Esprit skiing and high tea for children

[SoldeInvierno]

I am a bit confused about this. I have read in their site that children have high tea together and the parents eat later on at an adults only dinner. I don't particularly like this, but happy to accept it. However, if children eat at 5:30, is that the last meal they get? When on skiing holidays, my DS doesn't go to bed until 10 pm, more or less, which is when we all go upstairs, so I am worried he might be starving again by then. Has anyone got experience with this?

We normally go with Neilsons, so children and parents eat together in the evening.

[AnnMumsnet]

Hi - AFAIK the high tea is in chalet hotels for Espirt - only places I have stayed with them. Yes kids have high tea (supervised by kids club folks) at 5.30. Adult dinner is 7pm-9pmish and they also run a cocoa club for kids not in bed in the evening - til 10ish. So yes high tea would be last meal provided for them in this accommodation. HTH - where are you thinking of going?

[hillyhilly]

I've not been with esprit but in chalets where the kids aged 3-9 were all fed together at around 5.30-6, then put to bed at whatever time was right for them, the adults ate together at around 7-8 I think. It worked for all of us.

[SoldeInvierno]

We are not sure where to go yet, but it would be a place with cocoa club. DS is 9 and he will definitely not go to bed early while on holidays. At home we have dinner together at about 7. Hence my concerned that eating too early would mean him going to be quite hungry. I have to think about this properly. Thanks for your answers.

[SoldeInvierno]

hillyhilly, was there a place for the kids to be while the parents where having dinner then? like a separate living room? I have only been to hotels with Neilsons so I am not familiar with the chalet system at all.

[CaurnieBred]

The kids will be at Cocoa Club - this is timed to take the kids away to have fun before the adults sit down with their meal.

I was worried last year as it was the first time we had stayed where the Cocoa Club was not in house and we weren't sure if DD would cope staying up till 10pm but all you do is tell the the staff at what time you want your kid back and they will bring them back to you at that time.

We always give DD a yoghurt at bedtime and this seemed to tide her over till breakfast.

[slalomsuki]

They do tea for the kids at about 5-6.30 ish then the younger ones go to bed. Normally after that they can do a hot chocolate or a piece of cake as a supper if your child is still awake. We have been 3 times with them as my kids have grown up and this year will probably be the last time as they are getting older and more able to entertain themselves in the evening.

I would recommend Cocoa club for them if they are say older than 6 and not used to going to bed early. My kids tend to think 9pm is an early night even on a school day so they would not sleep even if they had spent the day skiing. They are not alone in this and they have made many friends in the Cocoa club that they also ski with during the day in lessons or afterwards.

If you think that Cocoa isnt for them or don't want to pre book it they usually will take the kids in the resort if they have spaces. If you cant do that then i suggest that when they serve cake etc in the afternoon tea slot then you take some of that back up to the room later so they can have it as a supper. there is usually loads of food for tea and they can cater for second helpings.

[Primrose123]

We went with esprit quite a few years ago, and we were told that after tea we had to leave the children alone in our room while we went down to dinner. I wasn't happy about this so we altered our booking from a chalet to a hotel, so that we could all eat together.

[narmada]

Esprit do have their cocoa clubs etc for older children. Maybe you could buy some snacks for your son at the supermarket so he wouldn't go hungry.

However...

If your child is older, I really wouldn't bother with Esprit. Their raison d'etre is childcare - and if you're not in need of that then there are better options IMHO. Like going to a regular chalet or just a standard hotel package thing. We have been with Esprit twice - with our babies/ toddlers, and it was fine both times but there is no question of us going with them any longer as we are now tied to school hols - and I think their prices are ridiculous for what you get in the school holidays. Sorry, off topic slightly :)

[SoldeInvierno]

thanks everyone. Yes, DS will be almost 10, so going to be early will not be possible, plus we are used to having dinner together, so it would be really odd. I'll have to find an alternative, as Esprit is obviously not going to be right for us.

[GoldenPrimrose123]

I think you'll be ok in an Esprit hotel, then you could all eat together. It's just the chalets that do the high teas for children.

[UniS]

Horses for courses I guess. High tea is one of esprits main selling points to me. DS needs an earlyish bedtime after a day sking. Last year in a hotel was hard as he was up wayyy to late and V sluggish in morning.