Many thanks Indidad!

Hi Brubenow - Seeing this post brings back good memories of this original trip report by Indy_dad! Anyway, I can add a comment on the Schoenegg as we stayed there both the summers of 2013 and 2014 (love it). In 2013 our kids were 5.5yrs and 3.5 yrs and we did the half board which my husband and I really enjoyed (and it is a great value). However, after the 3rd night of dinner our kids were a bit bored of the choices as the kids menu had the same choices each night and not a lot of variety. The good news is that it wasn't the typical kids fare (burger, chicken nugget, pizza, etc) but if it isn't something they enjoy then it becomes limiting (basically the only thing my son would eat was the pasta/meatballs). Also, they tried to be accomodating but there didn't seem to be much ability to substitute(e.g, for example they don't offer french fries in exchange for mashed potatoes and I couldn't substitute one veggie for another one night). So, even though we really enjoyed the food, the next summer we did not do the half board. We still ate dinner there at least 1 night as sitting on the patio on a warm summer evenings is just lovely! Also we had rented a suite with a kitchen so that played heavily into our decision as well. For your kids it would probably be fine as they are older and especially if you were not there longer than 4-5 days.

Good feedback, NorCal_Jo. Better than my guessing/waffling!

Thanks NorCal! We will be there a week. My kids are older but very picky eaters. So I'm afraid that, like you said, they will get sick of limited options over the course of a week. Like you, I'm thinking of booking the Jungfrau Suite and using the kitchen so we can have more options for the kids. Not sure how good of an idea that is or not, depending on the Wengen co-op's selection and prices. Part of me thinks we should eat out because foreign food is part of the experience. But not sure there will be enough quick restaurant options in Wengen for kids for a week? I hate to miss out on the food at the Schoenegg, as I hear it's wonderful, but it would be an extra 140 CHF per night for the half board for the four of us, and we would be eating there every night. Would you book the suite and cook? Or get the half board? Or eat out at a variety of places? Did you feel like eating out after a long day of hiking? Or better to chill out in the hotel and use the kitchen of the suite?

Do you remember if the Jungfrau Suite has a washer and dryer? I know the hotel does laundry, but I'm guessing it's per item and pretty expensive. I know there is a laundromat in Wengen, but just wondering if the Jungfrau Suite might have laundry?

Hi Brubenow - Just saw this so sorry for the delay! If I were in your shoes I would a)book the Jungfrau Suite if available and b) skip the half board and just eat there a couple of nights of your choosing. We did this in 2013 and loved it so much that we literally booked our 2014 trip dates around the availability of the Jungfrau suite! It also has washer and dryer right in the suite which isn't advertised but they were happy to let us use it. That alone was worth a lot as we like to pack light and do laundry so it made it really easy.

A bit more on the Jungfrau Suite as it is not easy to tell from the website. First of all, you have the entire top floor of the hotel with a balcony that extends the length of the suite and the glass doors fold open so you have the most incredible views over Wengen and the mountains. Secondly, the suite itself was fantastic from the furnishings to the bedrooms and the kitchen was fully equipped down to a espresso/coffee machine, nice fondue pot and even a SodaStream for bubbly water. It felt very luxurious yet comfortable for a family and the kids loved it. We probably ate out 2/3 of the nights but it was so nice on the other nights to be able to lounge in our suite, watch a movie and let the kids relax after a long day of hiking and exploring. We found that there was enough variety in the town - there was a simple pizza place about 30 meters up the road and several restaurants on the main street. The Co-op had enough supply as well to keep us happy. Also, having the kitchen was great for keeping extra lunch/snack foods available so we didn't have to go to the store constantly to get cold drinks/food to prepare for hiking packed lunches, etc.

The way the suite works is that it is by itself on the top floor and accessed by stairs (so if you take the tiny elevator you get off and walk the final flight of stairs). When you access the suite you enter a main door and then you find yourself in a nice hallway/foyer that gives access to the various rooms in the suite including the laundry room which is also combined with a nice guest bathroom with shower. Technically, they are set up to rent out the rooms separately although I doubt that happens much and I have to say it would feel weird to share that hallway as it feels very much part of the suite. The first time we rented the entire suite as we had my Mom staying with us and so our two kids stayed in the "bunkroom" which is tiny and fits basically just a bunkbed and small desk but they loved it, my mom stayed in the "guest bedroom" which is at the end of the hall and very nice with a queen bed with ensuite bathroom and we stayed in the "master bedroom" which has a balcony and is pictured on the website - it's awesome. Then the main living room/kitchen is accessed from the hallway as well as from the master bedroom. So, if you rent the whole suite it feels like you have a private apartment. Each door does lock so we understood that someone could book a bedroom without being given access to the living room/kitchen (which would be a shame in my view)and they prefer to rent the whole thing. Our second visit we didn't have my mom along so only really needed two bedrooms. Our kids would have been fine in the bunkroom again but Phillipe actually coached us to book the queen bed guest room instead of the bunkroom as if we booked the bunkroom and the master bedroom/living/kitchen combo then theoretically the hotel could book out the queen guest room to someone else which we did not want as we would have someone else sharing our hallway which on our prior visit we treated as just part of our suite and left doors all open so kids could run back/forth to our room. By booking the queen room/master bedroom combo we got a slightly lower price then booking all three rooms and we were confirmed that they would not separately book out the bunkroom in that case. So, that's what we did the second visit to save a bit of money from booking the whole thing. Hopefully that makes sense but let me know if any more questions!

Just now seeing your reply, NorCal... Thank you so much for the great advice! Good to know about the washer and dryer :)

such great info on hiking trails and travel specifics!