Sipapu Ski Area
Sipapu Ski Area
4
About
New Mexico’s fastest growing resort, Sipapu is home to the state's longest ski season and the best deals in the Rockies. Surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Carson National Forest, the resort has over 40 trails, five lifts and three terrain parks. On-site amenities include slopeside lodging, a full-service ski shop, ski school and New Mexico's best riverside dining experience.
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4.0
139 reviews
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14
Dec 2021
Inaccurate website description on lessons and unhelpful customer service refused to refund lesson fee that it was unable to honor. Poor/unorganized service with long lines at counter and rental services (no fitting help, had to ran around to ask where to get poles and helmet). Smoking attendant at bunny hill magic carpet that made every customer who ride the magic carpet smell second hand smoke, unavoidable!!!
Website listed that it offered lessons on every levels on every terrain. I had called in advance to understand the lessons level. Even upon booking online, it has selection of ski levels: beginner, intermediate (comfortable on all green terrains), expert (exploring black terrains). I had selected intermediate lesson. However, on the day of lesson, when lesson was about to start, I was informed they don't offer intermediate lessons. Gone back to long line at counter, waited for over an hour to get straighten out. Finally I was told they will refund me, and asked me to write an email to get refund. Half a day gone by, wasted at the ski resort. Response to email for refund was rejected.
Website listed that it offered lessons on every levels on every terrain. I had called in advance to understand the lessons level. Even upon booking online, it has selection of ski levels: beginner, intermediate (comfortable on all green terrains), expert (exploring black terrains). I had selected intermediate lesson. However, on the day of lesson, when lesson was about to start, I was informed they don't offer intermediate lessons. Gone back to long line at counter, waited for over an hour to get straighten out. Finally I was told they will refund me, and asked me to write an email to get refund. Half a day gone by, wasted at the ski resort. Response to email for refund was rejected.
Written January 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dec 2022
Very bad experience with the ski lessons. Mr. Eduard, the Ski lessons director is very rude and snobbish. When I booked my lesson on line, it only show beginner lessons, I wanted beginner and intermediate as we booked for 3 consecutive days, twice a day. I gave the support a call that gave me Mr Eduard number, so before I booked I talked with him and he told me to go ahead with the booking with all as beginners and that we would it sort it out once at the ski resort, and so I did.
When we check in with him at the resort he was always very rude, and said if we booked beginner we would be at the beginner for the entire 3 days, twice a day booking. When I confronted him with my call, he disputed how I got his number and even call me a liar when I said that intermediate classes where not on the system. I ask him to show me where to book the intermediate classes only, he agree to do it "just to show me I was lying". He then realized this option was not there, and not even apologized. After that he promise he would sort thing out, but we was lack of instructors, but that he would worked something out even if he personally would have to give us the lessons. he never did, and we stay the entire 3 days, 2x day, in beginner class. most lessons where super crowded, one of theme with more then 11 people. Very bad experience that neither me or my family will not repeat again.
Some time the cheapest option ends up being the most "expensive".
When we check in with him at the resort he was always very rude, and said if we booked beginner we would be at the beginner for the entire 3 days, twice a day booking. When I confronted him with my call, he disputed how I got his number and even call me a liar when I said that intermediate classes where not on the system. I ask him to show me where to book the intermediate classes only, he agree to do it "just to show me I was lying". He then realized this option was not there, and not even apologized. After that he promise he would sort thing out, but we was lack of instructors, but that he would worked something out even if he personally would have to give us the lessons. he never did, and we stay the entire 3 days, 2x day, in beginner class. most lessons where super crowded, one of theme with more then 11 people. Very bad experience that neither me or my family will not repeat again.
Some time the cheapest option ends up being the most "expensive".
Written January 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Feb 2020 • Family
staying in the "hotel" ("motel" on the sign above the building) we have no TV, no WiFi. we have to plug the toilet everytime we flush (plunger included, gee thanks). sleeping with window open because you can't control the heater. so I asked politely 2 times if I could please leave a day early due to the fact I'm not happy. we are staying 3 days. paid in advance. I do understand that it says no refunds 15 days prior to arrival. the conditions are poor at best. again, I asked 2 twice about leaving 1 day early...all i was told was, "uh, no". I will never EVER visit this place again.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
donnajackson_10
Abilene, TX
Jun 2020
We spent one amazing night before leaving the Taos area. It’s much quieter and absolutely beautiful up there. Walking or driving you will truly appreciate the large place to stay and very friendly people.
Written October 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan 2024 • Family
Had a wonderful time at Sipapu with the family. Friendly, helpful staff, huge shoutout to Isaac, manager in the ski rental shop, he went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience, he is a great asset to the the resort!!!
