Skiing AIBU ( re sharing cost)

[WoodenSkis]

Should toddlers in cots be included in the total numbers when splitting the cost of ski accommodation? Bearing in mind that the needs of the toddlers dictated the choosing of more expensive accommodation, due to child related facilities and services that no one else needs.

We've taken toddlers skiing before and any additional child related costs have always been picked up by the parents. It seems the only fair thing to do really. However we always started from the point of understanding everyone's budget and not considering anything which would take us over that point in the first place.

The only time we ever booked a whole chalet out was when there were four couples. Two couples had a child per couple. Other two couples were childless.

The couples with the kids had bigger bedrooms. For instance our room had a double bed and a bunk for dd.

Afaik the chalet gave us a price per room. So me and dh paid more than my brother who was in the small basement room. The price difference wasn't huge though as I guess a large proportion of the total cost for a couple was for food rather than who had the nicer room? Catered chalet.

Can you ask the company to give you a breakdown per family and they can work out costs based on food and room size? Obv toddlers will also eat less so wouldn't expect them to be charged adult price.

Meant to say we paid for dds ski lessons separately.

We've also gone with Esprit and childless friends have come. We didn't subsidise their costs. I'm sure they could have gone cheaper but didn't.

I think vibalaBeavers scenario is pretty much what the OP is describing.

Esprit chalets will naturally be more epensive per person because they include an overall charge for childcare services (which may or may not be used), split mealtimes to accomodate young DCs and usually overall more expensive as situated in naice ski resorts that are family friendly.

I certainly wouldn't want the pay the extra for services I wouldn't be using, however equally I don't think you can say to the family with young DC that you'll come provided they pay X of your chalet costs.

I suppose you could counter with another cheaper chalet that doesn't offer the child care and then when the toddler family say that they need x,y,z facility then explain that it's pushing up the overall price.

TBH I can't see a reasonable resolution unless you either suck it up and pay more or they accept that if they want child friendly accomodation they need to stay somewhere more expensive.

Iirc with Esprit you pay for the childcare services you use. We've been with esprit before and not used any childcare. I suppose the only thing you might pay for without it been specified is kids tea as a snow ranger is there.

But all snow clubs, cocoa clubs, nursery, etc is paid for as a separate thing.

I think the thing is that if you are at different stages - eg some singles, some young couple, some with toddlers, some with school age DC... not really possible to combine easily.

I maybe phrased that incorrectly viva. I looked at the price of Esprit chalets and they were massively more expensive than staying in say a Crystal catered chalet.

I did naively assume though that some childcare was included in that extra cost, but you must then be paying the premium for is the availability to purchase that childcare.

While there may not be specific childcare requirements which put the cost up , more child friendly features such as closed tread stairs, being near nursery/skischool, less open plan layout , space for indoor play etc may mean that a similar sized chalet is more expensive to one in a different location, perhaps near bars, with smaller communal areas, no washing machine etc. tbh I wouldn't be happy having my holiday dictated by one family. If majority are child free then that should carry more weight and they shouldn't be expected to subsidise the other's holiday.

If the additional cost is caused by them then they should pay it rather than be subsidised.

I had a similar scenario once. A friend and I were going on holiday, when I didn't have kids. It was a free child place with two adults. I expected it would be split more fairly (say 65% ish paid by her) and she thought we would split down the middle.

Wooden, you say you don't want to point it out as you don't want to cause friction. But I think there will be more friction if you just veto their choice without explaining why?

In a lot of chalets that aren't owned by companies that cater specifically to families, if you have children in the party you have to book the chalet for sole occupancy rather than booking per room.
And, as pps have already said the resorts that have good facilities for children tend to be more expensive.
So skiing with children can push the prices up due to these indirect factors but it's not really reasonable to ask the parents to subsidise the other adults holidays as everyone benefits from having the additional space/privacy sole occupancy of a chalet offers as well as the better facilities of the more popular resorts.
It sounds like you have very different requirements for this holiday. I'd talk to them about it and maybe look at staying somewhere else. I wouldn't ask the parents to pay full price for a toddler in a cot. That is likely to cause friction.

I think I have a fair idea of the sort of chalet you are talking about and the type of resort it's ski famille/ family ski company isn't it?

Actually I don't think you are being unreasonable expecting the people with childcare requirements to pay more, because the comapnies charge a premium for their accommodation even before the cost of the actual childcare is added on.

But I see your dilemma about putting people's noses out of joint. I would just say "here are two options that would suit us" "cheaper chalet x in resort Y with in-resort childcare options (almost every french resort offers this anyway)" or "go in separate properties in the same resort". The 400 difference is a lot to be shelling out for someone else's convenience.