Family Values
Make Memories, Save Moolah
There are millions of reasons to choose a New Mexico resort for your family’s next winter ski vacation—world-class powder, incredible vistas, smile-inducing sunshine and our family-friendly atmosphere—to name a few. Not too far down the list you’ll also discover accessibility and value.
New Mexico’s winter parks and resorts are down-to-earth and focused on outdoors-loving families who love to spend their vacation enjoying time together among our 10,000-foot-and-above peaks and unique culture.
In fact, six of the eight major New Mexico ski resorts are still family-owned and -operated (see "
Powder Pioneers"). When a resort is run by a family, it’s more likely you’ll be treated like family. And all of New Mexico’s ski areas make a special effort to cater to individuals of many age and income brackets with special deals (kids ski free at many resorts) and discounts, even during peak season. When New Mexicans say, “Mi casa es su casa (my house is your house),” they mean it.
At
Taos Ski Valley,
the biggest and most historic of New Mexico’s family-run resorts, you
don’t need to be a Blake—they own the resort—to be considered part of
the family. Over 120 of the resort’s 700 employees have been there for
20 years, and many for more than double that. “People take a lot of
ownership in the resort,” says Adriana Blake, Taos’s marketing director
and granddaughter of the area’s founder, Ernie Blake. “Every employee
here takes their responsibility personally, and because we have fewer
guests than the big resorts, we can give everyone a more personal
experience.”
photo: Michael Holmquist
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Adriana explains that one of the great things about family resorts is
that everyone tends to chip in and do whatever job is necessary to
ensure that guests have an enjoyable experience. “My dad likes to drive
the shuttle bus a lot in the winter—he likes to play tour guide,” she
says. “Admin workers will go out and park cars or bus tables—whatever it
takes to make the resort run smoothly and ensure that our guests have
the most enjoyable experience possible.”
“Each person here takes their responsibility personally,” says Adriana. “We have fewer guests, but that means that each one gets more personal attention. What we have to offer is simply superior service. It’s like the difference between a high-rise resort and a boutique hotel.”
Adriana recalls this story: A staff member who happened to be driving the shuttle bus one day noticed a woman struggling to lug all her gear, her children's gear, and her children through the parking lot to the lift area. Instead of driving past, he stopped the shuttle, got out and helped her along. “Here, every person has time to deal with your needs everyday,” says Adriana. “It’s more like coming to someone’s home rather than their giant workplace.”
National
Average |
Avg. for family of 4,
3 nights, 2 days of skiing |
New
Mexico |
$2,000
Airfare
|
Round-trip Travel
|
$340
Fuel
|
$400
|
Mid-size SUV Rental
|
—
|
$864
|
Modest Accommodations
|
$450
|
$520
|
All-Day Lift Tickets
|
$368
|
$3,785
|
Estimated Vacation Costs(1)
|
$1,158
(2)
|
(1) Estimates based on data
gathered from NM ski areas, budget.com, black-diamond.com, onthesnow.com
and nsaa.org. (2) Disclaimer: Vacation costs are not presented as a ski
package offer.
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Along with incredibly personal service, award-winning ski schools, and a laid-back mountain atmosphere, perhaps the best reason to choose the Land of Enchantment for family wintertime fun is a simple matter of value. With plenty of multi-day and age-related discounts, $99 one-way airfares from many major western cities, and reasonable room rates, you can skip the crowds and spend more time and less money on the slopes. Trust your little ones to some of the best ski schools in the country, let your older ones loose to explore the mountain on their own – and buy everyone a hearty lunch of delicious New Mexican cuisine (average cost: $8.50)
Lauren Judycki House, owner of
Red River Ski Area and director of marketing for the resort, explains that being family-run makes it very easy for Red River to identify with families and the challenges of packing everyone up and heading off on a big ski vacation.
“We are sensitive to families’ needs,” says Lauren, “and we work very hard to keep everything at a price level that people can afford.”
“We’ve worked with local businesses in town to work out a promotion where kids can ski and stay free with the purchase of an adult three-day lift ticket and three-night (minimum) lodging. I’ve seen people come in after being on the road for 13 or 14 hours with a car full of kids, and it’s amazing how quickly they calm down when they find out they can get something for free.”
In New Mexico, adult lift tickets average $55 a day, and many areas have great deals specifically targeted to families with children. Compare that to an average of $80 elsewhere in the Rockies, and skiing New Mexico begins to sound even more enchanting.