Written January 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mellissa99654
Mansfield, TX
Jun 2018 • Couples
Received a decent rate on the HOTEL... not Cabin...Not Suite, Not Casita... nor trailer. THIS IS SOLEL A REVIEW OF THEIR HOTEL.
Yes the grounds are super pretty. Mountain air, fresh and serene. The place delivers on location. YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OUTSIDE.
We were visiting my folks in the town next door, thought about Sipapu lodge. Figured why not... my mom lives in Penasco, up the road but her house was full of my elderly aunts n uncles (visiting too) so we opted for a place close by. Should of just gone to Taos.
The lady at the lodge check in was very sweet, but she gave us a room that was already occupied, with a man laying in his bed, right after showering... AAAAWWWKKKWARRRRD!! lol
And it's a lil trek back to the lodge to get another room, but we had to. Got a room at the front end of the hallway by the door. Not cleaned well, did not smell clean, carpet is ATROCIOUS. NEVER TOOK MY SOCKS OFF. Very quiet at night and bed is good and soft but room is hot as heck, and must after shower.
Ventilation: Big problem they have 2 small useless windows in each room, no cross-ventilation except for a small corner of the room, the space diagonally across from the window was fresh... so if you stood there, in that little corner, you could feel a breeze... anywhere else in the room, you could not. Very musty as well, hard to sleep at night. It cools off with windows open and running the portable fan some other guy gave us on his way out, but I like to fall asleep before 5am.
Broken Appliances: We thought to plan ahead...planned to eat our own food in our room at least breakfast... we also had planned to continue adding ice to our mini cooler while we were there at the resort there was no ice, So we then tried storing just breakfast in the mini fridge in our room (the first and only night). I put my fruit in the fridge; some apples, grapes, oranges they were all Frozen solid and inedible by morning. The fridge setting says low / medium but it goes into Ultra Hyperbaric freeze instead. The grapes were as hard as marbles this made breakfast an ordeal, lol.
Bug Problem: I realize this is a mountainous Resort heck I grew up in this area in Penasco not far away so I know this is not the Ritz-Carlton but with that being said I do not appreciate waking up in the night with crickets in your bed new your face trying to jump in my hair ...omg...yeah I just can't do crickets all up in my face and hair y'all. so I'm sorry about that, not trying to be a little priss here, but ask your wife or your kids if they would sleep comfortable at night. I bet the answer is no... maybe if I was in the rainforest, I wouldn't mind, but I'm not.
BROKEN FURNITURE:
I sat on a leather high back chair that was pushed in at the table(by the window...remember the only cool spot in the room, yeah that area ...lol) I was trying to cool off and as I sat on the chair it fell over and I fell off landing very hard on the floor. There's a damaged leg on this chair and it appears to have been leaned purposely against the wall so you can't tell it is damaged when you first sit. Of course... NIIIIIIICE. lol... what's next...
BEDDING AND TOWELS
The sheets were dingy and had some stains I brought my own (Just in case) so I changed them, because I figured this cld happen, hoped I was wrong, but my spidey sense was kicking in. I'm so glad it was. There were plenty of towels but they were horrible towels, super rough and smelled weird... not sure like what.. sort of like mildew; kind of like the smell towels get when they sit in the washer too long and you'll end up having to rewash them... this is probably the smell that results of when you don't... it was uninviting to say the least!!! The towels felt like they were air-dried you know the roughness towels get when they arent in the dryer, that's how I can describe them. The water pressure for the shower was excellent.
Morning coffee? Oh you mean you want to eat your breakfast before 11:00 a.m.? Yeah right!!! LOL... not HERE you don't.... think again! As I said before no real perks here and that includes no portable coffee maker in your room, just a fridge that does not work, NO MICROWAVE either. I sent husband to the lodge to go get us some coffee...actually he was Jonesing for a coffee, so he was glad to go,when he returned posted off and EMPTY HANDED...lol... lol... (Sorry just remembered his EXPRESSION) ...He said the place isnt open till 11am... what the heck! Are you kidding me? It was almost 9:00 a.m. when he went, that's just so bizarre and INCONSIDERATE of MANAGEMENT...how do you expect to SERVE your guests WHEN you open at 11:00 a.m. ON WEEKDAYS... Coffee is enjoyed by many in the mornings, at least put machines in our rooms. Geezuz!
And DONT think about food or Vending machines during the night, ooooh... there's one vending machine on the premises... my husband went willingly again to go check it out... having remembered seeing one earlier...he went to go grab a pop & see what was what... the machine WAS dead lol.. seriously...like nothing wks around here...
"Of course".... I said lol...THATS IT!!!
