sculptures) and smells like a Greatful Dead concert, or was that sage I was smelling? We arrived around midnight, because we got held up and I called to let them know we were running late. They were very nice about leaving the key for us, and wrote a nice little note with a map to our room to welcome us. The room was spacious and relatively clean. The beds were comfortable. The floor was extremely squeaky and you can't flush toilet paper because of the delicate plumbing. The next morning I met about ten different people and a couple of cats that seemed to live there. The kitchen and dining area is cozy and self-serve. There are a few things that were community food, and some things that the travelers and residents claimed as their own. Might be a good policy to ask first. Do your own dishes. If you're looking for cheap and don't mind a little charachter in a crash space, then check it out! I'm glad we did!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

The Abominable Snowmansion is a wonderful place to bring your family and friends. We just spent four amazing days there with our family attending a wedding. Not only did we get to spend our time together playing games, but our young adults met others from other countries, and I'm sure they'll be life-long friends. If you've never spent a night at a hostel before, you have to make the Abominable Snowmansion a first-time experience.