Finding hospitality for a family in Zermatt, especially if you’re sticking to a strict budget can be challenging. A 1BR rental on the cheap can be $300 a night and a full Chalet rental for 10 people can cost upwards of $20k for a weekly rental. What about hotels? A lot of travelers prefer them, because of the convenience and the service. There are a couple of older basic hotels that if you’re on your toes you can find for $150-200 a night, but typically lodging can easily start at $350 a night for a basic room at Hotel Post, $690 a night at Omnia Zermatt or $860 at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof. Some of you may have no issue with that price and if you can afford it, there’s a lot of options to suit what you’re looking for, but for a good chunk of us, those prices aren’t realistic. Fingers crossed that one of these days we will win the lottery and see what it’s like to spend twenty grand to rent a chalet, but as I crash back to reality writing this sentence, that $150 a night small old hotel room sounds pretty good for our budget. Unfortunately, being a family of three and the space in those small rooms, we figured it’s best to keep looking knowing we’d need a pack and play/crib for Amelia.
AirBnB or similar rental apps are typically our go to. We have had good luck saving a fair amount of money compared to hotels and these apps are simplistic to use, making communication with the host a breeze. AirBnB also allows certain search criteria that is very helpful like it being pet friendly, having a washer/dryer, or most importantly to us, having a crib. We also know that roads in Zermatt can get steep and tough to walk quickly, so location is very important bringing a baby. Now, the pickier you are with location and amenities can raise the price and limit the options quickly. Our stipulations had us a bit anxious to start, especially with Zermatt being notoriously expensive during winter. As we began searching on AirBnB, something was different, prices were considerably lower. An apartment we had stayed at February of 2020 was $170 more expensive a night than the current rates. It seemed like COVID really took a toll on the hospitality industry there, and even with our needs, there were plenty of options under $200 a night. That’s unheard of for Zermatt. We came into this trip hoping $250 a night and as we kept looking, a perfect apartment, with a crib, that doesn’t require us to climb up a mountain appeared. Price $105 a night. With the additional fees added in the total came to $120 a night. We couldn’t believe it. The impact of COVID on hospitality pricing will more than likely bounce back to normal, but with the mindset of family of 3, this apartment has a kitchen, 2 full beds and 1 private bedroom for the parents. Perfect for a small family. So, for a location that could cost upwards of $900 a night depending where you’re staying, we were over the moon paying $120 a night. Our week stay is roughly the same price as one night at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, well without the perks of a 5-star hotel. But that’s quite okay with us. With the price being so low and in a great location near the center of town, right off the main street that goes through the heart of the village, and the apartment has a perfect view of the famous Matterhorn, we booked immediately.
Hospitality will always be one of the higher costs of travel, but if you look at multiple options, there’s a good chance you can findgems for an affordable rate. Even in expensive destinations like Zermatt. As we are keeping track of top deals to take a family of 3 over to Switzerland. We have found airline tickets for $275 a piece round trip and now a great apartment for $120 a night for seven nights. We currently have a way to get to Switzerland a place to stay for $1,665. For a comparison, we rented a lakehouse in northern Wisconsin for 4 nights for $2,000. Doing great so far. Stay tuned as we give more tips on how to save on transportation, trains, chair lifts, rentals as well as how to save money on food and drink.
A bit of update to our travels, we originally booked our AirBnB back in late April of 2021. Zermatt is a destination that apartments are hard to come by if you do not book well in advance, but as Covid restrictions have continued to stay and people still traveling less than before, the prices we saw 9+ months ago have stuck and there’s plenty of last-minute finds. So, if you’re thinking “why not travel” and I really want to get a ski trip in, you may be able to get a trip of a lifetime at prices that will not last forever.
Links to Switzerland Story
Our Return to Switzerland on a Budget: Part 1
Our Return to Switzerland on a Budget: Part 2, The Airfare
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