I wanted my morning coffee, but it was obvious I was going to have to wait till we got to my mom's house to get my coffee same for my husband. By this time I was saying to my husband do the owners of this place even know what a dive this place has turned into... it never seemed this bad when I used to come here as a kid... do they care?? My husband said they probably know and don't care... overall there's really no Comfort here, yes the bed physically is in good shape, but you can't really enjoy it because the room is stifling hot musty after showers at night.. the food situation can be remedied by eating out or using your wn cooler. Unless your fortunate to get a wking frig.
OR
Heres an IDEA...sleep in... get up late and be the first person in line at 11am... For coffee or maybe a donut. Right on time for these worse than Banker hours, whose apparent hours are better on weekends. I heard, but not during weekdays. I was there during the week and split to Santa Fe Saturday and Sunday because it sucked too much... money lost by staying here, but oh well... it is what it is....so take heed my fellow Travelers if this is a vacation Make It COUNT!! Go to Taos
Yes the grounds are super pretty. Mountain air, fresh and serene. The place delivers on location. YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OUTSIDE.
We were visiting my folks in the town next door, thought about Sipapu lodge. Figured why not... my mom lives in Penasco, up the road but her house was full of my elderly aunts n uncles (visiting too) so we opted for a place close by. Should of just gone to Taos.
The lady at the lodge check in was very sweet, but she gave us a room that was already occupied, with a man laying in his bed, right after showering... AAAAWWWKKKWARRRRD!! lol
And it's a lil trek back to the lodge to get another room, but we had to. Got a room at the front end of the hallway by the door. Not cleaned well, did not smell clean, carpet is ATROCIOUS. NEVER TOOK MY SOCKS OFF. Very quiet at night and bed is good and soft but room is hot as heck, and must after shower.
Ventilation: Big problem they have 2 small useless windows in each room, no cross-ventilation except for a small corner of the room, the space diagonally across from the window was fresh... so if you stood there, in that little corner, you could feel a breeze... anywhere else in the room, you could not. Very musty as well, hard to sleep at night. It cools off with windows open and running the portable fan some other guy gave us on his way out, but I like to fall asleep before 5am.
Broken Appliances: We thought to plan ahead...planned to eat our own food in our room at least breakfast... we also had planned to continue adding ice to our mini cooler while we were there at the resort there was no ice, So we then tried storing just breakfast in the mini fridge in our room (the first and only night). I put my fruit in the fridge; some apples, grapes, oranges they were all Frozen solid and inedible by morning. The fridge setting says low / medium but it goes into Ultra Hyperbaric freeze instead. The grapes were as hard as marbles this made breakfast an ordeal, lol.
Bug Problem: I realize this is a mountainous Resort heck I grew up in this area in Penasco not far away so I know this is not the Ritz-Carlton but with that being said I do not appreciate waking up in the night with crickets in your bed new your face trying to jump in my hair ...omg...yeah I just can't do crickets all up in my face and hair y'all. so I'm sorry about that, not trying to be a little priss here, but ask your wife or your kids if they would sleep comfortable at night. I bet the answer is no... maybe if I was in the rainforest, I wouldn't mind, but I'm not.
BROKEN FURNITURE:
I sat on a leather high back chair that was pushed in at the table(by the window...remember the only cool spot in the room, yeah that area ...lol) I was trying to cool off and as I sat on the chair it fell over and I fell off landing very hard on the floor. There's a damaged leg on this chair and it appears to have been leaned purposely against the wall so you can't tell it is damaged when you first sit. Of course... NIIIIIIICE. lol... what's next...
BEDDING AND TOWELS
The sheets were dingy and had some stains I brought my own (Just in case) so I changed them, because I figured this cld happen, hoped I was wrong, but my spidey sense was kicking in. I'm so glad it was. There were plenty of towels but they were horrible towels, super rough and smelled weird... not sure like what.. sort of like mildew; kind of like the smell towels get when they sit in the washer too long and you'll end up having to rewash them... this is probably the smell that results of when you don't... it was uninviting to say the least!!! The towels felt like they were air-dried you know the roughness towels get when they arent in the dryer, that's how I can describe them. The water pressure for the shower was excellent.
Morning coffee? Oh you mean you want to eat your breakfast before 11:00 a.m.? Yeah right!!! LOL... not HERE you don't.... think again! As I said before no real perks here and that includes no portable coffee maker in your room, just a fridge that does not work, NO MICROWAVE either. I sent husband to the lodge to go get us some coffee...actually he was Jonesing for a coffee, so he was glad to go,when he returned posted off and EMPTY HANDED...lol... lol... (Sorry just remembered his EXPRESSION) ...He said the place isnt open till 11am... what the heck! Are you kidding me? It was almost 9:00 a.m. when he went, that's just so bizarre and INCONSIDERATE of MANAGEMENT...how do you expect to SERVE your guests WHEN you open at 11:00 a.m. ON WEEKDAYS... Coffee is enjoyed by many in the mornings, at least put machines in our rooms. Geezuz!
