Pre-booking, half board, down payment (in some cases 100%), at most mountain huts this was not the case until some time ago. Less than 15 years ago there was a clear rule in mountain huts: if you arrived before 6 pm you were guaranteed a place to sleep. Nowadays you can already see on the websites of the huts that there is no place without a reservation.
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Changing regulations
It used to be customary to simply knock on the door of a cabin and then, after a note in the cabin book, be assured of a place to sleep. Although members of Alpine associations were given priority, there was always a bed for everyone. Nowadays you can no longer be sure of this. The hut regulations were changed 15 years ago and since then a maximum of 75% of the sleeping places can be reserved by mountain clubs in advance. In 2021 there were even mountain huts where all sleeping places could be booked in advance. This has caused problems for hikers and alpinists. The corona pandemic has also contributed to the changed situation in the mountains. After all, the (distance) rules also applied to cabins, while there is already so little space. How do you survive your first night in a mountain hut?
Reservation required
There are many reasons for the reservation obligation in mountain huts. This way, the hut owner can plan everything a lot better. Not only in terms of occupied beds, but also for food and drink. It is very useful to know how many people will visit the hut in the coming days. As a result, the logistics processes such as ordering and delivering food, drinks and supplies can be planned better and more accurately. This is very important due to the remoteness of some mountain huts. However, there are no uniform regulations, so there are still cabins where you can spontaneously knock. Mountain hut supplies: how does all the food and drink get there?
Risks of the reservation obligation
The reservation obligation mainly causes problems in the event of sudden weather changes. As a result, some hikers and alpinists cannot continue their tour and cannot reach the booked mountain hut. This would create unsafe situations. If this is the case, always let the mountain hut know that you are not coming today. This way the hut owner can take this into account and does not have to worry if you do not arrive that day.
Why is a deposit requested?
A deposit for a night in a mountain cabin may seem strange, but bad experiences from the past made it necessary. It used to be possible to reserve every mountain hut on the route, and then not cancel the unused beds. In addition to the organizational challenges, the hut values wait for their guests every day. If a climber or hiker doesn't show up, something may have happened. In particular, when large groups did not show up without notification, many beds remained empty. To prevent this, more and more mountain huts ask for a deposit when making a reservation. If you cancel on time, you will usually get this amount back.
Overnight stay only with half board
The development that you can only book half board at some mountain huts is met with a lot of resistance from early risers. Everyone who arrives at a mountain hut after a long day needs dinner, but those who want to leave early the next morning don't have time to wait for breakfast at 08:00. Alternatively, some cabins offer a take-away breakfast. However, this is not in proportion to the breakfast offered in the cabin.
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Costs for additional services
Additional services are no longer offered free of charge in more and more mountain huts. Annoying for guests, for example when you want to charge your mobile phone at night. After all, in the mountains it is very important to have a full battery. The increased number of guests and rising demand conflicts with the attitude of mountain huts to conserve energy. Some mountain huts have decided to ask for a contribution for things that were taken for granted until recently.
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