Dobson House

My husband and I wanted to experience an Earthship, and we are so glad we chose to stay at the Dobson house for our two-​night trip to Taos. John and Joan are wonderful hosts and made sure our stay was very comfortable. We were greeted each morning with piping hot coffee and a delicious and filling (but light) breakfast that fueled us through a whole day of shopping on the first day and mountain biking the next. The suites were roomy, cozy, and clean, and the whole building was a marvel. My family and I really enjoyed the art, the exceptional building (which the Dobsons built themselves), and the spectacular views. Hot springs are also a short and very scenic hike away.
So future guests have no unpleasant surprises, I just have a few comments:
(1) This is an environmentally friendly property — do not expect air conditioning. We visited during the hottest summer Taos has had in years. While the afternoons and early evenings could be very warm, we were mostly out of the room anyway doing other activities. The first afternoon we arrived after a long drive from Texas, I took a refreshing shower to cool off. Their showers are beautiful — I wanted to take two a day! The late evenings and nights cooled down significantly, and I was comfortable for the entire trip.
(2) You will be driving about 8 – 10 miles on unpaved roads to get there. It’s completely worth it because you will be amply rewarded with breathtaking vistas. Also, the hot springs are just a short hike down into the Gorge. It is only a few minutes (~15−20) drive from downtown Taos.
(3) The bathrooms are connected to the sitting area and bedroom with no separating wall or door. If you share a room, make sure you are comfortable with that setup. There are two suites available, and each contains a queen-​size bed.
(4) There is a very sweet dog (Tug) and cat on the property. I never saw the cat but just adored Tug.
My husband and I will be back! In the meantime, Joan has sent us some scrumptious recipes to remind us of our wonderful stay.

We booked; they confirmed; then they left us out in the desert with nowhere to stay.
My girlfriend and I made a web-​based reservation request and subsequently confirmed the dates with John and Joan Dobson over email and telephone. On the evening of our arrival, we decided to call the Dobsons from Santa Fe as a courtesy to update them on our status, and they insisted that we should have arrived 2 days before. Despite that we pleaded with them to recheck their emails and reservations book, the Dobsons instead refused and yelled the following before they hung up, «you made no deposit, we have no reservation, good night!» We called back two more times and received the same response along with this sage piece of advice, «go stay somewhere else!»
In the morning we received an email acknowledging that we were indeed correct with our reservation dates and that the Dobson’s had made an error. Of course, we were still without accommodation nor did they offer any, and they did not apologize for being rude to us over the telephone. The Dobson House is an earthship home that will surely attract a lot of visitors for its environmentalism. But what it possesses in eco-​friendliness it lacks in people-​friendliness. John and Joan Dobson are the rudest people we have ever encountered, and they are incompetent innkeepers. I recommend avoiding this couple at all costs and staying somewhere where you will be treated with civility and courtesy.