And DONT think about food or Vending machines during the night, ooooh... there's one vending machine on the premises... my husband went willingly again to go check it out... having remembered seeing one earlier...he went to go grab a pop & see what was what... the machine WAS dead lol.. seriously...like nothing wks around here...
"Of course".... I said lol...THATS IT!!!
I wanted my morning coffee, but it was obvious I was going to have to wait till we got to my mom's house to get my coffee same for my husband. By this time I was saying to my husband do the owners of this place even know what a dive this place has turned into... it never seemed this bad when I used to come here as a kid... do they care?? My husband said they probably know and don't care... overall there's really no Comfort here, yes the bed physically is in good shape, but you can't really enjoy it because the room is stifling hot musty after showers at night.. the food situation can be remedied by eating out or using your wn cooler. Unless your fortunate to get a wking frig.
OR
Heres an IDEA...sleep in... get up late and be the first person in line at 11am... For coffee or maybe a donut. Right on time for these worse than Banker hours, whose apparent hours are better on weekends. I heard, but not during weekdays. I was there during the week and split to Santa Fe Saturday and Sunday because it sucked too much... money lost by staying here, but oh well... it is what it is....so take heed my fellow Travelers if this is a vacation Make It COUNT!! Go to Taos
Written July 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BatesOKC
Oklahoma City, OK
Nov 2012 • Friends
We just got back from a pre-season Thanksgiving 2012 trip to Sipapu (11/21-11/25/2012).
I'll cut to the chase.... We went with a group of 7 total. 5 had been to Sipapu several times and this was my wife and I's first time. All-in-all we really loved it. So much so we went ahead and made reservations to return again in December during one of their specials.
Based on our Pre-season visit (and supported by the opinions of our guests who visit throughout the winter)
Pros:
1.) Easy to get to location (1.5 hours off I-40, 8hrs from Oklahoma City) with only about 40 minutes of non-trecherous mountain driving. Also, the lodge is close(ish) to Taos for day trips.
2.) Long season - opens first and closes last most seasons.
3.) Cost - Never seen a mountain with such reasonable rates for singles, couples and families. Check online for specials on lodging and lift tickets.
4.) No Crowds - The lodge (Day Room) is probably the most crowded area and even there you are not bumping into each other. The cafe is never very busy. The lift lines are never longer than 3-5 chair loads. The mountain itself can have congested spots but is mostly very open. Parking is ample and easy. Lines to get rentals can be longer, so get there early.
5.) Snow board and snow bike friendly. There are a lot of snow boarders on this mountain that range from experts to mostly newbies. You can also rent snow bikes (lots of fun).
6.) Adequate to very nice rooms. Lodge rooms are fine for larger groups of laidback types, while the two room suites are very nice and roomy (haven't stayed in any other rooms yet).
7.) VERY friendly staff. Virtually all of the staff we came into contact with (which was a lot of them) were very friendly, helpful, and went out of their way to be accommodating.
8.) The fudge in the store is awesome - get some!
9.) Most of the ski items (gloves, masks) in the store were reasonably priced if you forget something or need a replacement. We needed tooth brushes and they were only $2/ea. and were name brand. Food items and souvenir shirts are pretty pricey though.
10.) Ski Runs - The trails are very well staffed and maintained in most cases. While preseason had only one route from top-to-bottom open on our visit, it was adequate and lots of fun.
11.) Equipment - The lodge seems to have lots of boots, skis, poles, boards and snow bikes to rent. Quality is what you'd expect from rentals, but very adequate.
12.) Pets - The resort is very pet friendly. We love traveling with our dog so this was a big plus and only cost $20 total to have our dog in our suite.
Cons:
1.) Night Desk Availability - we learned on night 2 that getting in touch with the night desk is impossible. The lodge mentions in their literature that an after hours desk staff is available, but when we tried to get in touch with them all we got was voicemail and no returned calls. Our main furnace heat went out on day two at 3am and the room got down to 32 degrees. I called from 3am to 6am and never got anyone. There was a portable heater that we found and between it and the stove, we got the room back up to toasty. What concerned us though was that if we had faced a real emergency (security issue, loud noisy neighbors, medical issue or a maintenance issue like a burst pipe) we would have been on our own! When I went to the office at 8:30am they had no idea I had been calling since 3am. Also, maintenance issues are apparently not addressed from 8am-noon because the only maintenance guy is also the person working the parking lot.
