Ein autarkes Refugium im Herzen des O'Keeffe-Landes

Reading this made my heart smile...thank you. Raven Heart is a special place, and it’s meaningful when guests truly feel what it offers: expansive views, deep quiet, and the comfort of a well-appointed home in the wild beauty of Northern New Mexico. Thank you as well for noting the road guidance — very helpful for future visitors. It would be an honor to host you again whenever the mountains call you back.

I’d keep the response warm and accountable, especially because they gave you such a lovely review of Raven Heart after describing the arrival problem. I would acknowledge the frustration without overexplaining the dead-phone situation, then let future guests know you acted on the feedback. Thank you so much for your thoughtful review and for sharing both what you loved about Raven Heart and the challenges you experienced getting here. I am truly sorry your arrival was so frustrating. Being in such a remote and beautiful part of Abiquiu is part of what makes Raven Heart special, but it also means GPS can be unreliable, particularly because Two Buck Creek Road is not marked. And, of course, my phone choosing that particular moment to die certainly didn’t help! Your experience made it clear that our directions needed to be better. We have since created much more detailed step-by-step directions, along with a map, so future guests can feel confident finding Raven Heart without relying on GPS. I’m so glad that once you arrived, you were able to settle in and enjoy the property, the quiet, the views, and those incredible Abiquiu skies. And I especially loved your advice to future guests: go outside! That really is where the magic of this place lives. Thank you again for staying at Raven Heart, for your grace around the arrival experience, and for helping us make the experience even better for future guests. 💚🌿 I especially like saying **“Your experience made it clear that our directions needed to be better.”** It tells both this guest and anyone reading the review later that you listened and fixed the problem, rather than becoming defensive about it.

Christine, I’m genuinely sorry your stay at Raven Heart wasn't the peaceful three-week retreat you hoped for. Raven Heart is a very special, intentionally off-grid property in rural Abiquiu, and during your stay, we experienced unexpected problems with the solar power and backup generator system. I understand how disruptive that was, particularly during the summer heat. Throughout your stay, I did my best to respond quickly and find solutions as issues arose. When the power system failed, I arranged and paid for alternate hotel accommodations so you and your two dogs would have a comfortable place to stay while we addressed the system. When additional power interruptions occurred, and you decided to leave early, I understood and agreed to refund the unused portion of your stay. A few characterizations in this review do not reflect my understanding of what occurred. The property had been cleaned and prepared for your arrival, and the final refund was not reduced out of greed or an attempt to profit from an already difficult situation. We handled the reservation, refund, cleaning, and pet-related charges based on the stay and circumstances, including accommodating two dogs. While Christine and I ultimately disagreed about the final calculation, I believe it is important to clarify that for future guests. I do want to clarify one point for future guests reading this review. The final refund was calculated based on the unused portion of the reservation and the applicable reservation charges; we never intended to double-charge fees or profit from the difficulties you experienced. I regret that we couldn't reach agreement on that calculation. I take full responsibility for the issues within my control. The power problems needed to be addressed, and they were. We have also learned from this experience and have taken additional steps to make the off-grid systems and guest information more reliable. Raven Heart will not be the right property for everyone. It is remote, quiet, private, and surrounded by the rugged beauty of northern New Mexico. For guests seeking that experience, my goal is for the home itself to feel comfortable, welcoming, and cared for. I sincerely wish Christine’s stay had unfolded differently, and I wish her well.