Ski trip cost- are we subsidizing “host “ family

[Moknicker]

Wanted to get a sense check on how a family has asked us to split costs for an upcoming ski trip

• One family (2 adults + 2 kids) is going on the trip.
• Four additional children (each from separate families) were invited to join. Our child is one of these - is friends with younger child. Kids are 17 and 15 year olds
• Total people on the trip: 8
• 4 from the host family.
• 4 individual children

Shared costs:

• Accommodation: 4k total
• Ski lift pass: 7 at 300 each = 2100 ( mum is not skiing)
• Total cost: 6100

The host family just told us the cost is 1640 for our son. I asked for the breakdown( we were only given total figure). It looks like they have added up the costs and divided by 5

Aibu to say this is not fair and our cost is around 1050( accommodation divided by 8 and we pay 300 for ski lift ) and we and the other kids should not be subsidizing the “host” family? And if we are then they should have told us beforehand?

Travel costs and other costs are covered individually.

Not usually, no.

£1600 for 4 days skiing is insane. You should be getting a 5* hotel in Switzerland for that.

Thats not even all the costs, ski hire and flights are seperate.

Depending on how far down the road they are I'd pull my kid out.

Well you might get one night - two at a push. Switzerland is quite expensive. and you wouldn't get a five star for 400 a night. You could probably get a comfortable room though, so I see your overarching point.

Pretty easy to find something very decent in a top resort for less than £400 a night

Grand Hotel Belvedere, Wengen | Luxury Hotel in Swiss Alps

I’d definitely want to know how they’d reached that figure. Please let us know when he gets back to you with the cost breakdown!

If you click on the bookings though, you will see that over the holiday periods - which I am guessing is when these school age children will need to go - it quite quickly ramps the room rate up to over 400 and even up to 800 euros.

BUT full credit to you for that link because it does look a reasonable hotel option for the prices and we might actually look into it!

I'm also not sure from looking that it would meet everyone's notion of five star (albeit very nice). When "five star" hotel was mentioned I was thinking Carlton St Moritz, Suvretta House, Riffelalp, Zermatterhof etc!

Nonetheless, a good find from you! It looks really good.

Yeah but thats the cost of a room for 2 folk.

Yes that's true. And on that basis this costing is in fact £3200 for four days. You are right.

There has to have been a mistake op. I think @blastfurnace might have figured what has happened. You been given the cost for the full price of the room your dc is occupying, not his portion of it.

Looks like they have divided room cost by 3 so 3 bedrooms so £1300 plus 300 ski pass

tho if they have done that for all 4 kids then they get a free holiday

pp would be fair so 4000/8 is 500 + 300 so £800

tho then food , car /ski hire on top

talk to other parents who are going and see what they are paying but yes sounds high

Same, I thought the total would be in the area of £1200 for accommodation, ski hire, breakfast, dinner and car hire.

yup

Yes if that’s what they have done it has to be a mistake of course, no-one could think it would be a fair way to allocate the costs. It just seems like the kind of thing someone could do if making a quick calculation without engaging their brain.

How have they responded to a breakdown of costs? I’d insist on this now. It may be a miscalculation or some other unconsidered costs - or they may just be taking advantage

That calculation doesn't include food.

They think you are complete mugs.
I would be declining and rethink any further invitations.

OP didn’t originally think the food budget was included, she was trying to work out how they were being charged £1640 for accommodation and lift passes.

The answer might be it’s accommodation, lift passes, car hire, food and other bits and bobs but it’s hard to see how that would legitimately add £840pp unless they’re hiring a limo and are dining on caviar.

There must be either something else included, or a maths error, or both. Take the ski passes out of it, just £1340 x 4 is more than £4k so it is nonsensical. If they were just doing it deliberately to quietly turn a profit they'd be idiotic to make it this unsubtle.

Are siblings going ? As older one friends So she sent you theirs instead of yours as it’s double the cost roughly what you were expecting

Someone up thread did a nice polite reply but can’t find it now

the fact food and flights (how much are they ?) is on top makes me a very costly 4 day holiday @Moknicker

My child’s school ski trip is 1300 for 5 days with food. This is paid upfront so I wonder if it’s adding in eating/drinking which is expensive? Also ski equipment hire?

I texted the mum and she confirmed that the costs for acco and ski passes are split by 5 "families". When I asked how that was fair she replied it was "morally fair" and used some of the arguments in the thread that they were looking after our kids and it was a lot of risk etc.

I then called up my friend Rachel. For context Rachel's DH - Richard and host dad went to school together so go way back. Rachel's son Oliver is very good friends with the host son. Oliver is not going on the trip and i remember being a little surprised by that.

It turns out that host family pulled a similar thing on a summer camping trip with Oliver and another kid in the friend group. Rachel didn't realise what was going on just that the costs seemed to be really high - not as high as this obviously but enough to make them uncomfortable. Oliver was invited on the ski trip but they declined. Richard then called to apologise for not raising this with me when they knew my son was going on the trip. He's advised me to pull out of the trip and I have.

The host family has not responded as yet.

Have you spoken to the other friend as well

pulling out seems the right choice

Wow so they make a habit of inviting along people to pay for their holidays. Quite the little scam they've got going there. Unbelievable, glad you've pulled out.

Blimey they are that idiotic! My apologies.