2.) Cafe - While the cafe is not busy, is clean and warm and the food selections are good, the prices are high and the quality of the service/presentation is low. A burger and fries and soda can easily be right at $15-$20 for lunch. And at dinner the portions are the same, but the prices go up even higher. This is somewhat to be expected and can be avoided by bringing your own food. What was more bothersome was the register staff was not well trained, didn't know anything about the menu and couldn't answer simple questions/concerns. Our biggest gripe was that the food was served no hotter than room temperature and often below. We had to return chicken strips 3 times in a row because they were raw in the middle. We did the $13 Thanksgiving meal and all of ours had to be microwaved because the entire meal was almost cold. My burrito (around $8 at lunch and around $12 at dinner) was cold and had to be reheated. That said, the manager came out to personally apologize, even made at least one refund and even offered a free drink from the bar to make up for some of our inconveniences. These may have been pre-season bumps. All said, every meal was eventually good to very good. The friendly female manager made the cafe concerns manageable and we will try it again.
3.) Cell Phone Coverage - Not something the resort can control, but cell coverage is spotty at best. We were all on Sprint and had some coverage every day except Thanksgiving. Texting seemed to work best for contacting friends on the mountain.
4.) Wifi - The lodge claims they offer free wifi in the upstairs cafe areas. While we could see the wifi on our devices, we could never connect. We took a Sprint Mifi card and it worked even when the cell phones would not - but the speed was slow.
5.) Ski Runs - This is ONLY a con is you're very experienced or high maintenance and need lots of variety. This is a small mountain, so keep that in mind.
6.) Very thin walls separating suites. You will hear EVERYTHING going on in the bedroom next to your if you're staying in a suite.
Tips:
1.) Us a portable GPS (TomTom/Garmin/etc.) to get to the lodge and not your cell phone's GPS as cell coverage is spotty and slow. Also, most GPS devices will not recognize the posted address for Sipapu. Use the GPS coordinates on the Sipapu site and those worked great (used a Garmin 50LM - N 36° 09.15 W 105° 32.53).
2.) If you're renting a suite, bring some fire starter logs to make a fire easier to create.
3.) Bring your own toilet paper (there was only one roll in our suite and it was the really cheap stuff).
4.) Bring your own food. Food at the resort is expensive. We rented a suite so we'd have our own kitchen. But, even if you just bring a way to heat water, you can make coffee, oatmeal, soup, etc.
5.) Bring paper towels, napkins and paper plates.
Room Review:
Suite: The two room suites are actually very nice. The photos online are accurate and the suites are very clean. We stayed in suite #104 and really liked it overall. It has two rooms. The first room is a living room with a fireplace, futon, recliner and a kitchen with a table and chairs, stove, oven, sink and refrigerator. Also had a coffee maker and toaster. There is no microwave. The kitchen had coffee filters, plates, bowls, silverware, coffee cups and glasses. The second room is very large and has two queen beds. The two rooms are separated by a bathroom with tub/shower. There is a furnace (ours went out no night two) and a very good portable room heater. We really loved the room and the ability to cook our own meals. The biggest concern for some will be the very think wall between units. If your neighbors are noisy, its going to be a problem for many people.
Lodge Rooms: The rooms themselves are fine and great for large groups who just need a place to shower and go to sleep. Perfect for college groups, groups of kids, or the very budget conscious. You can pack people into these rooms and the location is great (right outside the lifts and above the lodge/cafe). The downsides are, once again, thin walls between units and there is a very odd (awful) smell in the hallway leading to each unit. Also, our friend's room (#303) had a sink that was pouring water onto the floor of the bathroom - was fixed the same day though.
I'll cut to the chase.... We went with a group of 7 total. 5 had been to Sipapu several times and this was my wife and I's first time. All-in-all we really loved it. So much so we went ahead and made reservations to return again in December during one of their specials.
Based on our Pre-season visit (and supported by the opinions of our guests who visit throughout the winter)
Pros:
1.) Easy to get to location (1.5 hours off I-40, 8hrs from Oklahoma City) with only about 40 minutes of non-trecherous mountain driving. Also, the lodge is close(ish) to Taos for day trips.
2.) Long season - opens first and closes last most seasons.
3.) Cost - Never seen a mountain with such reasonable rates for singles, couples and families. Check online for specials on lodging and lift tickets.
4.) No Crowds - The lodge (Day Room) is probably the most crowded area and even there you are not bumping into each other. The cafe is never very busy. The lift lines are never longer than 3-5 chair loads. The mountain itself can have congested spots but is mostly very open. Parking is ample and easy. Lines to get rentals can be longer, so get there early.
5.) Snow board and snow bike friendly. There are a lot of snow boarders on this mountain that range from experts to mostly newbies. You can also rent snow bikes (lots of fun).
6.) Adequate to very nice rooms. Lodge rooms are fine for larger groups of laidback types, while the two room suites are very nice and roomy (haven't stayed in any other rooms yet).
7.) VERY friendly staff. Virtually all of the staff we came into contact with (which was a lot of them) were very friendly, helpful, and went out of their way to be accommodating.
8.) The fudge in the store is awesome - get some!
9.) Most of the ski items (gloves, masks) in the store were reasonably priced if you forget something or need a replacement. We needed tooth brushes and they were only $2/ea. and were name brand. Food items and souvenir shirts are pretty pricey though.
10.) Ski Runs - The trails are very well staffed and maintained in most cases. While preseason had only one route from top-to-bottom open on our visit, it was adequate and lots of fun.
11.) Equipment - The lodge seems to have lots of boots, skis, poles, boards and snow bikes to rent. Quality is what you'd expect from rentals, but very adequate.
12.) Pets - The resort is very pet friendly. We love traveling with our dog so this was a big plus and only cost $20 total to have our dog in our suite.
Cons:
1.) Night Desk Availability - we learned on night 2 that getting in touch with the night desk is impossible. The lodge mentions in their literature that an after hours desk staff is available, but when we tried to get in touch with them all we got was voicemail and no returned calls. Our main furnace heat went out on day two at 3am and the room got down to 32 degrees. I called from 3am to 6am and never got anyone. There was a portable heater that we found and between it and the stove, we got the room back up to toasty. What concerned us though was that if we had faced a real emergency (security issue, loud noisy neighbors, medical issue or a maintenance issue like a burst pipe) we would have been on our own! When I went to the office at 8:30am they had no idea I had been calling since 3am. Also, maintenance issues are apparently not addressed from 8am-noon because the only maintenance guy is also the person working the parking lot.
2.) Cafe - While the cafe is not busy, is clean and warm and the food selections are good, the prices are high and the quality of the service/presentation is low. A burger and fries and soda can easily be right at $15-$20 for lunch. And at dinner the portions are the same, but the prices go up even higher. This is somewhat to be expected and can be avoided by bringing your own food. What was more bothersome was the register staff was not well trained, didn't know anything about the menu and couldn't answer simple questions/concerns. Our biggest gripe was that the food was served no hotter than room temperature and often below. We had to return chicken strips 3 times in a row because they were raw in the middle. We did the $13 Thanksgiving meal and all of ours had to be microwaved because the entire meal was almost cold. My burrito (around $8 at lunch and around $12 at dinner) was cold and had to be reheated. That said, the manager came out to personally apologize, even made at least one refund and even offered a free drink from the bar to make up for some of our inconveniences. These may have been pre-season bumps. All said, every meal was eventually good to very good. The friendly female manager made the cafe concerns manageable and we will try it again.
3.) Cell Phone Coverage - Not something the resort can control, but cell coverage is spotty at best. We were all on Sprint and had some coverage every day except Thanksgiving. Texting seemed to work best for contacting friends on the mountain.
4.) Wifi - The lodge claims they offer free wifi in the upstairs cafe areas. While we could see the wifi on our devices, we could never connect. We took a Sprint Mifi card and it worked even when the cell phones would not - but the speed was slow.
5.) Ski Runs - This is ONLY a con is you're very experienced or high maintenance and need lots of variety. This is a small mountain, so keep that in mind.
6.) Very thin walls separating suites. You will hear EVERYTHING going on in the bedroom next to your if you're staying in a suite.
Tips:
1.) Us a portable GPS (TomTom/Garmin/etc.) to get to the lodge and not your cell phone's GPS as cell coverage is spotty and slow. Also, most GPS devices will not recognize the posted address for Sipapu. Use the GPS coordinates on the Sipapu site and those worked great (used a Garmin 50LM - N 36° 09.15 W 105° 32.53).
2.) If you're renting a suite, bring some fire starter logs to make a fire easier to create.
3.) Bring your own toilet paper (there was only one roll in our suite and it was the really cheap stuff).
4.) Bring your own food. Food at the resort is expensive. We rented a suite so we'd have our own kitchen. But, even if you just bring a way to heat water, you can make coffee, oatmeal, soup, etc.
5.) Bring paper towels, napkins and paper plates.
Room Review:
Suite: The two room suites are actually very nice. The photos online are accurate and the suites are very clean. We stayed in suite #104 and really liked it overall. It has two rooms. The first room is a living room with a fireplace, futon, recliner and a kitchen with a table and chairs, stove, oven, sink and refrigerator. Also had a coffee maker and toaster. There is no microwave. The kitchen had coffee filters, plates, bowls, silverware, coffee cups and glasses. The second room is very large and has two queen beds. The two rooms are separated by a bathroom with tub/shower. There is a furnace (ours went out no night two) and a very good portable room heater. We really loved the room and the ability to cook our own meals. The biggest concern for some will be the very think wall between units. If your neighbors are noisy, its going to be a problem for many people.
Lodge Rooms: The rooms themselves are fine and great for large groups who just need a place to shower and go to sleep. Perfect for college groups, groups of kids, or the very budget conscious. You can pack people into these rooms and the location is great (right outside the lifts and above the lodge/cafe). The downsides are, once again, thin walls between units and there is a very odd (awful) smell in the hallway leading to each unit. Also, our friend's room (#303) had a sink that was pouring water onto the floor of the bathroom - was fixed the same day though.
Written November 26, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jammin11
East Central Illinois
Little known to out-of-staters, this quaint ski resort just 22 miles outside of Taos provides a great alternative to Taos Ski Valley. The prices, especially if you take advantage of mid-week specials, are unbelievably affordable. For example, on a Wednesday and Thursday this January, a family of five skied for about 50 dollars total. That's about 10 bucks a lift ticket.
Why choose this area when you can have world-class skiing at Taos? Well, for one, kids don't care about that kind of thing. Yes, this area is small compared to Taos, but for kids, and even for their parents, there were plenty of runs and challenges. Also, the folks who ski here are mainly locals, with a few tourists sprinkled in the mix. You won't see any outrageously expensive equipment or "North Face" ski clothing "posers". In fact, this might be one of the few ski areas left in the country that serves middle and working class families, and that comes as a great relief!! I saw folks wearing old canvas work jackets, bright yellow windbreakers that looked like they were once used to wipe up oil spills, hooded wool sweaters, and threadbare backpacks. All to give the general impression that the folks who ski Sipapu are the real thing. And with all this nitty-gritty realism comes the added benefit of zero lift-lines, personal contact (the lift guy is also the snowcat guy and the walk-shoveling guy and change the light bulb guy, etc.), affordable (and tasty!) food, and a two second walk to the lift.
Yes, the lifts are slow, the restaurant closes at 8pm, and the cabins are bare-bones (and that's a polite description), but if you want authentic New Mexican skiing, or are trying to ski on a tight budget, this place is definitely worth checking out.
Why choose this area when you can have world-class skiing at Taos? Well, for one, kids don't care about that kind of thing. Yes, this area is small compared to Taos, but for kids, and even for their parents, there were plenty of runs and challenges. Also, the folks who ski here are mainly locals, with a few tourists sprinkled in the mix. You won't see any outrageously expensive equipment or "North Face" ski clothing "posers". In fact, this might be one of the few ski areas left in the country that serves middle and working class families, and that comes as a great relief!! I saw folks wearing old canvas work jackets, bright yellow windbreakers that looked like they were once used to wipe up oil spills, hooded wool sweaters, and threadbare backpacks. All to give the general impression that the folks who ski Sipapu are the real thing. And with all this nitty-gritty realism comes the added benefit of zero lift-lines, personal contact (the lift guy is also the snowcat guy and the walk-shoveling guy and change the light bulb guy, etc.), affordable (and tasty!) food, and a two second walk to the lift.
Yes, the lifts are slow, the restaurant closes at 8pm, and the cabins are bare-bones (and that's a polite description), but if you want authentic New Mexican skiing, or are trying to ski on a tight budget, this place is definitely worth checking out.
Written January 15, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
xing68
Plano, TX
Jan 2019 • Family
This is our first ski trip to new mexico, we come to Sipapu for it's cheap price and their slogan of family friendly. But we are wrong, we should not come here and will never again. And I would honestly tell my friends to find some other place. Here is why:
1, rude stuff. We booked a private lesson at 3 pm. They said we just wait at the base area at 3 and teacher will find us. We were there from 2:55, and till 3:15, none of our teacher showed up. (We booked 2 teachers) wondering why, I went to their lessons booking office ask what's going on. One of the teacher is in there chatting with the booking lady. When I asked, the lady suddenly yelling at me " teachers are human, they need to go to pee!!!" And slam shut the door after I come out with one teacher. I knew teacher need to pee, but nobody told me, we waited their for 15 mins and nobody come to tell us that the teacher will be late. And the lift stop at 4 pm, so only 45 mins left to the one hour class. As a customer, I think I have the right to ask what's going on. And you can just tell me they are in the restroom, not yelling and slamming the door at your customer.
2, bad lessons. After the late start, the teacher took my son to the kids practice place. Half of the time he is talking to other people. I saw my son waiting on the side not knowing what to do. He just asked my son to do the small slop again and again. Not too much instructions. After the 45 mins class - more like 20 mins since half of the time he is talking to other people. My son still can not do a good turn. My son was in their two hour group class the day before. Their class looks cheap, but 55 dollars for a 20 mins private lesson is more expensive than other place. Avoid the private lessons, it is not worth it.
3, not family friendly. Their slop for beginners is one very flat one and a very steep one, there is no middle ground, it is very difficult for a beginner to transit from the flat to the steep one. And their lesson office has strict rules to not let people getting in their office. The outside temperature is 0 degree Fahrenheit, and there is one or two families in there office, all the other families have to wait outside. And even they have three people handle the lesson booking, but there is only one computer, so all three people can only handle one family at one time. Even the room is half empty, all the other family have to wait outside in freezing weather. And the wait was very very long, we waited for one and half hour and they come out tell us all equipment was out.
1, rude stuff. We booked a private lesson at 3 pm. They said we just wait at the base area at 3 and teacher will find us. We were there from 2:55, and till 3:15, none of our teacher showed up. (We booked 2 teachers) wondering why, I went to their lessons booking office ask what's going on. One of the teacher is in there chatting with the booking lady. When I asked, the lady suddenly yelling at me " teachers are human, they need to go to pee!!!" And slam shut the door after I come out with one teacher. I knew teacher need to pee, but nobody told me, we waited their for 15 mins and nobody come to tell us that the teacher will be late. And the lift stop at 4 pm, so only 45 mins left to the one hour class. As a customer, I think I have the right to ask what's going on. And you can just tell me they are in the restroom, not yelling and slamming the door at your customer.
2, bad lessons. After the late start, the teacher took my son to the kids practice place. Half of the time he is talking to other people. I saw my son waiting on the side not knowing what to do. He just asked my son to do the small slop again and again. Not too much instructions. After the 45 mins class - more like 20 mins since half of the time he is talking to other people. My son still can not do a good turn. My son was in their two hour group class the day before. Their class looks cheap, but 55 dollars for a 20 mins private lesson is more expensive than other place. Avoid the private lessons, it is not worth it.
3, not family friendly. Their slop for beginners is one very flat one and a very steep one, there is no middle ground, it is very difficult for a beginner to transit from the flat to the steep one. And their lesson office has strict rules to not let people getting in their office. The outside temperature is 0 degree Fahrenheit, and there is one or two families in there office, all the other families have to wait outside. And even they have three people handle the lesson booking, but there is only one computer, so all three people can only handle one family at one time. Even the room is half empty, all the other family have to wait outside in freezing weather. And the wait was very very long, we waited for one and half hour and they come out tell us all equipment was out.
Written January 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dec 2018 • Family
We were here in late December 2018. It was crazy busy, especially since there had just been a snowstorm blow through and leave fresh powder. We read reviews of Sipapu and decided to go there first since we are all beginners. We did not expect it to be so small and insanely packed. There is zero, and I mean zero, elbow room with others at least on a busy day. You cannot reserve ski school or rentals in advance and must get there super early to stand in line and wait until they open at 8am. We stood in line from 7:30am until 10:30am outside in 10 degree weather to get enrolled in ski school and get our ski and boot rentals. The women working in the ski school enrollment office were incredibly rude and unprofessional (literally yelling at customers to close doors, slamming doors themselves in the faces of customers asking for info, and lecturing people to cover their mouths when they cough - even told a room full of customers their fellow colleagues were sick due to people like us (tourists from out of town) coming in and coughing on them.). Having said that, the guys working the rentals were amazing and busted their butts to get people what they needed with kind and professional attitudes. The ski school was fun and gave us the very basics, but was taught by teenagers. The scenery here is very beautiful, and our daily drive in from Taos was breathtaking. We did 2 days here and then moved on to other resorts in the area, which for us had far better views, amenities (such as restaurants, etc), activities, ski school, and customer service than Sipapu.
Written January 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jeronpearson
Houston, Texas
What is sipapu’s open fire policy during the summer? Will they have grill pits?
Written June 4, 2018
We will be there Super Bowl Sunday. Is there a big screen TV at the lodge with a desent picture quality?
Written January 13, 2017
When we were there I asked the front desk staff if there was a TV in the lodge and they said there was. They said that none of the rooms/cabins/apartments have TVs or WiFi. A large storm came through and knocked out all power in the resort; so we never got to see the TV in the lodge. I would recommend you call them and ask, they are very nice and will give you an honest answer.
Written January 13, 2017
Where do you recommend lodging if everything is sold out at Sipapu for the weekend of christmas 2016?
Written November 2, 2016
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